Author's Note: Greetings Earthlings

This is my beginning of the story author's note where I tell all of you important
things. First of all, I'm adding this after the story is already completely
finished so thankfully I know exactly what to tell you all about, such as a
forewarning for any typos. I grow as a writer with each story and at the beginning
of this one you will notice a few more typos than toward the end, particularly a
frequent mess up between the words seen/saw. Sorry in advance, but I will not be
editing it now that it's finished.

First on the agenda, warnings for the story. This story is going to have smut,
graphic glorious gay smut, but if that's not you thing don't fret because I make
sure to put a bolded warning at the start of every chapter containing it, then
another warning right before the actual diddly-doo happens as well. As for trigger
warnings this story will have vague mentions of homophobia, and social anxiety. I
just want to make sure everyone has as good a time reading as I do writing!
Absolutely nothing suicidal/self-harm/abuse related.

You may have noticed the cover is insanely similar to some of my other works, if
not that's fine as well. This is the first book in a series of three. It's not a
direct addition in the sense that the next books in the series contain the same
characters, but it is in the same series with similar plots, just different
characters. It's set in the same universe as Misfit/Outcast so you may get glimpses
into those characters lives and then you can read their stories and get better
understandings. You can absolutely read any of the stories in any order or only
read one out of the series, there may be some references you don't understand but
it's not at all necessary to the plot to read the others.

As for an updating schedule, this story is completely finished and sadly, you won't
be expecting any further updates on it. Unless of course, you read the next books
in the series, to get infrequent glimpses into Troyler's lives after the end of
Freak.

If you particularly enjoy this work and are interested in seeing more watch out for
updates on writing progress by following my social medias! I'm constantly posting
updates on my stories, my writing, and the occasional behind-the-scenes spoilers,
so it's definitely worth your while.

Twitter - MelancholyMango

Tumblr - Mangothatismelancholy

Instagram - TheMelancholyMango

Youtube - MelancholyMango

Okay, cool, that's really all I had to say, sorry for rambling and keeping you from
Troyler. Make yourselves at home, read away, and please remember to leave votes and
comments because it often inspires me to write faster and your thoughts and reviews
really mean a lot to me!

Chapter One
*Troye's POV*

I tried desperately to sink even further into the cushions of the couch, wishing I
could just meld into them and escape the horribly awkward situation I currently
found myself in. Okay, so it wasn't actually that horribly awkward, but I could
still think of things I'd rather be doing. My mother had decreed family night a
thing last week, and this was our first official meeting. She said it was because
some of us weren't reaching our full potential socially, that some of us could
benefit from a bit more human interaction. I knew damn well that she meant me when
she said 'some of us'. I also knew these forced family game nights and heart-to-
hearts weren't going to benefit me in any way at all. But I went along with it, of
course. Anything to make her happy. If she believed it would help then let her
believe it.

"Uno!" I cringed at my dad's shriek, though I plastered a smile on my features for

everyone else's sake. They were all laughing, so I guess that was the reasonable
thing to do. I laughed quietly, not wanting to stand out from the rest of them. It
was strange how I thought like this even around my family, but I guess it was
instinct.

"Troye, do you mind running to the store for me? I totally forgot red peppers for
the quesadillas!" I perked up excitedly, my eyes immediately darting to where my
mother was standing in the doorway. I cast one final glance in the direction of the
coffee table covered in colorful cards, my decision already made.

"Not at all, I'll be back in a few!" I said happily, hopping to my feet and leaving
the sitting area. I looked back at the rest of my family though, taking time to
study each of their features. Steele, who was only visiting from college, had his
eyes fixed on the television across the room watching some type of sport. Sage had
her eyes fixed on her phone screen, likely texting one of her many friends. She's
the socialite of the family. And then there was my youngest sibling Tyde, the only
one who was actually focused on the childish game in front of him. I had to admire
how he held onto his innocence so well, almost living in his own happy little
bubble. Lastly, my eyes falling on my father. I jumped slightly, surprised to see
him looking back at me. He narrowed his eyes at me questioningly and I rushed to
cover up my unease, taking a step toward him and patting his balding head
teasingly.

He's trying to get out of this on purpose, the little shit.

I blinked rapidly, wincing slightly at the sudden mind intrusion. I guess it was my
fault though, you'd think I'd know to avoid physical contact like it was the plague
by now. I quickly regained my composure though, giving him a weak smile before
heading into the kitchen. I found my mother exactly where I expected, swinging her
hips to some cringe-worthy country song in front of the stove. It was nothing new
though, this was what I found nearly every time I entered the kitchen. She didn't
have a job considering Dad's paid a reasonable amount, so she was constantly trying
new hobbies to keep herself busy. So far her favorite, and the only one that she's
stuck with for any amount of time, is cooking.

"Hey, Mum." I said softly, hopping up onto the counter beside where she was
working. She shot me a glare, her silent way of reminding me just how much she
hated it when I did this. She used to actually snap at me and force me to get down,
but after countless bickering she'd more or less given up on getting me to listen
to her. I wasn't even sure why it was so hard for me to give the spot up, I guess
it was just my stubborn nature coming through. I got it from her, so you'd think
she'd be more understanding.

"I kinda need the keys to go anywhere." I gently reminded her, smirking when
realization dawned across her features. She slapped a flour-covered hand to her
forehead, mumbling nonsense about what an idiot she was sometimes as she headed
over to the table. She grabbed her purse, digging around before retrieving the keys
and a wad of bills.

"Don't spend it all, you have five bucks for yourself, the rest is for the
groceries." She then handed me a tiny shred of paper with numerous food names
scrawled on it, and I couldn't shrug the feeling of deja vu. We'd done this so many
times now it was like clockwork, which is exactly why it took me less than a second
to reply with my usual quip.

"Ah, yes, five dollars. You are too kind, really." She rolled her eyes, shoving me
playfully before heading back to her usual post, humming some song as she did so. I
groaned, looking down at where my black shirt now had two ghostly white hand prints
imprinted. Whatever, it's not like there's anyone I'm trying to impress. I didn't
even bother to attempt wiping it off before ducking out of the room and heading
toward the front door.

"Don't get into too much trouble out on the town, Troye! You know, because you're
such a party animal!" I outwardly groaned at Dad's obvious teasing, making sure to
slam the door a little bit harder than necessary. They never failed to find ways to
incorporate my social ineptitude into conversations. I guess it made sense though.
I was kind of the black sheep of the family in that sense. They were all blessed
with good looks and charisma, while I was cursed with mind-numbing anxiety and
introvertedness. The worst was when people told me to try to get over it, to push
myself and challenge myself. They said it'd go away eventually, I just had to face
my fears. The thing is, that was far from the case. I was like an elastic band, the
harder I tried to stretch myself to leave my boundaries, the worse it hurt when I
was thrown back in. I'd learned that the hard way, multiple times. I kept trying
though, thinking maybe it'd be different next time. But there's only so many
strike-outs one can cope with before quitting the game all-together.

I reached over, turning on the radio in an attempt to shake myself from the dark
thoughts. I wasn't always this depressing, I guess it was a side-effect of starting
school again tomorrow. I wrinkled my nose up at the thought. I didn't like people
in general, but people my age were the worst. I don't know what it was with them,
but they viewed the world as a competition. If you weren't the best, the most
popular, the prettiest, then what were you? Useless. I couldn't speak for every
last one of them, but every one of my peers I'd tried to get close with in the past
fell into the same self-obsessed category. They wanted to be the best, and they'd
do anything to ensure it, no matter who they left crumpled in the process. It was
stupid, it was vain, and it was cowardly, but it was today's teenage society. I
hated it.

I pulled off onto a familiar road, the same one I always pulled onto when I needed
to buy absolutely anything. It was just a convenience store, and it would really
only take another ten minutes to get to the actual town where there were real
supermarkets, but there was something about this place I adored. It wasn't modern
like everywhere else, especially considering the building was likely fifty years
old now. But it just had such a genuinely friendly atmosphere about it. The staff
were pleasant, the customers few, and the products had good quality. What more
could you ask for?

I parked the car, fumbling around in my pocket for the money. I didn't want to have
to awkwardly get it out at the cash. Wow, I really was pathetic when I thought
about it. I'd developed so many methods to avoid awkward confrontations. Oddly
enough, I still managed to get myself into them nearly every day. I guess I was
just an awkward person or something. Just as I fetched the last of the change an
all-too-familiar pop song started blasting through the speakers. 'Born This Way'.
Ugh. I hurriedly turned the radio off, sitting in my seat for a moment in a state
of pure loathing. I liked Lady Gaga herself, just not that particular track. It was
overplayed, overly upbeat, and the lyrics themselves were each individual little
daggers to me. It was like the song itself had been tailored particularly to tease
me. How was I supposed to love myself when I was well, me? A freak.

I got out of the car abruptly, reminding myself for the thousandth time that normal
people do not get lost in their thoughts that easily. I wanted to be a normal
person too, well, as close to it as I could be. I shuffled toward the doors
awkwardly, staring down at my shoes as I scuffed them along the pavement.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Bruce!" I stopped dead in my tracks, lifting my chin ever
so slowly. My eyes went wide when I seen the familiar face, immediately regretting
my decision not to style my hair before heading out. He was smiling his signature
huge smile, only having it dim occasionally when he responded to the person he was
talking to, 'Bruce'. He turned abruptly, his conversation obviously finished, his
eyes falling on me. His grin faded, instead turning into just a shy smile, the one
used for strangers obviously. I wonder what it was like to be one of the people
Tyler Oakley reserved his toothy smiles for.

"Hi!" He said cheerily, pushing the door he'd been standing in back even further,
holding it open for me. I blushed crimson, opening my mouth to give him a response.
Instead, I gave him a horribly embarrassing voice crack, causing me to give up and
just nod at him awkwardly as I stepped past.

"I like the shirt, by the way. It's cute." I took another three steps before
realizing he was talking to me. Partly because I was the only one in the store, but
mostly because I had suddenly remembered just why someone would point out my shirt.
I groaned aloud, looking down at the prominent hand prints on my abdomen. Kill me
now, honestly. I turned around to reply, but he had already left, the door just now
clicking shut behind him. I tried to ignore the slightly disappointed feeling that
gave me, instead unfolding the grocery list and reading over the items.

Even as I went on the scavenger hunt to collect them all, the interaction with
Tyler was playing over in my mind. I did this any time I did something awkward,
force myself to relive it on repeat in my head, but it was even worse this time. I
guess that could be because I'd just made a fool of myself in front of the most
popular guy in my school, someone who could have my reputation ruined in a matter
of seconds. I snicker out loud at myself as I grabbed some fish sticks.

What reputation, Troye?

Then again, it's not like he knew my name to even attempt sabotaging me. It was a
miracle he'd even spoken to me, he must have just been having a really good day. In
school, he wasn't like that at all. He was a certified neanderthal, running around
with his fellow football grunts and pummelling anyone that stepped in their way.
Okay, that was a bit of an over-exaggeration. They didn't 'pummel' people, though
they were known for giving the occasional swirly or lunch money robbery. But what I
was trying to say, was that Tyler was on a completely different social pier than I
was. He was the very top, while I was somewhere below the bottom. I didn't even
have a pier, I was so irrelevant I'd fallen off the chart completely, and I was
okay with that. In fact, that was exactly how I liked it.

I headed to the cash register with an obviously fake smile plastered on my face. An
elderly man was working, playing around with the dinosaur of a till as I
approached. I imagined it was close to closing time for them, considering it was a
Sunday night and nearing 9pm.

"Find everything you were looking for?" He asked, not bothering to break his eyes
away from the machinery. I just nodded though, hoping he just assumed that was my
response. He looked up finally, and I immediately recognized him. He was the owner
of the shop, but he didn't actually work that much considering his age.

"Why are you working?" I was a little shocked with myself for going out of my way
to make conversation, but I guess I'd chosen the right person considering the jolly
laugh that followed. He actually looked a lot like Santa Claus to tell you the
truth.

"My usual cashiers, Mary and Jake, both quit on me on the same day. Apparently they
were running off to the big city, getting an apartment together. Anyway, I was only
here today to train the newbie, then it's back to the cottage for me." I smiled
warmly, not quite talkative enough to question him any further on the question.

Baby steps to being a normally functioning human being, Troye, baby steps.

Who knows, maybe I'll even make a friend in this sixty-something year old man. I
guess it would be better than no friends at all.

"Here you are, sir." I reached out, snatching the bags from him, but not before an
electric jolt buzzed up my arm where our fingers had touched.

This must be that weird kid that Mary mentioned. He really is awkward.

Ah, yes, I should have seen that one coming as well. I don't even bother to say my
farewells before squaring my shoulders and heading toward the doors I came in from.
I don't know why things like that still got to me, it's not like I hadn't
experienced it a thousand times in the past. It was the same thing that always
happened when I let my guard down for even a split second, I'd get hurt. Let your
guard down, and you'll get let down. It was a stupid motto, but eleven year old
Troye had thought it quite clever, so I'd stuck with it.

I got into the car, absentmindedly chowing down on the chocolate bar I'd purchased.
Except the longer I sat there the less my bites were bites and the more they became
timid nibbles. I ended up setting it down halfway finished, just starting the car
and making tracks for home. There was an unsettled feeling in the pit of my
stomach, a nagging dullness that had become scarily common. It wasn't necessarily
hurt as much as it was just disappointment. Disappointment in people for being so
judgmental and disappointment with myself for caring. I just wanted to go home and
crawl into bed, and that's exactly what I intended to do. I'd tell my family I
didn't feel well and needed my rest for school tomorrow. We could reschedule family
night yet another week, right?

A/n: Okay, here it is. I want to ask for opinions but at the same time this fic is
my baby, my literal baby and I'm in love with it, so only give opinions if they're
positive. (I'm kidding, just don't be an ass about it)
I feel like I have a lot to cover in this A/n, so I guess I should stop mumbling.
Troye and Tyler are both highschool seniors, Sage is 16, Tyde is 14. Cute, cool,
fun? Just so you guys have a bit of a better idea on the ages. Ugh, what else. The
mind reading is probably something I should describe, like how it works sort of
thing. He can't control it at all really, when he gets a thought or what thought he
can't control, though if he avoids people in general it's kind of controlling it in
a sense. It can just be by being near them, though it's guaranteed if they make
physical contact. He basically gets whatever thought they are thinking right that
second or whatever thought is the mooooooost important to them. Like if they have a
big exam or something, that's what's on their mind. (I also plan to kind of show
this in the fic but this is for you slow people like me)

Also, this very first chapter is dedicated to the ever so lovely, Emmy. It's her
birthday (for like another ten minutes-sh) and she is an absolutely amazing friend
and author. If it weren't for her you wouldn't be getting this early, it's her
birthday present, so appreciate. Go check out her Troyler stories, they've got smut
and stuff. Okbye.

Other than that... I hope you guys liked it!! I am sort of snervous about such an
out of the box idea, so feedback is appreciated. I'm not sure on an updating
schedule, this is more of a sneak peek than anything else, seeing as I want to
finish my other stories before I get too wrapped up in this one. Alright, COMMENT
and VOTE, and just maybe I'll feel inclined to update sooner.

Chapter Two
*Tyler's POV*

"I don't get why you can't just blow it off, this is the last party of the summer,
Ty. Do you really think you can afford to miss it?" I held the phone to my ear with
my shoulder awkwardly, trying to multi-task and straighten my hair as I talked to
him. I cussed under my breath, feeling the hot metal come into contact with my
skin. I was beginning to get really frustrated with it, but I couldn't just give up
like I normally did. I had to look good today. I sighed aloud, realizing I still
hadn't replied to my zany best friend.

"Afford to? Marcus, do you have any idea how irrelevant your little junior parties
are? I've been to like thirteen college parties this summer. I've hooked up with
sorority chicks! And you think missing that mess is going to affect something?" I
snapped, vaguely aware that I may be being a bit too harsh on him. It's not like
you could blame me though, he hadn't shut-up about this party since they planned it
two weeks ago. Originally I had planned to go, before my 'family reunion' came up
suddenly.

"Okay, fine, it's not that big of a deal, but it's still better than that family
junk, isn't it?" I let out an exasperated huff, setting my straightener down so I
could hold the phone properly.

"Family 'junk'? What if my grandmother dies before I get to see her next just
because I ditched for some lame party? Do you think I could ever forgive myself for
that?"

"Well, no, I guess-"

"You guess? Honestly, Marcus, you can be such a bonehead sometimes. Call me
tomorrow, leave me in peace for the rest of the night, please." I snapped, ending
the call immediately before he even got the chance to respond. Now that I had two
free hands it was a lot easier to style my hair. I ran some gel through it, messing
around until I was completely satisfied with my blonde quiff. I'd been thinking
about dying it a lot lately, but I was also very nervous. The big bad quarterback
is not taken nearly as serious when he has purple hair, or at least that was what
Caspar had chastised me with when I mentioned it.

I glanced in the mirror one last time, taking a deep breath before turning on my
heel and walking out of the bathroom. I could hear the scratchy radio playing
quietly in the other room, though the song wasn't familiar. Our house was a single
story flat, two bedrooms, a bathroom, a small living room, and a kitchen. It was
small, in a bad neighborhood, and our landlord was a convicted felon. Strangely
enough, it was an improvement from the last house we'd lived in.

I strolled into the kitchen, swinging my hips slightly as I located some

breakfast/dinner. This whole getting up before noon thing wasn't what I'd grown
accustomed to over the summer, but I wanted to be certain I got up on time today.
Aside from trying to get back into the habit, I also had something important to do.

My very first job interview.

I was both overwhelmingly excited and nervous. I hadn't told a single soul, for
multiple reasons. My mother, would either get extremely excited then be
disappointed if I didn't get it, or she'd lecture me about enjoying my youth while
I still had it and that she could take care of things on her own. My friends, were
the very reason I hadn't gotten a job before now. They'd never let me live it down,
calling me a momma's boy or whipped. Except they wouldn't find out even if I did
get the job, that was the beauty of this place. It wasn't even in the town where
everyone went to hangout. It was some convenience store that hardly anyone went to
anymore, located in the middle of one of the better neighborhoods around. It'd be
easy work, with no risk of any of my friends finding their way in. It was a dream
come true. Granted I actually got the job, that is.

I'd been wanting a job since my fifteenth birthday, actually probably even sooner
than that. I'd been listening to my mother worry and stress over money my entire
life, the thought that I might be able to help her with it was almost too perfect
to handle. My dad had not shared my people-pleaser attitude though, considering he
didn't think twice about walking out the second things got hard. And by things
getting hard, I mean the second Mom found out she was pregnant with me. I didn't
mind anymore though, I'd long ago gotten over any sour feelings toward him. From
what I heard, he wasn't someone I wanted in my life anyway.

I sat down at the table, never taking my eyes off the clock hanging above the
fridge. I couldn't be even a second late for this. I was late for school nearly
every day, but that was different. I wasn't sure how exactly, it just was. I tapped
my nails against the table impatiently for a few minutes before I had a bright
idea. I couldn't be late, but nobody said anything about being early!

I ran to the door, downing the last of my coffee on the way. I was in a rush, not
even bothering to make sure my shoes matched my outfit before shoving my feet into
them and stomping outside. I hopped into my car as gracefully as I could manage,
checking my hair yet again in the pull-down mirror. Let's just hope the old thing
starts today. I turned the key, letting out a content sigh when the engine
sputtered to life. I guess luck was on my side today!

Fifteen minutes later I was standing outside of a mildly decrepit looking building
with a huge grin on my face. I loved it already! There were no cars in the parking
lot, despite it being the just-out-of-church rush hour, which could only mean one
thing; this place wasn't very busy. Which was exactly what I wanted. Not just
because I was lazy and it meant less work, but because it meant I could be myself
more and not worry about anyone reporting back to my peers. I didn't have to worry
about what people thought of me for once, I was just that kid no one knew that
stood behind a counter. I could be whoever I wanted, though I already knew my
choice. I was going to be Tyler Oakley. The real Tyler, the one that feels sick to
his stomach when he watches his friends push kids in the hall and feels like
vomiting every time they pressure him into drinking. The one that'd honestly rather
sit at home watching America's Next Top Model re-runs than go out partying with
'hot girls'. Oh, yeah, also the one that didn't find 'hot girls' hot at all.

"What are you staring at?" I jumped, spinning around to see a young girl standing
behind me with a confused expression. I bit my lip, realizing I'd been staring at
the building with a dazed expression for nearly five minutes now. Wow, way to act
normal. Apparently the real Tyler is also socially awkward and can't go ten minutes
without embarrassing himself.

"The sign needs fixing." I mumbled awkwardly, heading into the store before her
mother walked over and asked what I was doing talking to her daughter. That was the
last thing I needed to happen outside of my possible future employer's building. I
marched inside with a determined grin, heading straight to the cash register.

"Hello, I'm Tyler. I'm here about the job?" I said brightly, using my most
professional tone. The older man raised a single critiquing eyebrow at me, before
nodding to the left.

"Oh yeah, the mop's over there."

"The, uh, the mop?" I chuckled nervously, quickly becoming rather flustered. This
wasn't how I thought it would go. Where was the serious man asking me job-related
questions? I guess I should have expected something weird though, considering I was
getting a job at the least popular store in town.

"Yeah, that sponge-like thing attached to a rod? You use it to clean the floor?" I
had to seriously resist the urge to sass him back for his annoying sarcasm,
legitimately biting down on my tongue to keep from speaking.

"What about my interview?" I said through clenched teeth, trying to keep my face as
neutral as my tone.

"Do you want the job?"

"Well, obviously."

"Great, you're hired. Now get mopping." He demanded, making a sweeping movement
with his hand. I stared at him incredulously for a moment, my jaw unhinging just
slightly. Was he serious? Great, my boss is an asshole. But on the upside, I do
have a boss, which means I have a job. I gave a huge smile of excitement,
disregarding him as I listened and went to retrieve the mop bucket. I grabbed it
happily, swabbing it across the floor immediately.

"Tyler?"

"Yes?" I answered, turning around to face him with the mop still in my hands. He
had a big jolly smile on, resembling a beardless Santa more than anyone I'd ever
seen in my life.

"I'm not actually that much of an asshole, it's my form of an interview. It's
shorter, and says a lot more about a person's character than you would think... You
passed, in case you were wondering." He was grinning from ear-to-ear now and it
took my a while to realize it was due to my dumbstruck face. I closed my mouth,
giving a weak nod.

"Oh."

"You might as well finish that though, unless you have any undying questions about
the job." I just shook my head slowly, still a little phased by the strange
exchange. Just then a customer approached the counter, an older woman with arms
full of cat food, likely someone who couldn't be bothered to interact with the rest
of society in town. It was fun guessing why people were choosing to come to this
store in the middle of nowhere instead of the actual town. Was it really just a
matter of saving a few minutes or would all the customers be anti-social weirdos? I
wasn't sure yet, but I couldn't wait to find out.

An hour later and I was sitting behind the counter with Bruce. As it turns out he
was the polar opposite from the man he'd pretended to be when I first met him. He
was the most chill and jolly person I'd ever met. As if his constant chortles of
laughter wasn't enough, he was currently sitting here eating the produce with me
and gossiping about people around town. Could I have asked for a better boss? I
think not. I took another bite of my popsicle, nodding when he mentioned Caspar and
referred to him as that 'bratty troublemaker'. Despite him being my friend, I had
absolutely no trouble agreeing with him.
"One time a couple years ago I caught the little shit trying to graffiti the store.
Let's just say I haven't seen him in a 500ft radius since." I giggled happily,
though deep down I couldn't even begin to explain how much his words reassured me.
Caspar was probably the meanest person I'd met during my highschool experience, and
he'd also be the first to tease me if he found out about my job. As it was I still
had to worry, considering his past experiences with my boss. If there was one thing
I knew about him it's that he always got his revenge. Maybe not now, and maybe not
soon, but I was sure getting Bruce back was on his to-do list.

"I've actually kind of missed running this old place, but I'm glad I'm leaving it
in such a good kid's hands." He said cheerily, slapping me on the back. It wasn't
often I got called a 'good kid' by anyone other than my mom, but I guess that was
my own fault. It's a lot easier to survive highschool as a bad kid than a good one,
so it was an easy decision to ditch that persona at school. Only at school though,
as soon as I walked out of those gates and away from my 'friends' I could be me
again. I'd had most the summer to myself, aside from a few mandatory parties to
keep my name relevant. There was nothing I'd ever dreaded as much as the thought of
walking back through those doors tomorrow, back into my fake life.

"Thanks." I mumbled sheepishly, just now realizing I hadn't replied. I looked

toward the clock, surprised to see my full eight-hour shift had passed. I guess
time flies when you're having fun. Bruce noticed me staring, a wry smile spreading
across his features.

"Think you're ready to run the shop on your own after school and on the weekends
from now on? I'll see about getting you a fill-in as soon as possible, of course,
but until then it's just you."

"Definitely, you can count me in! I love this place!" I said, beaming my one-
thousand watt smile at him. He stood up, mumbling something about showing me how
the till worked so I'd know how to close the store up properly. After his very
short but very thorough tutorial I was free to go. I shimmied out of the slightly
embarrassing apron, folding it and setting it on the chair.

"Try not to eat my entire stock though, limit yourself to a couple things a day."
He teased, giving me a sly wink. I still couldn't believe he was just letting me
eat anything I wanted and not take it off my paycheck. Basically my dream job. Why
had I not forced my way into here sooner? I didn't plan on taking popsicle very
often though, I'd probably lean toward other cheap stuff we could use around the
house. I mean, if I was getting free stuff it might as well be useful free stuff.

I headed toward the doors with an added skip in my step, completely satisfied with
my first day on the job. This was going to be nice, coming here instead of being
forced to hang-out with the usual dweebs after school. I wasn't quite sure how I
was going to explain it to them yet. I couldn't exactly lie about family reunions
and possible grandmother deaths every day after school. I'd find a solution though,
I'd gotten to be extremely good at keeping my two lives from getting entangled. I
opened the door, propping it open with my back as I looked back at Bruce.

"Bye, Tyler! Have a good night!" He said, waving from behind the counter where he
was counting the money. I smile broadly at him, laughing when he dropped some bills
and let out a loud sigh. I chastised him a bit about being more careful with the
money in a teasing manner, before deciding I had better get back. My mother would
just be getting home now, and I was itching with the need to inform her of my new
achievement.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Bruce!" I called, turning to leave in a rush. I froze in
spot when I seen someone standing just a few feet from me. My eyes had fallen on
his feet, though I quickly trailed them up to his face. I recognized him from
school, but I couldn't put a name on that face for the life of me. I guess that
meant he must have been unpopular, but he was really good looking to be a nerd. He
had the biggest ocean blue eyes I'd ever seen, his messy dark brown hair laying
flat against his forehead and making him look a lot younger than he likely was.

He's fucking cute.

I inwardly cursed myself, glad no one could read my thoughts. That's all it would
take to ruin every shred of a reputation I had. This was a small town, not one very
open to anything different at all. Which really sucked, considering I was about as
different as they came. There were two out-of-the-closet gay boys in the history of
WBHS, both of which had been shunned to unmentionable measures. They were before my
time, but of course I'd heard the stories. One had moved to the other side of the
US, the other not being so lucky as he was tormented to the point of no return. It
was heartbreaking that there were still places like this in modern age, and I knew
damn well nothing had changed since those boy's time. If I came out I would be
ruined. I'd managed to keep it under wraps my entire life, and I only had a year
left. I would not let some cute boy get into my head and sabotage everything I'd
built for myself. Even if his eyes shone as if I was the most amazing thing they'd
ever seen.

"Hi!" I said, trying to be as friendly as possible without being flirty. This was
hard, considering I was a flirt by nature. I didn't exactly use my talents often
though, for obvious reasons. I took a step back, holding the door open for him. His
eyes went impossibly wider seeing what I was doing. I took a great amount of pride
in seeing his cheeks redden. He opened his mouth, likely to thank me, but instead
his voice cracked and he just snapped his jaw shut. At this point he was redder
than a tomato, his hands shoved into his pockets gruffly. My eyes trailed slightly
higher, this time noticing something I hadn't before. There were a pair of white
hand prints adorning the front of his shirt, and my mind instantly began to wonder.
Could he cook? Was it possible it was cocaine? No, no idiot would be stupid enough
to leave that on their shirt. Or maybe he had a friend that could cook. My mind
wandered some more, somehow ending up on an image of him having a cute baking
session with a girl. His girlfriend. Of course he had a girlfriend, I was the only
gay in town and he was too good looking not to. That had to be the case. Sadly.

I snapped back to reality, just now realizing he'd already walked past me. I felt
the overwhelming need to stay talking to him for even just a second longer, so I
turned to watch him enter the store. I bit down on my lip hard, noticing there was
flour all over his butt as well. Yep, definitely a girlfriend. Damn it. Still, I
couldn't shrug the need to keep talking to him, so I blurted the first thing that
came to mind.

"I like the shirt, by the way. It's cute." I blurted, immediately slapping my hands
over my mouth. Way to sound straight, Tyler, I'm sure jocks call random twink's
shirts cute every day of the week. I turned to leave quickly, wanting to escape
before I seen his incredulous reaction. Just as the door closed behind me I heard
him groan out loud, but I wasn't sure what about. I tried not to read too much into
it though, making a beeline for my car. He probably thinks I was making fun of him,
fuck. Why don't I think before I say things?

I slipped into the car, cracking my fingers nervously as my eyes examined the
parking lot. The only other car was a nice black Corvette, assumably the boy's. Ah,
so he's rich. Possibly a preppy? That would sort of explain why I hadn't heard of
him, but at the same time it made no sense. Why would a preppy be caught dead
outside of their house and not looking their absolute best? I realized I'd been
sitting in my car for over two minutes, knowing in the back of my mind I'd been
hoping to catch one final glimpse of him.
You're really reaching stalker status, Oakley.

I sunk my head down against the steering wheel, shaking it slowly. I am such a
mess. I reached over to turn on the radio, hoping some generic pop would spur me
from my crazy person thoughts. I nearly cursed the world when I heard the last few
lines of 'Born This Way' play through the speakers. Leave it to me to miss my
favorite song of all time while obsessing over some boy. I sat up abruptly,
deciding it'd be pretty creepy if he came out and seen me still sitting here
without a reasonable explanation. I started the engine, glad it worked first try
yet again, and started to back out of the parking lot. I was only slightly
disappointed when he didn't walk out of the store before it was out of sight.

I reached my house not long after, grinning awkwardly at my mother's car that was
now parked in the yard. I hopped out, scrambling to the front door and walking
inside.

"Ty? Is that you?" I rolled my eyes at her. She knew very well I'd be the only
person walking through this door. She didn't date, no time. I didn't date or have
friends, those were another world for me. I scampered into the living room,
excitedly falling onto the couch beside her. She looked exhausted. Her hair was
still up in a messy bun, but she had switched into pajamas instead of work clothes.

"How was waiting tables tonight?"

"Horrible, Sue had the nerve to steal my tips! Then Barney was being a fool in the
kitchen and spilled boiling grease all over Marie. Needless to say her hands are
out of order for a week or two, leaving me to do all the baked goods. Ugh, I'm
sorry, I'm ranting. How was your day, honey?" I smiled warmly, closing the distance
between us and laying my head on her shoulder. She always tried to do this, make me
feel more important even when it was obvious she was the one who needed attention.

"How about I go make you some tea?" I asked, sitting up to look her in the eyes.
She looked like she was going to reject my offer at first, probably say something
about how she could do it herself, but then her face fell and she just nodded. She
was obviously too tired to argue with me tonight.

"You're such a prince, that'd be amazing." She beamed, sitting up from her slouched
position only to hug me tightly. After she fell back against the couch she gave me
a cheeky smile, nodding toward the rustic television. "On the upside, there's a
twelve hour marathon of 'Say Yes to the Dress' on, you're welcome to join me."

"I couldn't think of a better way to spend my last night of freedom." I laughed,
hopping up to head toward the kitchen. My mother was the only one that knew I was
gay, she knew everything about me. This was home. This was where I got to be
myself. I trusted her with absolutely anything. The only secrets I'd ever kept were
for her sake only. How do you think she'd feel knowing her son is so scared of
being himself he'd invented an entire fake lifestyle to keep from getting hurt?
That's not exactly uplifting knowledge, and the last thing she needed right now was
more stress. So to her, I was the straight A student, star of the football team
though I hated the guys on it, and a proud member of the school's drama club. I had
a few friends, though I preferred going to their houses when we hung-out because
ours was so 'small'. I'd never drank anything alcoholic in my life, I would never
even think about bullying another kid, and I was every teacher's favorite student.
Truthfully, sometimes I liked to believe that lie too.

"Is that sarcasm?" She responded finally, likely getting too wrapped up in the show
to reply sooner. I rolled my eyes at her, sashaying into the kitchen happily. I
guess I could wait to tell her about my job, she obviously just needed a stress-
free night. I did plan on telling her still though. Whether she was happy for me or
sad I'd 'thrown my youth away' I was too selfish not to. I was excited and proud
and there wasn't really anyone else I could brag to, so she was stuck with it.

A/n: Eek, so there's the first ever Tyler POV. I know these chapters are a little
slow-paced and overly monologue-y but stick with it, there's obviously going to be
other junk in the future too. You guys left such nice comments on the last chapter,
ughh. I love you all. COMMENT and VOTE :) (THIS IS POSTED WAY BEFORE IT'S SUPPOSED
TO BE BECAUSE OF PEER PRESSURE. STUPID CHLOE AND EMMY ARE SUCH BULLIES)

Also, I have been ITCHING to find a place to dedicate a chapter to my new favorite
person in the world, so here seems to be the place. I am just going to tell you all
now, if you have a problem with becoming utterly addicted to a fanfic you probably
shouldn't read this. Otherwise, GET READY FOR SOME GOOD FREAKING READING MATERIAL.
TROYE IS HOMELESS AND TYLER MOVES INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND JUST WANTS TO HELP HIM
BUT HE'S ALL JADED AND WON'T LET HIM AND FDUGFJGFUFGGF. IT'S MY FAVE. Okay, I will
dedicate the chapter to the lovely author, SimplyTenacious. The story is also
called "Breaking Down His Walls" in case you need to know that. Okay, ugh, it's so
good, I am eating my own skin off waiting for the next chapter. Actually I'm not,
that'd be psychotic. I swear I'm normal.

Chapter Three
*Troye's POV*

"Mom says you have five minutes to get out of bed or you're not getting breakfast.
They're Nutella pancakes." Sage sung the last sentence, dancing around my room
annoyingly. I grumbled under my breath, fumbling around until I found a throw
pillow I wasn't using, and chucked it at her.

"Mom! Troye's throwing things at me!" She screamed, running off to go tell on me. I
just rolled my eyes, rubbing them as I sat up. I felt the blankets fall onto my lap
and shivered at the cool September air.

It is way too early to be awake.

That is the only thought that ran through my mind as I got up and stumbled toward
my bathroom. This was one of those mornings I was very glad we each had our own
bathrooms, because I was not in the mood for interacting with humans, much less
fighting over bathroom privileges. I glanced in the mirror, physically cringing at
the sight before me. I looked like I'd gotten into a scuff with a transfer truck,
but that wasn't entirely unusual for morning Troye. Aside from being a freak of
nature, I also pride myself in having horrid nightmares every single night. Yeah, I
know, I'm a piece of work.

I practically throw myself into the shower, relishing in the feeling of the hot
water on my back. This was exactly what I needed. I still wanted to murder everyone
I encountered, but at least I'd look and feel good while doing so. I grabbed the
shampoo, using the bottle as a microphone like always. I loved singing more than
anything else, it was just such a stress-reliever and mood-lifter. That said, I
never sang anywhere but the shower. Do you have any idea how nerve-wracking it is
to know exactly what people think about your voice? It matters too much to me to
hear negative opinions. I don't think I could take it. Even around my family I'm
cautious. Sure, they'd say out loud I was good, but that was just an implied thing
family did. Would their true opinions match up to it? I didn't know, but I was too
much of a wimp to risk finding out.

"Troye! Your food is getting cold!" I heard Sage screech from the hallway, pounding
against the wall like some kind of animal. For how much she liked to be thought of
as lady-like, she did an awful bad job acting it. I rinsed the last of the
conditioner out, whimpering when I inevitably got some in my eyes.

"Fuck." I groaned, tripping over the side of the tub as I got out. Thankfully I
caught my footing before I face-planted, by grabbing onto the sink. I rubbed my
eyes until it was safe to open them again, staring blankly at the man standing in
the mirror.

"Troye!" She was screaming now and I had to wonder why she didn't just give up.
Didn't she know by now I wasn't going to make it to school on time? I purposely
took extra time every morning actually, for the sole purpose of missing the bus. My
mother suspected it was on purpose, constantly lecturing me about what an
unnecessary waste of money it was to drive myself everyday. What she didn't know,
was that it was completely necessary. Do you know how crowded it is on a bus? How
many times people brush against you? It was one thing having one person close
enough to intrude my mind, but having that many in an enclosed space was
overwhelming. It wasn't just one odd thought, it was all of them, bouncing around
the metal walls like some sort of shaken can of monkeys. Some people didn't like
crowds so they avoided them, I genuinely couldn't handle crowds of any type, so I
avoided them.

I'd come up with a lot of simple strategies to make sure I did too. I arrived to
all my classes early to avoid hallway traffic, went to the small convenience store
to avoid crazed shoppers, and never ever left the house during holiday season. It
was insane basically anywhere around the time of year. People just didn't want to
be locked up in the house with all that Christmas joy flying around I guess.
Christmas time in general was far from a joyous time from me. I cringed,
remembering the last time I'd actually done anything other than leave my room near
December 25th. Wow, it'd be ten years this year. Ten years since I realized I
wasn't normal. Ten years since I hid away from the world. Ten years since I lost
the only friend I've ever really had.

What an anniversary!

I groaned, finishing up towel-drying my hair. My mom had forced me to get it cut

for school and I hated it. My ears stood out awkwardly and my cheek bones were way
too angular. I looked like a sour little elf. So, in a desperate attempt to make up
for that, I worked extra hard on my quiff game, making sure not a single strand was
out of place before leaving the bathroom. My usually neat room was a war zone,
clothes strewn across every surface and the garbage off of multiple school supplies
mixed in with them. God, how I hate the first day of school, I guess it was a good
thing this was the last one I'd ever have to deal with.

"Troye Sivan Mellet! If you don't get out here right now I am forcing you to have
friends over this weekend!" My eyes went wide and I chucked on the first clothes I
spotted, swinging open the door.

"Yes, Dad?" He burst into a fit of laughter and it slowly dawned on me that he'd
only been kidding. Asshole. I suppose it made sense though, he knew I had no
friends to invite anyway. He seemed to get a kick out of how I was my sibling's
polar opposite. He probably wouldn't if he knew why.

"Your mother is freaking out down there because she doesn't want you to miss the
bus. Stop stressing her out and just go get on the stupid thing. I know it's not
good for your 'cool' reputation, but do it for her sake." I looked down to the
floor guiltily, wishing I could be normal and just give her what she wanted.

"I, uh, I'll try. I still have a lot of book sorting I have to do." He raised a
single skeptical eyebrow, eyeing the perfectly organized books sitting on my bed.
They were the only organized thing in the room, and pretty hard to miss. He didn't
question me any further though, just descending back down the stairs with a blank
expression.

I turned back to the mess of my room, groaning outwardly. Why was I even trying so
hard? I had told myself a thousand times the familiar mantra that I had no one to
impress. I should just be wearing the most comfortable things I own and heading out
the door. Sure, people were going to talk about it, think about it, but they were
going to regardless.

Despite that inner struggle, I ended up wearing uncomfortable tight black skinny
jeans and a maroon shirt that clung to my chest in a weird angle. Not comfortable
at all, but at least they looked good. Well, I thought they looked good, but I was
certain to be proved wrong the second I got a glimpse into someone else's thoughts.
I snatched my bag up and tumbled down to the kitchen, practically charging into one
of the chairs at the table.

"The bus is going to be here in three minutes, Troye Sivan. What's your excuse this
time?" My mother asked, turning away from the stove and carrying a plate over. She
must have made me a new batch considering how they were piping hot. I smiled in
success, turning my head up to purse my lips at her. She rolled her eyes, but she
did bend down to press her cheek to my lips.

"I broke both my legs in the shower?" I offered sarcastically, enjoying the annoyed
scoff I earned from the entire table. I turned, locking eyes with Sage. She looked
a lot angrier than she should be with me just for running late, but I guess she was
jealous I got special treatment when she didn't. She could be a bit of a jealous
brat when she wanted to.

"Tomorrow, you are going to catch that bus and stop wasting our money. Understood?"
My mother said flatly, slamming some money down on the table by my plate. I smiled
appreciatively, nodding between mouthfuls of food.

"Yeah, definitely." It was so much easier to say you were going to change something
than to actually do it. She knew this too, but she also knew from experience it was
a winner-less battle to attempt lecturing me any further. The argument would just
get increasingly heated on both sides until I ended up refusing to go to school
all-together, slumping back to my room and locking the door. I didn't doubt this
would end up happening again by the end of the month though. History had a way of
repeating itself, especially when you were trying to get me to change my ways.

I watched as my two younger siblings filed out of the room. Mom tried to hug both
of them, but only Tyde would put up with it. Sage was much too busy texting one of
her many interesting friends, probably talking about how they were going to blow
the competition out of the water. Again with the teenagers viewing everyone else as
competition! As much as I loved her, I really didn't like her sometimes. She was
everything I hated about teenagers. I knew for a fact if we weren't siblings she'd
be one of the people referring to me as 'that weird kid' or 'that mute'. I wasn't
actually a mute, I just had a thing with sharing my opinions: I didn't do it. It's
not like they mattered anyway, and the last thing I wanted was to draw any
unnecessary attention to myself.

"Bye! Have a good first day!" I heard Mom yelling from the front door, a smile
spreading across my face. Even now, when we were all teenagers, she still acted
like she was sending us out into the world for the first time. I watched as Steele
and Dad wandered into the room, deep in a conversation about football. Gross.

"So, Troye, trying out for any sports this year?" I snorted, milk nearly flying out
of my nose. They both gave me matching disapproving frowns, but they'd asked for
it. They very thought of me playing sports was laughable. Even without the whole
mind-reading jazz it'd never happen in a million years. I was scrawny and slow,
hated sweaty and dirty things, and was so lazy I had trouble walking around school,
let alone running around the field. No, I'd leave that to the muscular popular
guys.

"You really should start trying new things, Troye. Who knows, you might find
something you really like!" My mother had apparently came back into the room at
some point and was now leaning over my shoulder irritably. I shot her a glare and
she backed off, giving me a bit more space.

"Or someone you really like." Steele added, the corners of his mouth turning up
into a wicked smirk. I gave him the most hateful face I could manage before getting
up to go drop my dish in the dishwasher. "Well, really Troye. Tyde has gotten more
action than you and he still sleeps with a teddy bear."

"This is none of your business, at all. I am perfectly fine being single. Believe
it or not, there are people that don't need the social aspect of life to be happy."
I snapped, spinning around to face him. I leaned back against the counter, careful
to make sure there wasn't any flour on it this time. Last night when I was getting
changed I'd noticed my entire butt was covered in white from sitting on the
counter, a very embarrassing realization.

Everyone stayed silent for a moment, nobody daring to look me in the eye. Exactly,
nothing else to say now, huh?

"Sure, but are you happy?" My eyes flickered to meet Steele's, my body tensing up
at his harsh glare. His name was very fitting at times like this, when his
expression was as hard as steel. He was probably the furthest from being like me,
so it made sense he didn't understand. He'd been the most popular kid in school
during highschool, while somehow still managing to stay grounded and not throw his
life away. Now, he was in a great college and in a few years it was pretty much
guaranteed he'd have a great job. He was so sure of himself, so fearless, and I
envied him for that every day. What I would give to be like him.

"I need to get going, you're gonna make me late for my first day." I said finally,
my voice just a shell of how strong it had been a moment ago. They all shared
matching expressions, almost like they felt bad for me. I grabbed my bag back up,
slinging it over a single shoulder and casting them a final smile.

"Wish me luck!" I shouted, raising my voice to sound a lot more cheerful than I
felt for their sake. They all just nodded goodbyes silently though, obviously still
a little put-off by our conversation. I started toward the door, freezing in my
spot when I felt a familiar shiver run through my body.

I'm so worried about him! I wish he'd talk to me more, be more open. I bet he gets
bullied at school, it'd explain how he avoids the bus. God, I hope he's okay.

I shook my head, biting my lip feverishly for a second. It only took a second of
debate before running back and wrapping my arms around my mother.

"I'm going to be fine, stop worrying about me." I said, hugging her tightly. She
let out a happy sigh, smiling up at me.

"Have fun, and try to make some friends." She said levelly, fixing my shirt where
it had rode up. I rolled my eyes, shoving her hands away gently.

"We'll see, Mom." I said, messing up her hair annoyingly before dodging her hand
and running out of the room. I bound out to my car, slipping in slowly. I sat there
for a moment thinking over my mother's words. I hadn't tried to make a friend since
the first year of high school. It wasn't exactly a whole-hearted attempt even then.
I got stuck with the girl for some crappy project and she was slightly more
tolerable than the rest of my peers. Her thoughts weren't hurtful, just insanely
boring, similar to her personality. I thought that maybe she was too smart for
judging, beyond that. As it turns out, she was only talking to me because she
wanted a date to prom and everyone else had rejected her. That was a friendship
breaker, obviously. I didn't like being the last choice, especially not to some
girl who cared more about integers than food.

Friends. They'd become a foreign concept to me. Part of me wanted to say something
cheery like 'maybe this year will be different' or 'you shouldn't have such high
standards, beggars can't be choosers'. But I couldn't. I'd told myself those things
so many times in the past, and they just weren't true. The years never got better,
in fact, they had only been getting worse considering everyone got even more
judgmental in their late teenage years. And as for high standards, I didn't even
really have them. All I wanted was one genuine person. Someone who wasn't in it to
be the best out of the competition, only the best they could be. Someone who
actually cared what others felt, and could even relate to them. I wanted just one
honest person, then I'd be set for life. But I'd been searching for eighteen years,
and I hadn't encountered one yet. My hopes had faded considerably over the years,
to the point I thought I had just about as much chance of finding a unicorn, but
that didn't stop me from dreaming.

A/n: Ey. Ey. Ey. Once again, these first few chapters are filler and getting the
setting etc set up so don't bitch to me about them being boring, I can't help that.
If you even find them boring, if not you slay, thanks for not being a douche canoe.
Okay, COMMENT and VOTE, let me know how you guys are liking it so far!

Also, I know I've already dedicated every chapter to someone but I have so many
stories to promote. Alright, kiddies, today's story is called "Denial" by Saaachie.
It's a highschool Au and Tyler is SUPER sassy and flamboyant and Troye is outwardly
homophobic. Except Troye comes up to Tyler and tries to make friends with him,
sooo... What's that about? It's just starting out and supe supe good, go check it
out, you will not regret :) <3

Chapter Four
*Tyler's POV*

"Mom." I whispered, shaking her gently. Her alarm had gone off twenty minutes ago
but she just looked so freaking tired, I turned it off and decided to let her sleep
in a bit. I wasn't sure if she'd be mad or grateful, but I did know it was
necessary. She shifted, flailing an arm out awkwardly.

"Ty? What do you want?" She grumbled, rolling over to bury her face into the
pillows.

"Time to get up! I made you breakfast, it's in the kitchen."

"What is it?" She asked skeptically, raising her head just enough to look at me. I
couldn't help but giggle considering all of her messy hair had fallen into her eyes
and she looked more like a shaggy stray dog than my mother. I sat down on the edge
of the bed beside her, crossing my legs.

"Eggs and bacon. I've got to head out in a couple minutes, school. You're gonna get
up though, right?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. She glared back, but only for
a second before letting out a defeated huff.
"Ugh, fine." She mumbled, sitting up and kicking the blankets right off the bed.
"...But only because I want to see my baby off on his last first day of school."

"Mom!" I scolded, squirming when she threw her arms around me. Eventually I gave in
though, just letting her hug me for awhile. I slumped my head against her shoulder,
letting my eyes droop shut. I was really not used to getting up this early.

"Are you excited to see all your friends again? You haven't exactly been hanging
out with them much this summer." She observed, patting my back comfortingly. I
shrugged into the embrace, though I was actually very certain of my answer. I'd
have a heavy cloud of dread hanging over me since the second I woke up at the very
thought of seeing those people again, so obviously excited wasn't the word I'd use.

"They've been busy. They're all rather wealthy and were going on all sorts of
trips."

"Sorry." I straightened up, looking at her quizzically.

"For what?"

"Not being able to provide that for you." She mumbled, her eyes darting to the
floor. I felt so guilty knowing my stupid made-up story had caused her to worry.
She always got upset when she seen kids that had more than me, for as long as I
could remember. She wanted to give me the world, and she'd likely die trying if it
weren't for my constant reminders that I didn't need it. I was happy with what I
had. I had a roof over my head, food to eat, and the most understanding mother I
could ever ask for. So what if I had to shop at thrift stores and couldn't have
friends over? They had better selection and I didn't have friends anyway.

"Don't feel bad, you do everything you can and more for me. I realize that." I said
sternly, squaring her shoulders. She sighed, refusing to meet my stare. "I'm
serious, Mom, there's no where I really wanted to go anyway."

"That's a damn lie, Tyler. I've seen your 'vision boards' you've got all over your
room, you might as well become a nomad with all the places you want to see." I
rolled my eyes, knowing she was right. That was for later though, when I could
support myself. I stood up, walking across the room slowly. I stopped to turn
around in the doorway, smiling back at her.

"I'll see you when you get home tonight, watch out for grease spills at work."

"I can do that, just as long as you promise to watch out for yourself at school."

"Of course I will, don't be silly! I'm an angel child." I beamed, framing my face
cheekily with my hands. She rolled her eyes at me, but I didn't wait around to see
any further reactions. I wasn't in a rush, but I didn't really have time to spare
either. I wanted to be late, but only enough to make an entrance, not enough to
actually miss anything important. I snatched my keys off the table, shouting a
reminder to her to hurry up before her food got cold. I headed out to my car then,
scowling at the dampness in the air.

I glanced over to my right, smirking apologetically at the poor kids stuck outside
waiting for the bus. I hadn't taken the bus since the day I got my license and
intended to keep it that way. Whenever anyone asked I told them it was because the
bus was for losers, not caring to elaborate on it. Truthfully, I didn't like the
bus because the enclosed space made me feel claustrophobic and the people yelling
gave me headaches. Yeah, I know, that doesn't sound nearly as impressive.

I grabbed my cellphone, deciding last minute I'd ask Marcus if he wanted a drive.
He normally walked considering he lived on the same road as the school, but it was
easier to face the crowds with my partner in crime by my side. As harsh and short-
tempered as I could be with him, he really was the only true 'friend' I had. Sure,
I hung-out with all the other football players, but they weren't really what I
would refer to as friends. They didn't care about my feelings and they didn't go
out of their way to make me happy. Marcus was just a bit slow to catch onto things
I guess, and he tried too hard to please everyone, so naturally I ended up getting
frustrated with him.

"Oh, are we talking again? Did you have enough peace?" He wasted no time getting
down to business. It was definitely far from how I was used to being greeted by
him.

"Marky Buttbutt, are you being sassy with me? I like it." I giggled, steering with
my free hand as I reached the corner. I was on his road now, so we had better speed
things up soon. If he was really that spiteful of me it was his loss, considering
the odd raindrop was falling onto my windshield already.

"Tyler, look, I don't appreciate being treated like-"

"Do you want a ride? I'm almost to your house." I blurted, not thinking twice about
interrupting him. I was not in the mood for a best friend lecture right now.
Besides, I really did need to know if he wanted a drive or not.

"I wasn't finished!" He insisted, sounding genuinely upset that I'd had the nerve
to cut him off. I rolled my eyes, slowing down as I approached his driveway.

"We can have a sappy heart-to-heart later, do you want a ride or not? It's starting
to rain." He didn't reply, but I pulled into his drive anyway. He was standing
behind the front door, I could see him through the small window. He lifted his hand
up, but his face stayed blank as he raised a single finger. He could be such a
drama queen sometimes. I hadn't even been that rude to him.

"Asshole." He said into the phone, glaring at me from his vantage point behind the
glass. I ignored him, instead taking a sip of my water and checking myself out in
the mirror. Damn it, rain was not good for my hair at all. It frizzed all up,
making me look like a very poor Annie impersonator.

"Just get out here before I take off and leave you to walk in the pouring rain." I
snapped, ending the call and pocketing the phone, never once looking away from the
mirror. I knew him too well though, considering the passenger's side door opene not
even ten seconds later. He ducked in hurriedly, though he'd likely already gotten
rained on quite a bit. I turned to look at him slowly, snickering when I seen he
was wearing a white t-shirt. A soaking wet, skin-tight, white t-shirt.

"Shut-up! Don't even say it." He warned, locking eyes with me as if he was daring
me to disobey. I tried to fight it, I really did, but a second later my lips were
twitching from all the effort to keep from smiling. I burst out into my signature
cackling, gripping my stomach as it began to ache. Marcus stayed silent the entire
time, glaring at me with a straight face, not finding the situation slightly
amusing. I straightened up suddenly, forcing myself to swallow anymore laughter
before turning to face him. I kept a pokerface on, biting my lip slightly before
smirking.

"Nice nips." He let out a loud groan, reaching over to swat at me. I squirmed
around, avoiding his advances effortlessly. Eventually he gave up, finally letting
me concentrate on actually getting us to the school. I didn't bother asking him why
he didn't just change his shirt, I was sure he had some weird reason not to. He was
a bit eccentric about some things, his sense of fashion included. He'd probably
spent forever trying to pick this outfit, though in reality it was just blue jeans
and a white t-shirt. He had a tendency to overthink everything and anything and try
to plan his life down to what he was going to eat for lunch ten years from now. I,
on the other hand, was the opposite. I had no solidatory plans, I was happy just
going where the wind took me.

"Is that a goat?" I knitted my eyebrows together, examining the school parking lot.
Sure enough, there was a large brown goat running around. I parked the car, turning
around to watch as an unfamiliar woman ran after it with her hands flailing.

"Harries boys?"

"Who else would pull such a stupid stunt the first day back?" I tried to sound
annoyed, but anyone could hear the smile in my voice. The twin brothers, Jack and
Finn, were notorious for their constant pranks and general shenanigans. So much so,
they actually had reserved seats in the principal's office. Matching seats, of
course. They were fun and crazy, but not really best friend material. They couldn't
be serious even if they tried, and sometimes they took things a little too far when
just trying to make people laugh. Hence the goat now charging at innocent students.
Okay, that was a bit funny, I had to admit.

"Are we going to get out? Or are you scared of barnyard animals?" I cast Marcus a
look, just shaking my head barely enough to be noticeable. This was a known
reaction to him though. It was my 'completely done with you' look. Coincidentally,
I wore it about ninety-percent of the time around school as well.

"Let's go." I mumbled grimly, collecting my backpack out of the backseat. Being the
smart person I was, I actually remembered an umbrella. I may not be one for
planning ahead, but there are precautions one simply has to take when it comes to
making sure they look on point. I did not want my hair to look like a mop the
entire day. I got out of the car, immediately opening the umbrella and starting
toward the school. I didn't even bother to look back at Marcus or lock the doors, I
had one goal right now; getting into the building dry and without being assaulted
by the goat.

Thankfully it was distracted by tormenting that same unfamiliar woman from earlier
as she gave her best effort to catch it, so it was pretty easy for me to slip by
unnoticed. I reached the front doors, waiting for Marcus to open them for me. Of
course he did, being the overly peppy people-pleaser he was. I strolled in ahead of
him then, making sure to shake my soaked umbrella everywhere arrogantly before
closing it. I had a reputation to live up to in these halls, and part of that
included acting like a complete douche. But that's all it is, acting.

"Tyler? Are we gonna head to the gym to get our schedules yet?" Marcus asked
tentatively, looking over at me shyly. I smirked, enjoying how easy it was for us
to fall back into our usual social status. I was king, to the point even my friends
asked for my permission on things.

Yeah, a very lonely king of a horrible empire.

Wow, Tyler, way to ruin the mood. I run a hand through my hair nervously in an
attempt to free myself of the sullen thoughts. The last thing I want is people
reading into the scowl in my face and starting one of their infamous shitstorms of
rumors. It was insane the things they could come up with.

"Tyler? Are we going yet?" Marcus repeated, reaching out to squeeze my arm this
time. I shied away from his touch, shooting him daggers with my eyes.

"Yeah, whatever." I mumbled, stuffing my hands into my pockets as I trailed behind

him. I'd planned on making some sort of an entrance, but I doubt there's anything
out there that can top a rabid goat. Besides, it was pretty hard to be noticed in a
gymnasium full of nearly the entire school. I frowned, not happy with the fact the
twins had managed to upstage me on something. That wasn't highschool protocol.

I trailed into the crowded room behind him, keeping my chin up high and my
shoulders squared. It sounded stupid, but you wouldn't believe how much simple body
language like that meant around here. They really were like animals, eating up the
simplest sign of weakness. So of course it was only natural I did absolutely
anything I could to seem strong, like I didn't have a fear in the world.
Truthfully, it was taking everything I had not to freak out in front of the huge
crowds. They were all yelling and talking at the same time, constantly skirting
around without warning. I just knew I was going to run into someone and fall on my
face. I hadn't even realized it before now, but at some point I'd shrunk impossibly
close to Marcus, like he was my bodyguard. I groaned inwardly, reminding myself who
was in charge here. I was. For some stupid reason the entire school looked up to me
like I was a god and I wasn't going to mess that up.

"Oh, look at Tyler! That jacket fits him so well." I turned abruptly, locking eyes
with the giggling girl who's voice I'd heard over the others, likely because she
had said my name. Her friend was standing beside her doing crazy hand movements,
probably freaking out because the Tyler Oakley had locked eyes with her best
friend. I glanced back at Marcus, giving him a smirk before heading over to the two
girls. I could tell by the line they were standing in they were younger than me,
sophomores. Still, there was no harm in flirting. It's not like it would ever
amount to anything.

Yeah, because you like penis.

"Hey, I haven't seen you around before." I laughed, adding a shaky half-smile. This
seemed to be the limit for her friend, who turned and disappeared into the crowd
without another word. The girl was blushing like mad, her blonde hair falling just
below her shoulders.

"I'm a new student, I moved from another state." I cocked my head intuitively,
genuinely interested in the conversation now. I loved hearing about new places.
Maybe I'd invite her to eat lunch with me. It'd keep my 'lady-killer' reputation in
tact and help her make a name for herself in the new school, effectively killing
two birds with one stone. I opened my mouth to ask, before a screech in my ear
drove me back to reality.

"Tyler Oakley! This is not your line! I told you at the end of last year I wasn't
going to put up with this sort of thing any longer!" I rolled my head on my
shoulders annoyingly, only stopping when the wrinkled face and scowl of Mrs. Smith
came into view. She had her hands on her hips, gripping the loose fabric with her
bony fingers. To anyone else in the school, she was as intimidating as they came.
Not to me though, she was nothing more than a nuisance that tried to interfere with
my school life. Didn't she understand I had to do these things? They were all
elements of an important nature that all had a part to play in keeping my
reputation strong. They were defense mechanisms.

"You've aged a lot over the summer. Is that four new frown lines I see?" I asked,
letting my lips stretch into a troublemaker grin before reaching a hand toward her
face.

"I swear if you lay a hand on me, Tyler, you will be spending the next week in the
office."

"Sorry, love, I just can't help myself when I'm around you." She audibly gagged at
this, causing any bystanders to burst into a fit of giggles. She quickly harnessed
them again though, yelling that anyone caught making any noises in line would be
faced with detention. She then turned back to me with a glare.

"I'm watching you, Oakley."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Smith." I beamed, spinning on my heel and making
tracks for my own line. Okay, so it hadn't exactly been the entrance I'd been
hoping for, but a lot of people had watched it happen and were likely now talking
about it, so it was sort-of a comeback.

I walked toward the line with a blank expression, smiling wryly when multiple
people separated to let me past. That's what I thought. I didn't stop butting until
I'd caught up with Marcus, who had coincidentally ended up next to Joey. They were
going off about something boring, maybe something sports related like a new protein
bar, I couldn't listen long before my mind began to wonder. Joey was a good guy,
but no one was really sure where he stood. He wasn't completely a member of our
little football gang, considering he often ditched to spend lunch with his smoker
friend, Sawyer, but he was technically on the team and technically popular. He was
basically a clique jumper, a very rare species. There weren't that many people that
could be more than one group at once without accidentally trying to meld the two
worlds together, but somehow he managed.

"Next!" I leaned over, watching as the woman handed yet another random their
schedule for the year. I recognized a lot of people, though there were a few new
faces as well. It was a relatively small area, so the school had just under two-
thousand students in it. So basically the only way you could go completely
unnoticed was if that's what you wanted to happen. I blinked, suddenly remembering
the cute boy from yesterday. I wonder if he's here! I scanned the entire line,
leaning out an abnormal amount to my right so I could get a good view. I frowned,
my hopes dwindling after about thirty seconds of this. I was trying to straighten
back up when I felt a pair of hands on my back, shoving me forward. I lost my
footing, stumbling directly into someone walking by. I looked up at the person
through my eyelashes, flushing crimson when I realized it was the principal.

"I've missed you too, Tyler, but now isn't the time." He said grimly, his obvious
stress showing through his features as he slumped off. I assumed that could only be
the aftermath of the Harrie's boys. If it wasn't for them he seemed like he would
have been in a really good mood. Even now in his bad mood he was one of the most
tolerable members of the faculty here. He was someone I even went out of my way to
have conversations with from time to time. I almost felt bad for him, knowing how
hard his job must be when people pull things like this.

"Who were you looking for anyway? You seemed pretty into it." He asks, leaning out
like I had before and looking exactly where I had been. I just shrugged, shoving
him slightly as I slipped back into my place ahead of him.

"No one important."

An: Kind of introducing the cast a bit more, there's a lot of them and I don't want
it to be overwhelming. Luckily they're all youtubers so you have a general idea of
their personalities, though I may have tweaked some of them slightly. Like Caspar
is sort of the biggest dick of the school, though he's actually sweet in real life.
Ok, you probably get it. I'll shut up now. COMMENT and VOTE :)

Chapter Five
*Troye's POV*
I squeezed my eyes shut, concentrating solely on the serenity of the silent moment.
I wasn't sure if I'd get another moment of peace until the final bell rang, so I
figured I'd better take advantage of it. Outside there were already people flooding
everywhere, which sort of ruined my plan to get here early before the crowds got
out of hand. By the looks of it my only other option was to be late, seeing as
there was no way I was stepping foot in a gym full of the entire school. So
instead, here I was, sitting in my car looking like I was having a panic attack as
I waited for the time to pass. I had gotten the odd weird glance from passerby's
but I tried to ignore it. I was doing a pretty good job too, until I heard a loud
knock on the glass of my window. I furrowed my brow, opening my eyes curiously. I
groaned aloud seeing Mrs. Smith standing outside, glaring in at me with her beady
eyes. Great.

"Please tell me you aren't intending to skip classes on the first day of school
young man." I hadn't even bothered to roll down my window and I could still hear
her obnoxiously loud voice clearly. I sighed, rolling it down a crack to reply.

"No, I'm just getting my thoughts together. I'll head inside in a moment." I said,
giving her a curtly nod. She didn't seem convinced though, leaning forward to
examine the entire car wordlessly. She didn't move, just her dark, nearly black,
eyes. She was almost scary looking, like some sort of gargoyle vulture.

"You're not doing anything drug related, are you? You look a little out of it." She
observed, curling her lip up in distaste. I discreetly rolled my eyes, just wishing
she would leave me alone. So much for enjoying the calm before the storm. I
flickered my eyes back to her, narrowing them slightly.

"No, ma'am. I assure you I'm completely into it." I snapped, flashing a toothy
smile. It wasn't like me to be so sassy or even really talk to people if I could
avoid it, but the stress was beginning to get to my head. She clicked her tongue
once, reaching into her pocket and grabbing a slip of paper. My heart dropped.

"You can look forward to detention after school, where I'm sure you'll have lots of
time to get your thoughts together." She handed me the small note and I snatched it
from her hands quietly, accepting defeat. That was about the second any and all of
my hopes for a good day flooded out of my system. Just what I wanted, to tack on
yet another hour to the time I had to spend in peril. Hopefully not many kids were
stupid enough to get themselves stuck with detention on the first day.

I looked up from the piece of paper, annoyed to see she was still standing there
with a smug look on her face. I was about to make another short-tempered comment
that would surely only lengthen the amount of time I had to spend in this horrible
place, when a loud interruption saved me from myself.

"Watch out!" Someone screamed, their voice so high it felt like daggers piercing my
ears. I careened my neck forward, trying to get a glimpse of what the hell was
going on outside. Just as I seen the mop of brown hair charging Mrs. Smith let out
a loud cry of shock. My eyebrows quirked, confused for a moment before realizing a
goat had just headbutted her behind. What even is my life at this point?

"Mrs. Smith! Are you alright?" A woman cried, likely the same one who'd shouted the
warning considering her voice was the familiar high-pitched squeal. Mrs. Smith's
face was completely horrified and I couldn't help but think detention was worth it
just to see her like this. I watched as the other woman lunged, throwing her arms
around the goat's neck before he could run off to wreak any more havoc. It let out
a chorus of baa's before settling down, just glaring at her menacingly. My eyes
slowly trailed back to Mrs. Smith, actually feeling a little guilty now, seeing
that her expression still hadn't changed.
"Are you okay?" I asked, genuinely concerned. When she still didn't reply I opened
the door, careful to keep it from hitting her, and hovered next to her worriedly.

"Should I go get help?" The woman holding the goat looked about as confused as I
felt about the whole situation. Why was a fucking goat here at all? I glared at it
angrily like it would just disappear. I then turned back to Mrs. Smith though,
studying her eyes. I bit my lip, deciding talking to her obviously wasn't going to
help if it hadn't already. I didn't know what else to try though, instinctively
reaching out to grab her hand. A lot of things happened all at once. She snapped
back to reality, slapping me, and a wave of thoughts flew through her mind. And,
well, subsequently, my mind.

I hate this God forsaken place, stupid little brats. I just want this day to be
over and to go home.

Home. It hardly feels like home without Henry there to welcome me back.

Why the hell is this kid staring at me like that? I swear he's on some sort of
drug.

"Who's-" I cut myself off, my eyes going wide as I realized what I'd nearly done. I
was about to ask her who Henry was. I was about to break rule number one in my book
of survival. I'd only ever done that once before, and I'd regretted it every day of
my life since. I shoved my hands in my pockets, warding off actual tears as my eyes
lowered to the pavement.

"Well? What are you waiting for? You have a schedule to collect. Get going!" She
said suddenly, swatting at me like I was some kind of annoying pest and not a human
being. I gave a weak smile to the girl with the goat, turning on my heel and
walking to the school. It amazed me that I hadn't even realized it was raining in
the heat of the moment. I was soaked through to the bone now, but I didn't care. I
had both a literal and metaphorical rain cloud looming over me as I headed toward
the school, my thoughts in a completely different place.

"I just don't understand why! Why would you do this to me? I thought we were
friends!" There were tears welling up in her big blue eyes despite her obvious
efforts to keep from crying. She was blinking rapidly, her small hand coming up to
wipe the saltwater off her cheek. Suddenly her expression sharpened, her eyes
turning dark as they fixed on my face. "I hate you, Troye Sivan. I hope your stupid
disorder ruins your life as much as it has mine. I hope you look back on today and
hate yourself for it the rest of your life, freak!"

I stumbled through the doors, desperately searching out the closest rest room. The
halls were near empty, aside from a few stoners who thought it was funny to slack
of from the very beginning of the school year. I knew that a few tears had escaped
now, resting on my cheekbones. Thankfully, I was pretty sure the stoners were too
out of it to truly care about or understand anything. My eyes lit up, seeing the
familiar door adorned with a black stick-man. I charged into it and then into the
last stall, crawling up to sit on the back part of the toilet. This wasn't exactly
a new task, there were lots of times the atmosphere got to be too much for me and I
ran off to hide in a stall like this. I wasn't always crying, I tried to avoid that
at all costs to keep from people questioning my red eyes, but it was a little late
for that now. I sniffled quietly, not wanting to disturb anyone who happened to
actually be in the washroom to use it. Wouldn't want to make them uncomfortable or
anything.

"Is someone crying in there?" I tensed up, flattening my back against the cold wall
like I could turn invisible. The voice didn't sound judgmental though, and if I was
going to be really hopeful I might even say they sounded concerned for me.
"Yeah, probably just some pussy. Hey loser, quiet it down in there unless you want
to add a swirlie to your list of things to cry about!" I jumped when he pounded
harshly on the door of the stall, my heart rate increasingly drastically. God,
wasn't this shaping up to be a lovely day? I did quiet myself though, biting down
on my tongue harshly to keep from making any further noise. No noise came from
outside of the stall now either though, worrying me. I wasn't leaving until I was
certain they had. I didn't want them to be able to put a face on that crybaby in
the last stall, I'd never hear the end of it.

I was doing a pretty good job of silently trying to wait them out when the bell
alerting me that first class had started rang out. I panicked, collecting my bag
from the floor. Damn it! I still had to get my schedule before heading to class! I
hopped down, unlocking and pushing open the door. I was relieved to find the room
was empty, but also confused how they'd snuck out without me realizing. I walked
over to the mirror, grimacing at my appearance. I looked utterly horrible between
the soaked clothes and red puffy eyes. I turned to leave, before my eyes fell on
the boy standing in the corner of the room watching me.

"What do you want?" I asked harshly, cursing myself for being so blunt. I didn't
really mesh with people well if you can't tell yet. The boys lips twitched, the
corner turning up into a warm smile.

"Sorry, I just thought you might need a friend. I was here earlier, when you were
crying."

"So you're the one that called me a pussy?" I asked warily, sizing him up with my
eyes. He didn't seem that scary, I could take him if I had to. I crossed my arms,
leaning back against the counter of the sink. I tried my best to seem confident,
though that was pretty hard considering he'd overheard me crying like a bitch only
moments ago.

"No! No, that was Caspar, sorry about him. He can be a bit... much." His eyes fell
to the floor guiltily, as if he was ashamed of his friend's behavior. I sighed,
deciding I could be a little bit more friendly toward him. Obviously he felt bad
about the situation, and really all he was trying to do was reach a hand out to me.
I'd never take it of course, but I could reject it politely at the very least.

"I'll say. Where did he go?" I ask cautiously, subtly scanning to make sure none of
the stalls were occupied. I really couldn't understand why I hadn't heard him
leave, but maybe I'd zoned out again and missed the door closing.

"He took off to find his popular friends. I'm always his second choice when they're
around."

"Believe me, I know what that feels like." I mumbled, hoping he wouldn't ask me to
elaborate. He didn't, thankfully, but he didn't reply either. A silence encompassed
the room for a while, neither of us daring to look up from the tiled floor.
Eventually the silence got to be too much and I was about to bluntly excuse myself,
when his voice rang out again.

"I'm Alfie, by the way." He said, stepping toward me and outstretching a hand. I
gave a weak smile, just nodding instead of taking it. Who knew it was more than a
metaphor when I said I wouldn't take the hand he reached out to me. He chuckled
awkwardly, wiping his sweaty palm on his jeans. So he was nervous. I wonder why.

"Troye." I blurted suddenly, realizing I hadn't replied yet. He smiled happily,

showing his big white teeth.
"Okay, cool!" He said hurriedly, nervously fumbling with the hem of his shirt. Here
comes the awkward part. Of course he was going to address my crying, I didn't have
to be a mindreader to realize that. "Are you okay? I mean, if there's anything I
can do to help then-"

"There's not." I interjected, straightening up gruffly. He looked a little hurt at

first, though his cheery persona quickly returned. He swung his backpack off his
shoulder, hugging it to his chest for a second as if he was still debating what to
say next.

"Do you want to borrow a shirt?" He asked, giving a hopeful smile. God, did he ever
stop smiling? I looked down to my chest, frowning at the way my already tight shirt
had become nothing more than a skin-hugging drenched piece of fabric. This
definitely wasn't going to be comfortable for the rest of the day and I doubted
people would enjoy seeing the outline of my nipples. I sighed, realizing that only
left me with two choices; look and feel like an idiot all day or actually accept
his offer to help me.

"What's it look like?" I said finally, not showing any excitement in my voice.

"Picky, are we?" He teased, rummaging around in the bag eagerly. A moment later he
retrieved a dark blue shirt, holding it up for me to study. It was going to be big
on me, that much was obvious even before he'd held it out. He was twice the size of
me. Thankfully it looked like it was skintight on him, so it'd only be slightly
baggy on me.

"Fine." I decided aloud, after another few second of pondering. He held it out
further and I grabbed it, balling it up in my hands. We just stared each other down
for a moment before I let out an exasperated huff, deciding a thank-you was in
order. "Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome, Troye. I really should get to class though, but we should talk
again sometime! See you at lunch maybe?" He said hopefully, tilting his head to the
side as he awaited my answer. He reminded me a lot of a dog, in the sense nothing
you said or did could deter him, he just kept coming back. Loyal, I guess was the
word for that. It'd been a long time since I met a loyal person though, so
naturally it was hard to believe it.

"Maybe." I answered meekly, knowing damn well there was no chance at all of him
seeing me. I never ate my lunch in the cafeteria, ever. Too many people, gross
food, and I never had any idea where to sit considering I had no friends. Instead I
opted to eat basically anywhere else, including bleachers, my car, the bathroom,
the stairwell, and down the street at the high-quality pizza place. I liked to
switch things up, especially if I went to one place first and seen there were
already other people there. God forbid I ever try to mingle.

Thankfully he didn't see through my weak reply, just giving one final bright smile
before turning and heading toward the door. As soon as it clicked shut behind him I
let out a sigh of relief, glad to be in my own company yet again. I wasted no time
yanking my shirt up, trying to free myself of it. That proved to be not as easy as
I planned. It had been tight on me before, now it was constricting. I tugged
restlessly, smacking my hip off the counter.

"Fuck." I cursed, managing to finally free myself. That had been a process. I
tossed it to the floor, bending over to retrieve the replacement shirt. I snatched
it off the floor, but not before my eyes noticed a pair of shoes a few feet away. I
froze, my heart racing in my chest. Please don't let it be Caspar. Please don't let
it be Caspar. I wanted to straighten up and address whoever it was, but I was
frozen in spot.
"Do you have shirt mishaps every day or is this just a coincidence?" My eyes went
wide and I immediately stood up straight, my eyes locking with the same boy from
yesterday. He was leaning against the wall slightly, his feet turned in like some
sort of penguin or something. My eyes trailed up to his face then, an overwhelming
wave of relief seeing he had a huge smile painted on his features. Okay, so I guess
he wasn't here to make fun of me. He had every reason to though. He could snap a
picture of me right now and the whole school would have it in a minute. Wasn't this
Tyler Oakley? Didn't he live off of other people's embarrassment?

He quirked an eyebrow, bringing me back to Earth with the simple movement. I had
been standing there gaping at him for likely a minute now. I felt the blush
creeping across my entire body, just now remembering half of it was still exposed.
I scrambled to pull the shirt over my head, glad it was baggy and easy to get into.
I looked up afterward, surprised to see him still standing there staring.

"Can I help you?"

"Probably not."

"Then piss off." I immediately regretted it when I seen him wince, like my harsh
words had genuinely affected him. Surely that couldn't be the case though, he was
the most popular guy in school. He said way worse things to people on a daily
basis, it'd only be hypocritical of him to get upset when people gave him the same
treatment back. Still, I felt the overwhelming urge to apologize and fix things. I
never felt that way. I didn't regret ruining potential relationships, eventually
they were going to do it anyway.

"Sorry, I've just been having a stressful first day. Detention slips and rabid
goats are not a good mixture." Was I trying to be funny? Oh no, what am I doing?
Why did I speak any more at all? He let out a bubbly giggle though, crushing my
regrets easily, running his hand through his hair casually.

"I can see where that could go sour, yeah." He chuckled quietly at the end, giving
an adorable dimpled grin. I gave one back, though I had a feeling it was a lot more
awkward than his. That's where things really got awkward. Neither of us spoke,
instead just opting to stand there staring blankly at each other. It was times like
these I really wished I had a better handle on the mind-reading. I cursed myself
silently for even thinking of it in a positive light at all. People aren't supposed
to be able to peek into other people's minds. It's unnatural. If I wanted to know
what he was thinking I should have to figure it out the old-fashioned way, by
asking. But like hell I was ever going to muster the courage to do that.

"Okay, well, I do have a class to get to. I don't really fancy the idea of being
scolded twice in the first hour of my first day back." I mumbled, gathering my
belongings off the floor. He nodded as I stood back up, walking across the room to
look in the mirror and play with his hair absentmindedly. I couldn't help but smirk
a little. He may not be living up to his fearful bully reputation, but he did a
pretty good job living up to his vain one.

"Understandable. See ya." He mumbled, concentrating on a rogue piece of hair that

wanted to lay flat on his forehead. I felt a sudden urge to offer him the can of
hairspray I had in my bag, though that idea was shot down as soon as it sparked.
Like Tyler Oakley would want to use my hairspray.

I turned around, dragging my feet slightly as I headed for the door. Why did I feel
so reluctant to leave? Maybe because I'd had more positive interactions in this
bathroom in the last twenty minutes than during the last ten years of my life?
That's actually insanely sad of me. I gripped the door handle forlornly, before one
final conversation idea sparked in my mind. I turned around, a bit disappointed to
see he was still looking in the mirror instead of watching me leave. Priorities, I
guess.

"Don't... Don't you have class?" I stuttered, suddenly remembering once again just
how irrelevant I was to him. Of course he wasn't watching me leave. Ugh, why did
that bother me so much to begin with?

"Yeah." He said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips as he turned back to me. He
hopped up on the counter, angling away from the spilled soap as if instinctively.
He was good.

"Then what are you doing?" I asked blatantly, my feet stepping toward him as if
they had a mind of their own. I didn't stop until I was standing right beside him,
my heart pounding heavily in my chest. What the hell had gotten into me? Both
trying to carry on a conversation and purposely ignoring my 'three feet away from
people at all times' rule?

He leaned forward suddenly, a hint of mirth in his eyes. He moved dangerously close
to my face, raising a single finger over his lips as if to say 'hush, hush'.

"Skipping." He whispered, gasping afterward like it was the most scandalous thing
he'd ever said. I rolled my eyes at his obvious sarcasm, though I couldn't help but
feel a bit disappointed. So he really was no better than the rest of the football
goons, looking at school as a game instead of an actual place to learn. I knew I
should drop it at that and leave, but for some reason I wanted to press further.

"The first class of the first day? Are you stupid?" I accused, locking eyes with
him. His widened considerably, caught off guard by my forwardness. He sat up
straight again, regaining his composure and his usual pokerface.

"No, actually, I have a 98% grade average... I just don't like Mrs. Smith." He
mumbled the last sentence, his eyes darkening with anger. I couldn't help it when a
laugh escaped my throat at this. I could definitely relate. He cocked his head to
the side, obviously confused by his ability to make me laugh but happy about it.

"Equally as understandable." I said, flashing a toothy smile. He furrowed his brow

in reaction though, obviously thinking about something. I glanced toward the clock
hanging on the wall sadly, knowing my time with him was running short. I didn't
know what was up with him right now, but I knew I'd never get the chance to talk
with him so freely again. The second his friends were in the room I was nothing
more than a face in the sea of irrelevants.

"I meant to ask yesterday! What's your name?" I looked up at him quizzically, my
eyebrows knitting together. He wanted to know my name? He cared?

"Troye, with an e."

"I'm Tyler." He replied cheerily, extending a hand to me. Since when do people
actually shake hands? Great, now I have to think of some semi-normal excuse not to
accept it. Though the longer I spent trying to think of a reason not to, the more I
wanted to. Would it really be such a bad thing to get one little sneak-peek? I
wasn't good with people, I needed this. Besides, maybe that was all it'd take for
my weird little obsession to subside and I'd be back to my normal hating-everyone
self. I focused my eyes on his hand again, taking a deep breath before my self-
discipline plummeted.

"I know." I mumbled, just before the familiar zing shot up my arm.
Troye, with an e. That's so cute, I've got to remember that.

Okay, so it hadn't been nearly as juicy or insightful as I'd secretly been hoping
for, but a thought of Tyler Oakley's was a thought of Tyler Oakley's. This was the
first time in my life I remembered purposely reading someone's mind. I'd never done
it with even my family. I hated my ability. It was a curse, not a gift. Though it
was suddenly a lot easier to appreciate when it meant getting to know Tyler easier.

"You should go to class, don't let me be the one to corrupt you." I sighed, knowing
he was right. But I still couldn't bring myself to move, my feet suddenly regaining
that mind of their own. I had to go though, or there would definitely be a call to
my parents. Maybe they didn't bother Tyler's, but everyone in town was friends with
at least one member of my family, they would definitely feel the need to tell them
their family member was skipping class.

"Yeah, alright. Bye." I mumbled, sounding a lot more disappointed than I'd planned.
I turned to leave, but not before an unexpected thought popped into my mind.

Damn it, I should have asked him to skip with me. What else am I supposed to do for
the next half an hour?

And with that I suddenly felt very content with our exchange. I wasn't sure if it
meant anything to him, but I was quite proud of it. Maybe it was only a one time
thing because he had nothing better to do, but for just a little while, the most
popular guy in school had wanted to talk to me. Me. Troye Mellet. The name that I'd
only ever had to tell teachers because no students cared enough to ask. He cared
enough to ask. I walked out into the hallway with a dubious smile on my face, only
to be grabbed by the collar of my shirt.

"Well, well, well, are you the crybaby from earlier? Guess what? I just got sent to
the principal's office, and I really want to take my anger out on someone. You
don't mind, do you?" My blood ran cold as I slowly looked up at Caspar. I felt
weak, almost like I was about to pass out. He was so tall and so intimidating. I
felt my hands shaking nervously at my sides, trying desperately to think of a way
out of this situation.

And as if on cue, my way walked out of the bathroom with a comb in his hands. His
eyes nearly popped out of his head when he seen us, jumping forward to shove
Caspar. I dropped to the ground happily, immediately looking around in a panic.
Where do I run to? I decided on the left, considering that meant not darting around
Caspar. I started speed-walking down the hallway, glancing over my shoulder only to
catch a glimpse of Tyler tugging Caspar back into the bathroom by the scruff of his
shirt. I felt a surge of pride suddenly, so powerful I stopped walking.

He stood up for me.

Why?

A/n: I was iffy about having so much Troyler interaction so soon into the book, but
my lovely reviewer, Emmy, has assured me it's fine so I'm hoping you all agree.
Don't worry, I'm not going to rush their actual relationship. Troye is a piece of
work, as he said so himself, it's gonna take a while before THAT aspect appears.
(Though it'll be totally worth it I promise) (Funfact: I was brainstorming ahead
and imagining all the ways mindreading could incorporate into smut and I am more
excited than I should be)
OKAY COMMENT AND VOTE :) :) TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF THE TROYLER INTERACTION
LEVELS. TOO MUCH? TOO LITTLE?
Chapter Six
*Tyler's POV*

I watched the door close behind him, finally letting out the huge breath I'd been
holding. Wow, had that ever been an experience. I couldn't remember the last time
I'd felt so nervous around someone. Then again, I also couldn't remember the last
time I'd met someone so... different. It was in a good way though, or at least I
think. He wasn't like everyone else that looked at me with that hint of admiration
in their eye from the get-go, he made it very clear I was going to have to earn
that privilege. And for some reason, that was one of the things I liked most about
him. I was tired of people falling at my feet just because of my social status.
After his initial doubts, he was giving me a clean slate. I could be whoever and
whatever I wanted with him.

But who exactly was I going to be?

I frowned into the mirror, realizing just how pressing the matter was. He'd made it
blatantly clear he didn't like my fake persona, but I couldn't compromise what I'd
built for myself at this school over some guy. Worse yet, the longer I talked to
him the more it dawned on me that I didn't just want to befriend this guy. In fact,
it had taken nearly every bit of self-control I had not to grab those pretty little
defined hips of his and back him into a bathroom stall, tearing that stupid shirt
back off of him only to- I shook my head, eagerly splashing cold water on my face.
Now was not the time. Now was really not the time.

I'd never had thoughts like this before. Well, obviously I'd had dirty thoughts
before, I was an eighteen year old guy. Just... not like this. I was a professional
at warding off these sort of thoughts, it was basically the only thing I did. I
couldn't afford to be daydreaming about guys as I walked through the halls of a
school where nothing was approved of less than homosexuality. What if I made a
slip-up and blurted something? It was scary how just a few measly little words
could ruin it all, everything. No, I couldn't let whatever I had for this 'Troye
with an e' character get under my skin. There were things more important than a
potential boyfriend, and my own safety was definitely on of them. Besides, did I
not remember the flour incident? He already had someone to fill that slot for him.

I cursed myself for the stupid shot of pain that sent my to my heart, grabbing my
bag from the floor where I'd thrown it. I was doing it already, getting lost in
thoughts of him again. I had to get out of here, especially before they drifted
back in the direction of sexual. I mean, that was bound to happen again eventually,
I'd be disappointed if it didn't, but now was not the time. I was hoping for a much
more private place, where I didn't have to worry about people walking in on me any
second. Well, unless it was him.

God damn, mama's thirsty.

I swung open the door with a determined expression. I will not think about him. I
will not think about him. I will not think about him. I-

My repetitive thoughts were cut short when I seen what was actually happening right
in front of me. My jaw clenched and my eyes went wide, rage rolling over me before
I even fully took in the situation. What the hell did he think he was doing to
Troye with an e? I lurched forward immediately, shoving him roughly. His grip on
Troye loosened, along with his feet giving out underneath him. He stumbled
backward, but I grabbed his shirt to keep him from falling completely on his ass.
Whether he was an unbearable ass or not, he was still my friend.

I looked over my shoulder then to check on Troye, my face falling when I seen he
was practically jogging away from the scene. I guess I couldn't really blame him, I
wouldn't want to stick around after someone had tried to beat me up. Yet I still
felt a twinge of disappointment, like I'd been cheated of something. Okay, so I
might have been expecting him to be a little bit more thankful for saving his ass.
A simple thank-you would have sufficed.

"Tyler, what is going on? Who is that kid?" I locked eyes with Caspar, glaring at
him. I couldn't very well fly into him right here though, so instead I pulled him
backward into the washroom. As soon as the door shut I let go of him, returning to
my post sitting on the sinks.

"So? Is he reserved for you to bully only or something? Or are you 'friends'?" I
sighed, balling my hands into fists. I couldn't exactly tell him the truth. Partly
because I wasn't really sure what he was to me yet, but mostly because showing
friendliness of any type to anyone not on our social pier was just not something
Caspar approved of. If I told him I liked the kid he'd either try and pull him into
our group or try even harder to scare him off, depending if he liked him or not. I
was willing to bet that, considering he'd just had him held up by the scruff of his
shirt, he did not like him. Either way, I didn't want any of those things for
Troye. He didn't deserve to have to put up with these goons in our group and he
surely didn't deserve anymore torment from Caspar. So that left me with one option.

"Yeah, that one's mine and mine only. He was starting some pretty racy rumors about
me already, not even an hour into our first day. I'm going to make his last year a
living hell." I said, flexing my muscles for dramatic effect. The very thought of
hurting Troye made me physically ill, but Caspar didn't need to know that. This was
just some easy lie to get him off my back. Besides, maybe it'd even make it easier
to spend time with Troye. If he saw me wandering off with Troye in tow he'd
automatically assume I was just going to get physical with him. In the beat-him-up
way, not the... other... way.

"Why can't I help?" He whined suddenly, thankfully interrupting my thoughts. I

rolled my eyes, patting his head in a sage-like manner.

"Because, my young grasshopper, this is personal." He glared at me, obviously not

amused by my answer in the slightest. Come to think of it, when was he ever amused?
Ah, yes, when he was inflicting turmoil on innocent students. I was definitely not
going to miss Caspar Lee when I graduated this year, that was for certain. At least
he looked up to me a bit though, for whatever reason, so I didn't have to worry
about him really bullying me. Just a lot of passive aggressive shoving and mumbled
jealous remarks. I remember our first year here he'd flown into me once, asking why
I got deemed the most popular when he was obviously cooler. He never mentioned it
again, but it was thoroughly implied he wanted what I had. Truthfully, if I could
just hand it over to him, I definitely would. I wanted to be popular enough not to
be bullied, but I didn't care to be the most popular. I just wanted an easy ride
through high school, that was it. Why had it resulted in possibly the most
complicated situations imaginable? I was more or less living two seperate lives at
this point, and I couldn't just quit one.

"Fine, just make sure you give him hell on my behalf. He's annoying." I just
nodded, though inside I was fuming. How on Earth was that shy adorable little thing
annoying? Especially considering Caspar hadn't even conversed with him yet. He
really wasn't in the position to judge, not that that mattered to him. Oh no, of
course not.
"Weren't you supposed to be going to the office?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at
him. He sighed, nodding slowly.

"Yeah, I guess I'd better..."

"I guess likely!" I said, subtly urging him to leave me alone. I had a lot on my
mind right now, a lot I had to think about. I was tired of him distracting me. He
wasn't even a good distraction. He sighed then, nodding forlornly before trudging
out the door. The door clicked shut, but unlike expected I wasn't swamped with
relief. I only felt worse. Now it only felt more real. I'd dragged Troye right into
the middle of this without even realizing it.

I took a deep breath, deciding I needed to go somewhere, anywhere, to take my mind

off of things. And by 'things' I meant an intriguing chocolate-haired boy with
sullen blue eyes. The truth was, I had absolutely no idea how I was going to sort
any of this out. I'd never had something that didn't fit directly into either the
'school life' or the 'home life' categories. I was scared. If I was to be honest it
had crossed my mind a couple times now just to give up on Troye and forget about
him just to avoid the possibility of getting hurt. I couldn't do that though,
sadly. He was just too interesting. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't take the
time to know him. I wanted to know everything. Why was he so good-looking and sweet
but unknown to the entire school? Why did his eyes look so sad even when he was
smiling? Why did he seem on edge all of the time like every single person was out
to get him?

I was determined to find out every single one of these things, no matter how long
it took.

A/n: A little mini chapter to sort-of give some insight into where Tyler stands
with Troye. yeye okay, Comment and Vote bye

Chapter Seven
*Tyler's POV*

Somehow I ended up where I always did, the bleachers by the football field.
Normally, this was a pretty relaxing place. The only people that ever really came
here when there wasn't a game on were couples to make-out, but thankfully none
seemed to have planned a rendezvous today. It was just me, sitting on the slightly
damp outdoor seats with my lips set in a tight line. The rain had stopped, but
there was still a mist clinging to the air. It wasn't enough to actually soak you,
just enough to make you feel refreshed. I had my eyes closed and my hands
intertwined, cracking my fingers loudly. This was exactly what I'd needed, just a
moment away from everything to clear my head. I mean, I still hadn't had any bright
ideas, but at least now I wasn't overwhelmed with stress over the situation.

I jumped, a loud bell sounding across the grounds. Break. I knew it was only a
matter of time before the boys starting bombarding my phone asking where I was and
I really was starting to get hungry, so I decided I'd better head inside. I hopped
up, jogging toward the main building with a renewed vigor. I felt so much better
now!

The rest of my classes I actually did attend, though they flew by so fast I had to
wonder. We did a bit of review work, but really it was just a lot of introductions
and reunions for students. I didn't mind it at first, before I realized just how
alone I was compared to my classmates. None of my friends were in my classes so I
didn't have them to turn to and, though the rest of the student body knew my name
by heart, none ever really talked to me. So while they were all talking and yakking
about their summers, I was the one kid who stayed seated at his desk doing review
work. I was surrounded by people, but completely and utterly alone.

I held on to my good mood though, eagerly packing my things up when that time of
day rolled around. I had to work after school and honestly I couldn't wait. It was
probably weird to love your job this much, but I definitely did. I slung my bag
over my shoulder, bounding down the hallways happily. I was utterly certain there
was nothing that could dampen my mood, until I seen a familiar boy with someone
pinned against the lockers. How could he even get into this many scuffs on his
first day back? I didn't recognize the person he had pinned, though that didn't
really lessen the guilty feeling in the pit of my stomach. Nobody deserved that.
Caspar turned suddenly, his features lighting up when he saw me standing there.

"Hey, Ty! Come help me show this punk a lesson." I inhaled sharply, tentatively
approaching. I hated how it was just implied I would help him hurt this random kid.
I didn't even know why he was pinned up like this, but apparently that wasn't
important.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" I cringed at the chanting around us, my stomach tightening
as my lunch threatened to spill. I wondered how nobody realized how I was really
feeling when things like this happened. Surely I wore it clear on my face. I sighed
quietly, stepping up beside Caspar.

"Punch him, Tyler. He called your mother trailer trash." My eyes narrowed, locking
with the stranger's as I took another step towards him. He was big for his age, his
hair hanging long and curly in his face.

"Is that true?"

"Well, you guys used to live in a trailer so it's sort of true, but there's-" I was
done with his explanation. I pushed Caspar away, claiming this one as mine. I
punched the kid in the jaw, relishing in the gasp the crowd gave in unison.
Eventually Caspar placed a hand on my shoulder, alerting me to back off. I did,
though it took a lot. I stood a couple steps away, watching as he slunk off toward
the washroom. Caspar started hooting and hollering then, pumping his fists
triumphantly like it was some sort of gladiator battle. I ignored this though,
pushing through the crowd and heading straight for my locker. Maybe if I was fast
enough I could get out of here before anyone questioned where I was going.

The drive to the store was short and quiet. I wasn't really in the mood for music,
which was a rare thing for me. It had definitely been an eventful first day, that
was for sure. I really hope the rest of the year isn't like it. All I wanted was a
chill laid-back year to myself, though it was already shaping up to seem like a
pretty unrealistic wish. I got out of the car, strolling into the store happily.

"Hey, Tyler!" Bruce greeted me, walking over to me with a fishing pole in his
hands.

"Hi." I mumbled quietly, my thoughts still a bit muddled by all that had taken
place today. He seemed a little off-put though, not used to my me being so moody.

"How was your first day back to school?" He asked, watching as I crossed the floor
to the counter. I ducked behind it, grabbing my apron from where I'd left it last
night. I shrugged it on, tying it in the back. I didn't get why it was necessary,
but I wasn't about to question it.

"Long."

"Well, now you have a nice long night of work to top it off, huh?" I smiled at his
obvious attempt at lightening the mood. I suddenly felt a bit bad. Why was I trying
to ruin everyone else's moods? Besides, this was my getaway spot. I didn't even
have to think about the stress of school here. I could just be me.

"Oh, this is hardly work, sir!" I beamed, forcing myself to cheer up. I would not
let stupid irrelevant people I didn't even care about ruin what was left of my day.
He smiled back, giving me a gentle pat on the shoulder and mumbled something about
taking off before all the good fish were gone. I just nodded, watching as he left
through the door. I smiled happily, falling back onto my chair. I was going to sit
here and enjoy myself, maybe even read a book or something. I would not let any of
the drama from school today affect me, in fact I wouldn't even let it cross my
mind.

That was what I thought, before the door swung open and the drama walked right into
my life in the form of a human being.

Troye did not look anything like he normally did. He wasn't cool and composed at
all, his emotions very clear on his face for once. He was fucking pissed. He
stomped into the store, heading to the back where we kept the majority of the junk
food. Stress eater? I smiled a little bit, happy with even the smallest new
information about him. I propped my elbows on the counter, holding my face in my
hands as I patiently waited for him to collect his things and come to the counter.
I wonder if he'd be surprised to see me here. Probably.

My smile brightened, seeing his brown hair just over the tops of the shelves as he
approached. I really wish I could wipe this stupid smile off my face, he was going
to think I was a freaking weirdo. I bit down on my lips, assuming my usual selfie
face. It was my pokerface, and I really needed one of those right now considering
my heart was beating a million miles per minute at the thought of talking to him
again. This was getting ridiculous.

He approached slowly, looking down at the armful of junk he'd scavenged. Yes, he
was most defintely a stress eater. Either that or he was just a total fatass, but
his slim figure made that very hard to believe unless he had the metabolism of a
rock. He was about to run into the counter before he finally broke his eyes away
from his purchases, looking up with a distanced expression. That quickly faded when
he recognized me though. At first his eyes widened in shock, but then they narrowed
again into a glare.

"Hi!" I said cheerily, ignoring his weird behavior and straightening up. He kept
quiet and I bit my lip at the awkward tension, scanning the room for absolutely
anything else to look at. Eventually my eyes fell back on his arms and I remembered
what I was actually supposed to be doing right now. "Did you find everything you
were looking for?"

"Yeah, and some things I wasn't." He mumbled, letting out a seething hiss-like
breath. I scoffed, furrowing my brows but getting to work ringing the items
through. I smiled, seeing my favorite chocolate bar in the mix.

"These are good, huh?"

"Well, obviously I think so if I'm buying one." He snapped, shoving his hands into
his pockets to retrieve some money. He handed a crinkled up bill to me, but I
couldn't bring myself to take it. He left his hand outstretched though, nudging his
head at it impatiently. "This is the part where you take my money."

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Wow, it's concerning that you even have to ask that." He dropped the bill on the
counter then, leaving with his bags in both hands. I watched him leave with a trove
of mixed emotions going through my head. What the hell? The last thing I did was
save his ass from a bully and this was how he acted about it? I mean, I get it he's
not a people person but this is just sad. I fell back into my chair, listening to
the bell rattle as he closed the door behind him. Well, I guess 'slammed' would
have been a better choice of words.

So much for not letting the drama follow me home.

I sighed, cracking my fingers nervously. It was a bad habit, but I couldn't break
myself of it. What the hell was going on? Why was he so hard to please? It was like
he wanted to hate me and would use any little excuse he could. That made the fact I
wanted nothing more than for him to like me increasingly worrisome. What would I do
if he just outright refused to give me a chance?

My mind ran over all the possibilities of how I'd react, each one less appealing
than the last. As much as I was angry with him for not explaining himself, my need
to know him outweighed that. I had to get him to forgive me, though that could
prove to be difficult considering I had no idea what I'd done. I also got the vibe
that he was not the type to forgive easily. Why was he so freaking guarded? Why
couldn't he just be open with me?

A/n: Bleepbloopbop. Any guesses why Troye's pissy? You'll find out next chapter
anyway though :) Sorry these last two chapters have been short. I originally
planned to cover all this in one chapter but that just seemed too all over the
place, you know? Okay, VOTE and COMMENT because it maaaakes me waanna update sooner
;)

ALSO, I'd like to promo my friend's new fanfic, it's called "Friendly Interactions-
Troyler" by OnlyARandomFangirl. Only the first chapter has been posted but it looks
like it's going to be really good and she also writes my faaaaaaaaave smutty
oneshots of life, so if you're interested, head on over good friends ;) Okay, that
is all, you may disperse to the comment section now. YOU HAD BETTER DISPERSE THERE,
COMMENT BUTTS <3

Chapter Eight
*Troye's POV*

I turned the corner, letting out a shaky breath now that I was out of their sight.
I hated confrontation, especially when it put my health at risk. Come to think of
it, what sort of confrontation doesn't do that for me? I sighed, forcing myself to
get back on track and head toward the gym. Hopefully they'd still be set up for the
stragglers like me and I wouldn't have to go pick it up at the office. Partly
because that was a long walk, but mostly because I knew that was where Caspar was
headed next and I wouldn't have Tyler there to save me next time. I froze in spot,
stumbling only a little bit at the abrupt stop.

Since when do I rely on anyone to come save me?

Much less Tyler freaking Oakley.

I leaned against the lockers, my brain suddenly swamped with a ton of thoughts,
none of them very pleasant. When had this happened? Not only did I not hate my time
around him, I actually liked it. I liked it a lot, to the point I'd missed nearly
half of class talking to him about nothing in particular. I'd read his mind, on
purpose. I'd kept myself from talking to people for so long, from putting myself
out there, and now I open up to possibly the worst choice of all. If he found
anything out about me, he could have the whole school alerted in a second. Not to
mention the fact that one of his closest friends had just had me held off the
ground by the scruff of my shirt. I raised a hand up, running it through my messy
hair.

So much for sliding through my final year stress-free and unnoticed.

I decided I couldn't waste any more time thinking about it. I'd worry about all the
details later. Chances are he doesn't want to see me again anyway. He only talked
to me for something to do while he was skipping. I shoved my hands in my pocket,
continuing toward the gym.

Much to my disappointment, there was only one teacher left in the gym to wait for
stragglers. It was the unfamiliar woman from earlier, the one who had done the goat
wrestling. Technically I didn't know that she was a teacher, but why else would she
be the one set up here?

"Hello! You're the same kid from earlier, right?"

"Yeah, Troye Mellet." I said, answering both her question and which paper she
should look for. She nodded, taking the hint that I wasn't the talkative type, and
began sorting through the remaining stack of papers.

"I'm Mrs. Lynds, the new student teacher." She mumbled, biting her lip in
concentration. I just gave an awkward nod, not really knowing what I was supposed
to reply to that. She let out an exclamation of triumph, holding up one paper in
particular.

"This is yours, I do believe." She beamed, shoving it toward me. I grabbed it,
slightly annoyed with her overly peppy attitude. She opened her mouth like she was
going to add something more, but I spun around and started walking away before she
got the chance. I had a class to get to, and if I didn't skip to talk to Tyler I
surely wasn't going to for her. I scurried down the hall toward my first class
before stopping in my tracks. Shit. What was my first class?

I glanced down at the schedule in my hands and a smile spread across my features.
English. It wasn't my favorite or anything, but it was definitely better than
having to sit through something like History or Math. I didn't think I could right
now, to be honest. My mind was way too distracted to seriously focus on anything.

I stood outside of the wooden door, the numbers '53' hanging on it blandly. I was
kind of hoping the door wouldn't be closed, now everyone was going to look up when
I walked in. I took a shaky breath, opening the door and nearly cursing aloud when
it let out an annoying creak. As predicted everyone looked over at me, a few
immature girls bursting into giggles over it despite it not being funny. They were
all scattered around the room, doing some sort of exercises by the looks of it.
Probably some weird game to get to know your classmates. The first day back to
school was hardly ever taken seriously, especially not when your teacher is wearing
a lime green dress adorned with polka dots. I can tell I will be learning a lot in
English this year already.

"You must be Troye! The missing student!" She exclaimed excitedly, dropping the
marker she'd been using to scrawl on the whiteboard. Her name was there, though I
was a little bit more interested in the word 'Communication' written in big bubble
letters. On the upside, she definitely didn't look like the type to scold me for
being late.

"Yeah, that's me." I said awkwardly, looking around the room to gauge for
everyone's reactions. The majority had gone back to the task at hand, though the
giggly girls and a couple others were still looking in my direction.
"Great! Nice to meet you, Troye. I'm-" She paused mid-sentence when one of the boys
on the other side of the room burst into a fit of laughter. She didn't look mad,
just a little pouty about being interrupted. She looked back to me, opening her
mouth, only to be interrupted by the same boy.

"Shane's a faggot!" Her jaw literally dropped at this, her eyes looking like they
were about to pop out of her head. Had she never heard crude words said before?
What was she expecting when she signed up to teach highschool students? They are
the most vile age group, I thought that was common knowledge.

"Joshua! I will not tolerate words like that in my classroom!" She scolded,
stomping over to the group of boys. I would have to say her first mistake was when
her voice cracked on the word 'that'. She was dead meat. A shame, she seemed like
an easy to get along with teacher.

"Why, Teach? It's only the the truth. He came out on the internet over the summer.
Right, Shane?" He turned around then, staring expectantly at the chubby guy
standing behind him. I felt my heart go out to him when I seen the horrified
expression on his face. I didn't even have to hear his response to know that what
the kid was saying was true. The kid wouldn't look so damn flustered if it was a
lie, he'd be doing everything he could to deny it. His eyes fleeted around the
room, eventually finding mine. He looked like he was begging me to help him, but I
had no idea how to so I just looked the other direction.

"I-I-I mean, w-why d-does it r-really matter?" Shane, as he'd been dubbed and I
assumed was his name, stuttered out. I scanned the room, desperate to find an empty
chair or something to go sit in. I didn't want to watch this anymore. It was cruel.

"Because being gay is a sin! You're an abomination! Freak!" I cringed, the boy's
expression and words reminding me of a similar experience and how it had affected
me. I wonder if this is something that will haunt Shane for the rest of his life.

I'd never understood the big deal society made over sexuality. I guess, to be fair,
I never understood the big deal around romance in general. Maybe it was another
defense mechanism I'd unconsciously built up. If I don't want love then I won't be
disappointed when I never find it, right? It wasn't something that made me sad or
anything, it was just the way things are. If I can barely tolerate people in the
short-term, there was no way I expected to find one I wanted to spend time with
long-term.

"Still, you have no right to talk to him like that." I blinked, remembering the
situation unfolding in front of me. For someone who didn't 'care' about love, it
was pretty easy for me to get lost in thought about it. The scene hadn't changed
much, Shane was still cowering on the verge of tears and the guy was still staring
him down like a hawk circling prey.

"So how about it, Shaney? Do you like having dicks rammed into your ass?" He
growled, turning his attention back to the nervous wreck behind him. I didn't know
why, but for some reason I felt overwhelmingly angry with him all the sudden. How
could he be so freaking blunt? Why was he even doing it at all? How did it affect
him in any way at all that Shane liked guys? Well, unless he was looking for a
hook-up, which he obviously wasn't.

"Joshua!" The teacher (who's name I'd yet to take the time to read) gasped, her
hands flying up to cover her mouth. I realized right about then she was going to be
absolutely no help to anyone. She was about as bright as the girls who were still
giggling to themselves on the other side of the room, too entraced with their
gossip to even look up at the mess happening over here.
I watched with a mortified expression as Joshua turned to Shane, taking another
step closer to him. Too close. He was either about to kiss him or bash his face in,
and judging by the way he was lifting his fist I knew what option was more likely.
I knew even before I blurted it I was going to say something, I also knew I was
going to regret it the second it left my mouth. That didn't stop me though, as I
lifted a hand and put it on his shoulder to stop him.

What the fuck? Did that teacher actually get the balls to try and stop me?

He turned around then, his eyes brightening with anger when he seen it was me. I
winced, the obvious strong emotions he was feeling making his thoughts a lot
stronger. Hence, I didn't need to be touching him to hear them.

Look at this twig. Who the hell does he think he is standing up to me? I'm going to
ruin him.

I'd planned on saying something insightful and strong after getting him to turn
around, like how Shane's sexuality wasn't something he could change about himself
so there was no reason to make a big deal over it. But I couldn't. The kid was
looming over me, his eyes dark and hostile. I swallowed hard, trying desperately to
rid myself of the lump in my throat. It didn't work though, so instead I just
stumbled backward a bit and leaned against a desk.

"Joshua! Shane! Both of you, to my office, now." I jumped, spinning around to see
the principal standing in the doorway with a grim expression. I guess the teacher
wasn't so useless after all, seeing as she was clearly the one who'd gone to get
him. Joshua cursed under his breath, obviously knowing better than to try and deal
with that level of authority.

"Yes, Sir." He mumbled awkwardly, casting me a glare before lumbering off with
Shane in tow. Oh, please let him forget my name by the next time we have class
together. Please, please, please.

I jumped, a hand clapping me on the back.

Wow, talk about a bad first day. These kids are animals.

I let out a breath of relief, realizing it was only the teacher. I spun around and
flashed her a smile, hoping it might brighten her mood a little bit. She smiled
back, nodding toward an empty desk.

"Take a seat, Troye." She said happily, even going so far as to pull my chair out
for me before heading toward the front of the classroom. I sat down and slumped
down into my chair, not wanting to draw attention to myself. She reached board,
writing down a book title and some questions. "It looks like we'll be doing book
work for the rest of the day, seeing as those two boys ruined it for the rest of
you. Open your copies of 'Like Water For Chocolate' to the title page and read the
first chapter. Answer these questions for homework."

"That's not fair!" One of the giggling girls groaned, showing she actually did have
more emotions than bubbly excitement. Thank god, I didn't think I could put up with
that squeal-like voice for much longer. The teacher ignored her though, sitting
down at her desk with her own copy. I couldn't say I was unhappy with this outcome
though. I wasn't really one for introduction games, even if it meant stalling the
more serious book work.
After that the day was pretty smooth sailing. There were no fights, no
confrontations with a certain quarterback, and not even any mind-reading moments.
It was a dream come true. Then again, those things could have been because I
avoided people every chance I got and kept my jaw tucked in, eyes focused on the
floor. It was now the end of the day and the only people to speak to me since this
morning were teachers, welcoming me to their classes and such. I was quite happy
with this for my first day back. Well, that was until I rounded the corner to where
my locker was and seen a huge crowd surrounding it. Damn it, I was so close to
getting out of this relatively unscathed.

I approached cautiously, glad for once that I was so much taller than the rest of
the students here. It made it harder to remain invisible, but it did make for a
very easy time seeing over the heads of crowds. My stomach dropped when I seen two
familiar faces, so close they were almost touching, pressed up against a wall. At
first glance it may have looked like a couple making out, until you actually took
in what was really going on. Caspar had his hand against Shane's chest, pinning him
to the wall mercilessly. He was saying something to him, though it was muttered and
I doubted any of the crowd could hear. A second later though, he turned to address
all of us.

"Who thinks I should teach this fag a lesson?" The crowd roared happily at this, a
mixture of 'yes' and 'fuck yes' erupting out of their mouths. I felt sick to my
stomach, beads of sweat undoubtedly building on my forehead. I was glad I'd gotten
here after most of them, so I could stand a ways back and not get engulfed in the
sea of people. The last thing I needed was to read their disgusting thoughts at a
time like this.

I watched as Caspar turned back to him, my heart racing with anticipation and
anxiety, when a familiar face rounded the corner right behind Caspar and Shane.
Tyler had a huge cat-like grin painted on his features, a swing in his step as he
walked. Well, until he noticed the scene in front of him. His emotions seemed to
flicker spasmodically, before settling on his familiar pokerface. I wonder if he
even knows he can do that, completely hide what he's feeling. Sadly, he can never
hide what he's thinking. Not from me anyway.

He looked over his shoulder quickly, as if debating whether to turn around. This
made me smile, the thought of him running off from the scene like a puppy with it's
tail between it's legs.

Just like I would if I were him.

That thought was fleeting though, along with the smile, when Caspar noticed him
standing there. I couldn't see his face, but I was certain he was thrilled to see
his best buddy walking in on one of his moments of 'glory'.

"Hey, Ty! Come help me show this punk a lesson." I cringed, watching with big doe
eyes as Tyler sauntered over toward where they were standing. I gasped, suddenly
realizing I'd started holding my breath at some point. I was way too invested in
this for my liking, but yet it's not like I could help it. It was new for me, this
vulnerable feeling. I was used to getting let down, it didn't get to me anymore.
Fuck, what was it with this idiot that seemed to warp all my rules and realities?

At some point the crowd had started cheering 'fight' repeatedly, likely whenever
Tyler had reached Caspar's direct side. I still had a shred of hope though,
considering his pokerface had begun to falter ever so slightly. Every now and then
his lips would twitch, turning down into a slight frown. I watched as Caspar leaned
toward him, whispering something in his ear. And just like that, the Tyler I'd been
getting to know vanished, replaced with the Tyler I used to know him as. His eyes
darkened, narrowing hostilely as he took another step toward the poor victim.
Shane was trembling slightly, obviously having never been in a fight before of any
type. Tyler looked the polar opposite, his upper lip curled up in distaste as his
beady eyes fixed on Shane's face threateningly. For a split second, I wondered how
terrified I'd be in that position. Very, the answer was very. Tyler didn't look
charming or friendly in the slightest, just... Mean. Like a guard dog that had been
sicced on someone, teeth-bared and nostrils flaring. He was saying something now,
but a lot quieter than when Caspar spoke. I guess he was still a little bit more
considerate than Caspar, even in his worst moments. Shane started to reply, before
Tyler gave a bone-shattering punch to his jaw. The entire crowd gasped, aside from
me. I just stared, my jaw hanging open in disbelief as I watched Tyler continue.
Blow after blow after blow, each one feeling worse than the last. To Shane, but to
me as well. It was like each punch was reminding me just how horribly wrong about
him I'd been. How horribly stupid I'd been to believe he was anything different
even for a second, no matter how good it sounded. How horribly stupid it was to try
again at all. This was how it ended up, every single time. I was so tired of this
constant scratched record lifestyle, history repeating itself over and over again.
I had to stop it. I had to stop giving the people the ability to hurt me, even a
little bit.

Even if they were Tyler Oakley.

Caspar rose a hand then, placing it on Tyler's shoulder cautiously. Tyler flinched,
looking at him with crazed eyes. He seemingly sighed, taking a couple steps back
and letting Shane stumble off in the direction of the men's room. Caspar started
cheering triumphantly then, like he was the one that had done all of that and like
it was a good thing. Strangely though, Tyler didn't seem to share his attitude. His
shoulders were slumped and his lips set in a tight line as he started toward the
crowd. And, well, toward me. He waded through the strangers angrily, shooting them
glares whenever they didn't naturally step out of his way. He still looked mean,
dangerous almost, but I could see his sane mind slowly returning to him in each of
his expressions. He stepped out of the bulk of the crowd, only a mere couple steps
away from me. I felt my heartbeat speed up, whether it was because I was now
nervous around him or because... Well, it was probably the first option. But
surprisingly, he didn't even glance up at me. I wasn't sure if he was purposely
ignoring me or not, but I didn't really care. Or, at least that's what I told
myself anyway.

The crowd slowly dispatched, leaving me alone by my locker thankfully. The second
the last of the people walked out of view I let my emotions loose, hauling back and
punching my locker door. I groaned, realizing how stupid that idea was only after
performing it. My hand was now throbbing, but for some reason that only made me
angrier. This wasn't my fault for once. He made me want to trust him. He acted so
nice and genuine, like he was begging me to like him. Hell, for all I knew he
probably planned all of it in some elaborate rouse to make me look like an idiot,
like in those movies where the popular guy takes a nerdy girl to prom as a joke. It
was a game to him, as he'd made it so blatantly obvious with his careless actions.
I was nothing more than a pawn. A pawn who had emotions, fucking annoying ones too.
I hadn't felt this bad since... Well, for a while now.

"Hey, are you okay?" I straightened up, a sniffling voice to my left bringing my
back to reality before I could get lost in more unpleasant memories. I turned, my
heart breaking when I seen the mess of a man standing beside me. The bruises
covering Shane's face had already darkened considerably, standing out prominently
on his pale skin. I felt utterly horrible, like I was somehow responsible for
Tyler's stupid actions. But yet, he was the one asking if I was okay.

"Yeah, why?"
"You just looked a little, well, heartbroken." I scoffed in his face, leaning back
against the lockers.

"Hard to have your heart broken when you don't have one." I mumbled, knowing he
likely couldn't hear it. That was okay though, I didn't really want him to. So
instead we just stood in silence for a while, until I eventually looked up from the
floor. He was looking away now though, staring at the spot he'd gotten his ass
kicked just moments ago.

"Tyler's an ass, huh?" I said awkwardly, hoping to find some common ground between
us. Okay, that and I really just wanted to bitch about Tyler to someone. He snapped
his eyes back to me, nodding eagerly.

"It was like he didn't even care to hear my explanation. He just started punching
me like some sort of lunatic over some stupid meaningless thing I said. I guess
it's my fault for trying to be a smartass when-"

"No! It's not your fault. It's definitely Tyler's." I said firmly, wishing I could
put a supportive hand on his shoulder. He really looked like he could use it. But I
couldn't. I didn't really want a peek into his mind right now, possibly not ever.
Seeing in people's minds might sound good to you if you can't, but it's a
completely different story when it's actually possible. There's a reason people
filter what they think and what they actually say, let's just leave it at that.

"What'd he do to you to make you hate him so much?" I turned to him with a shrug,
trying to figure out how to word it without sounding stupid. Okay, so there was
absolutely no way to achieve that.

He acted like a good guy before turning out to be the bad guy everyone said he was
the whole time.

Yeah, that definitely made me sound smart.

"Oh, was he the one that broke your heart? Because he's straight?" My eyes went
wide and I looked at him with pure shock.

"No! No, definitely not. I do not and will not ever look at Tyler that way." I said
firmly, crossing my arms across my shoulders. I wasn't lying either, he was dead to
me. Even if he was as sweet as peaches to me for the rest of my life, it wouldn't
be right after seeing how he was with Shane. All over something stupid like
sexuality that he can't even change. What if he knew my secret? I definitely can't
change it, and it's a bit more scandalous. Hell, he'd probably tie my up on a stake
and try to burn me alive like the Salem witch trials if he was this medieval about
homosexuality. No, I was done with Tyler Oakley, for my own sake. If this was how
bad it hurt to be let down by him now, having just met him, only imagine if we
actually became friends.

a/n: is this too soon for drama because nope, it's already a thing so no take
backsies :* Don't worry, it's going to be cutesie drama is stuff. YOU GUYS GOT ME
TO 72 VOTES AND NEARLY 50 COMMENTS LAST CHAPTER. THAT IS BEATING MY RECORDS ON ANY
STORY, INCLUDING IT'S COMPLICATED. THAT IS INSLAYNE, SO THIS IS AN EARLY
CELEBRATORY UPDATE <3 LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! <3 Okay, COMMENT and VOTE :)

Chapter Nine
*Troye's POV*

Shane actually proved to be a pretty decent guy. We talked about a couple movies
and he told me about how he wants to be a director when he's older. It was the
first real conversation I'd had with someone other than family in forever. We
likely would have talked even longer if Mrs. Smith didn't walk up to us and scold
us for loitering in the halls after school hours. With that, we both started
walking toward the exit beside each other, the conversation still carrying on.

"So, why haven't I seen you around at all before if we've both been here the last
three years?"

"I, uh, I'm not exactly the sociable type." I mumbled, instinctively taking a step
away from him and clutching my backpack tighter to my chest. My eyes fell to the
floor, but a moment later his face appeared in my sights, as he'd annoyingly bent
over to make eye contact with me.

"Really? You could have fooled me!" He laughed, standing back up straight. I gave a
weak smile, more to myself than to him. We continued in silence until we came to my
car, and I leaned against the door.

"Thanks for trying to stand up for me earlier, by the way." He mumbled, his brash
demeanor clouding over as he shyly looked down at the ground. I bit my lip
nervously, not liking the feeling of responsibility he'd put on my shoulders here.
I didn't even do anything really.

"But I didn't help anything, you still ended up getting beat up."

"Yeah, but you tried, you didn't just turn the other way and let it happen. That's
sort of what most people do, you know."

"Well, I am nothing like most people."

"I can tell. Anyone else would be looking over their shoulder constantly while
talking to me, embarrassed to be seen with the 'gay' boy." He said, quirking his
eyebrows at the word 'gay'. I couldn't help but chuckle slightly at his annoyed
expression, hoping he didn't take it the wrong way.

"That's because they're vain idiots that care more about their social status than
their own emotions." I said matter-of-factly. He seemed intrigued now, staring at
me with curious blue eyes, framed by black bruises. It still made me nauseous
thinking that Tyler had put them there.

"And you don't?" My eyebrows shot up, realizing I'd stupidly got lost in my head
again. I had to wonder if this was the first time Shane had asked me the question,
looking at his annoyed hard expression.

"No! No, of course not." I said hurriedly, my eyes flickering to my car longingly.
I liked Shane to an extent, but like anyone, I had my limits to how much I wanted
to interact with him. There was an uncanny silence then, and I was about to mumble
some excuse about having to get home when he started laughing to himself. I looked
at him with a confused expression, pouting my lip out as I wondered what was so
funny.

"Sorry, it's just really weird to think of you having a crush on Tyler after
actually talking to you. You guys would never work out." He giggled, flipping his
long hair out of his eyes. I gave an awkward chuckle, forcing my lips to strain
into a smile. Why was it so laughable? I mean, I realize it would never in a
million years work out and I wouldn't want it to, but why's it so funny to him?
"You guys are complete polar opposites!"

"But don't opposites attract?" I blurted, immediately regretting it when his eyes
lit up, the same way any highschooler's did when they heard new gossip. I backed up
even further into the car, despite there still be stray water drops on the frame. I
couldn't care though, I just wanted to blend in with it and disappear from the
awkward situation.

"Oh... I didn't realize. Sorry, Troye... I'm sure there's still a good chance
that-"

"No! I didn't mean it like- Ugh, I've got to go, my parents are going to be
wondering where I am." I lied, knowing they'd be nothing but happy that I wasn't
home on time. They were probably jumping to conclusions already, thinking I was
making 'friends'.

Wait.

I kind of am.

I shivered, shaking that thought out of my mind. Acquaintances maybe, but not
friends. Shane nodded eagerly, mumbling quickly some excuse about having to get
home as well. And just like that he turned on his heel and hurried off down the
street, making it obvious he hated awkward situations just as much as I did.

Now that I was alone I felt the same anger from earlier welling back up in my chest
and I groaned aloud. I wasn't really in the mood to punch anymore inanimate
objects, so I decided I would take me stress away the only other way that worked
for me; eating.

Not even ten minutes later I found myself pulling into the familiar empty parking
lot. I was glad no one else was shopping, I really wasn't in the mood to deal with
anyone right now. I collected my change from the dash absentmindedly, chewing on my
lip numbly as I did so. It had been a long time since I'd been in such a bad mood.
I mean, I was always kind of a sour person in general, but this was bad. I got out
of the car, lumbering toward the doors with a lengthy stride. I wonder if the
newbie the store owner mentioned will be working today.

I didn't take time to look when I walked inside though, making a beeline for the
junk food corner. Definitely a corner I'd become acquainted with over the years. I
gathered everything I thought I needed, and possibly a bit more. Chips, soda,
chocolate, sour candies, just everything one could possibly want to drown their
problems away with. I smiled, the first genuine one since seeing Tyler beat Shane
up, and started back toward the front of the store. I still didn't look up to see
who was working though, keeping my eyes fixed on the contents of my arms. Somehow
between here and the car the familiar feeling of anxiety had risen in my chest and
I was now more worried than excited to see the new face. What if they were really
judgmental? What if every time I came here I'd be stuck reading their rude
thoughts? They'd completely ruin my happy place.

That was exactly why I continued to refuse to look up until I seen the edge of the
counter come into view. I let out an inaudible sigh, reluctantly tearing my gaze
off of the familiar food wrappers. I looked up, my breath catching in my throat
when I seen the familiar dimpled face behind the counter. He was biting down on his
lip so hard it looked like it was threatening to start bleeding, but it was also
obvious he was only doing it to hide a smile. Wow, a smile. I narrowed my eyes into
a glare, hoping to wipe that stupid look right off his face.
"Hi!" He beamed, standing up straight. It was hard to tell when he was wearing
sweaters, but now that he wasn't, his muscles were noticeably flexing as he pushed
up off the counter. I guess being the football star has it's perks. I didn't
respond to him, not trusting myself to keep from saying something stupid. Just
because I didn't want to associate with him anymore didn't mean I wanted to be
enemies. Okay, I did want to be enemies, but I didn't want him and his goons coming
after me in the halls so I was going to suck it up. "Did you find everything you
were looking for?"

"Yeah, and some things I wasn't." I blurted, hissing aloud at myself for being so
stupid. Had I not just gone over how big his muscles were? Or the bruises on Shane?
It would take nothing for him to beat the crap out of me. I had to keep from being
the blunt cynical Troye I normally was.

I flickered my eyes back to him, watching as he rung the items through with immense
concentration. His eyebrows were scrunched together, his bottom lip tucked in as
his eyes ran over each individual item slowly. You could definitely tell he was a
newbie, but not to the point of it being annoying. A smile spread across his
features suddenly, completely out of context with the gloomy mood. He held up my
favorite chocolate bar, not commenting on how it had appeared multiple times in the
pile.

"These are good, huh?" He asked, waving it in the air blatantly. I knew he was
trying to find common ground between us, and it was sweet of him, but I didn't want
common ground right now. I wanted everything that was different between us to be
the things that stood out. I definitely did not need reasons to keep from hating
him right now, I had plenty of those as it was.

"Well, obviously I think so if I'm buying one." I said harshly, hoping he'd take
the hint and just let me do this. Even if I ignored what a dick he'd been to Shane,
it was only a matter of time before he was a dick to me and that'd hurt so much
more. It was better this way, the way it always was. If I never gave them the
ability to disappoint me, then there was no chance they would. It was a simple
complex really, but for once it felt like anything but.

I bite down on my tongue, forcing myself back to reality. It would only hurt more
in the long-run if I didn't do this now. It's for my own good. I reached into my
pocket, retrieving a twenty and shoving it at him harshly. I just wanted this
confrontation to be over. I wanted to eat my junk food and lay in bed aimlessly for
the rest of the night. "This is the part where you take my money."

I held it out to him, nudging it forward occasionally, but he refused to take it. I
had to admit I felt a little bit bad when my eyes met his again and found them full
of disappointment. I guess we both succeeded in disappointing the other today. His
bottom lip was trembling slightly, but I couldn't really tell if it was a sad thing
or a mad thing. Two days ago, I would have said mad without hesitation, but upon
talking to him, Tyler was different from his reputation in quite a few ways. Sure,
he could still be a total ass, but he actually did have a shred of genuine human
being to him.

"Did I do something wrong?" He stuttered out, looking at me with wide confused

eyes. I just shook my head slowly though, not in the mood to have a legitimate
fight with him. I'd make a snappy comment and leave, no further explanation. He
shouldn't need one. He should realize exactly what he did and how wrong it was.
Whether he knows I seen it or not it was still a horrible thing to do.

"Wow, it's concerning that you even have to ask that." I dropped the bill on the
counter, not even bothering to tell him to keep the change before swiftly heading
toward the door. I just wanted out of here. My head was a mixing pot of emotions
and I didn't know how much longer I could stand being in public. I just needed a
moment to myself. A long moment.

I slammed my door on the way out for dramatic effect, hoping it'd help to really
get my point across to him. I did not want to talk. I did not want to be friends.
And I definitely didn't want him to run out after me.

So why was I kind of disappointed when he didn't?

It just made it seem so real, so final. It was the confirmation that he didn't
care. Still, why did that surprise me? I couldn't form friendships with the bottom
of the food chain, why on Earth would it work out with Tyler Oakley? I was a
nobody, and he was a somebody. Simple.

I got into my car, tossing the bags into the passenger's seat carelessly. I ran my
hands over the steering wheel, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to start
the car. I sighed, sinking back in my seat and closing my eyes. I was not looking
forward to going home. My parents were going to bombard me the second I walked in
the door, likely my siblings as well. They'd all ask the usual questions;

"How did your day go?"

"Meet any new friends?"

"How were the classes and teachers?"

The worst part was they were all asked at the same time, from different people. It
was a trap, surrounded by family members all talking over each other. But yet, I
didn't exactly have anywhere else to go. I guess there was the beach, but everyone
would be there enjoying the last shreds of summer. Then there was the park, but now
that school had started back up all the younger kids would be there playing. And do
I even need a reason why I couldn't go to a friend's house? I think that was
implied. So, that left me with very limited options. A single option.

I started the car, reluctantly pulling off in the direction of my house with a
scowl on my face. I still had no idea what I was going to tell them when they asked
about my day, but I'd figure that out when it came to it. I'd probably end up
telling them the same thing I did every year, that absolutely nothing interesting
happened. This would be the first year in a very long time that it was actually a
lie.

A/n: Hello dear friends, nice to see you again. I write all of these author's notes
way before I post so this is me from June 14th, ahah, nice to see you good friends!
Bet you didn't remember me! (I'm a mess, why do I even let myself speak sometimes)
(This is me from June 17th and I am still wondering why I let myself speak) COMMENT
AND VOTE <3

Chapter Ten
*Tyler's POV*

I'd like to be able to say I eventually managed to push the thoughts of him out of
my mind and go back to focusing on my job, but that'd be a lie. I spent the
remainder of the day tripping over my own feet and stumbling over my words whenever
a customer tried to talk to me, because my mind was in a completely different
place. Needless to say, I let out a breathy sigh of relief when the clock finally
rolled around to closing time. I scrambled out of my apron, running to turn off the
dingy neon 'open' sign and lock the doors. And then, I was left with the boring job
of some minimal clean-up and counting the money in the till.
I can't even tell you how many times I had to start over while counting the money.
I'd be right in the midst of it when another thought or image of Troye would plague
my mind. Then I'd lose count of the money, obviously. I was getting more than
frustrated at this point, constantly cursing out loud and slamming the bills down
onto the counter. This was pathetic. It was one thing to find a guy insanely cute
and want to get to know him, it was a totally different level when it was all you
could do to think about anything other than the guy. I took a deep breath, trying
to level myself as I reached for the money yet again. This time was actually going
pretty well, I was about three quarters of the way finished when a loud song rang
out, successfully deteriorating my thought-process. I groaned aloud, setting the
bills back down before snatching the phone out of my back pocket.

"What?" I hissed harshly, automatically assuming it was one of my stupid friends

calling.

"Ty? Is everything alright?" I was overwhelmed with guilt when I heard the familiar
female voice reply. That was definitely not Marcus. The last thing my mother needed
right now was more stress from worrying about me.

"Yeah, sorry. Just a long day." I mumbled awkwardly, stumbling back onto the chair.
She was silent for a moment, likely pawning over my response and deciding whether
she believed it or not. I already knew she was going to ask me to elaborate the
second I got home and tell her everything about my day. But, I was kind of looking
forward to that. There was no one I could be one-hundred percent honest with but my
mother, as sad as that sounded. She was my shoulder to cry on and my friend to turn
to for advice. I'm not sure which I'll need tonight at this rate, but I'm sure she
could help me either way.

"I can definitely relate. Barney called in sick last minute and now I'm stuck
working a double shift." I frowned, sighing into the phone angrily. She was always
the one they stuck with extra hours. I had a suspicion it was because she asked for
them, but she had to realize that she was working herself too hard sooner or later.
I was hoping for sooner, before she really strained herself.

"Are you serious? They can't force you to stay, you know. You're their best worker
there's no way they'd fire you for taking it off if you need to-"

"No, Ty, we need the money. It's fine, I promise. But, anyway, I was calling to ask
if you could drop my off something to eat. I forgot my purse at home and don't have
any money on me to buy something from the restaurant. I wouldn't ask, but I'm
starving and-" I decided to cut her off this time. I couldn't believe she was
trying to explain herself over this. After all, she was only doing all of this to
raise money to feed me.

"Mom, it's no big deal. Of course I will! When's your break?" I asked, getting back
to my feet. I was pretty much done here, all I had to do was finish with the money.
I wasn't sure what I'd make her yet, but I wanted to make sure I had enough time to
get it done.

"At 8, so in an hour and a half."

"Okay, I'll see you then. Love you." I said, picking up the money I'd abandoned
earlier.

"What would I do without you? I love you too."

"You're so sappy, goodbye, Mom." I was certain anyone could tell I wasn't actually
annoyed in the slightest by how 'sappy' she was, but I said it anyway. It was a
teenager thing, I guess.

"Bye, honey." She said, sounding considerably happier than when she'd answered the
phone. I couldn't help the content smile that spread across my face at that
thought. Even if it was only slightly, I'd managed to make her day a bit better.
Maybe I'd eat lunch with her on her break and I could bring up how I'd gotten a
job. If things worked out, she'd never have to work another double shift again. I
slipped the phone back into my pocket with my free hand, casually starting to sort
the money again in my other. I felt a lot more clear-headed now so it was a lot
easier to get the money sorted. I guess all I'd needed was a break.

I ended up getting a pre-made lasagna from the store, knowing it was one of her
favorite dishes. Of course she'd rather have it homemade, but beggars can't be
choosers. That, and I can't cook for shit. I was currently struggling to even cook
something this simple, when all I really had to do was heat it up. I kept walking
into the living room while I was waiting for it to finish and unavoidably, getting
wrapped up in whatever was on the television screen.

"Shit!" I cursed suddenly, realizing I'd done it again for the hundredth time. I
jumped up from the couch and jogged toward the kitchen, cursing yet again when I
stubbed my toe. Eventually I made it to the stove in one piece, relieved to see it
only slightly crispy. I grabbed the oven mitts, hurriedly taking it out and setting
it on top of the stove. I was already running late, considering her break was
starting in only five minutes and it took ten to get there. That didn't leave her
long at all to eat, plus I was hoping to actually have a conversation with her
before she had to go back to work, seeing as she wouldn't be home until after I'd
gone to sleep. I guess it was too late to worry about it too much though, the only
thing I could do was hurry to the best of my ability now.

I pulled up in front of the familiar restaurant exactly when I thought I would, ten
minutes after leaving my driveway. My mother had been working here for so long of
course I knew the travel time between point A and point B. When I was younger,
around ten, I used to have to come to work with her some days. I didn't mind it
that much, I just played on my video games and her coworkers would give me the
ocassional leftover pie or something at the end of the day. Those coworkers had
long since quit though, eventually getting fed up with the low wages and poor
working conditions. My mother didn't though. She always said she couldn't risk
quitting and not being able to find another job. But maybe she would now that I had
my own job to support us.

I got out of the car, cradling the entire tray of lasagne in my arms as I walked
around to the back entry. There was a little lounge-like area where most of the
workers spent their breaks back here, and also where I'd spent most of my days when
I was here. I opened the door with my butt, considering my arms were still full,
and backed into the room. My mother was sitting at the little table sipping some
cheap coffee, her eyes focused on the oh-so-exciting weekly news.

"Hey, Mom!" I beamed, walking over to join her. Thankfully no one else seemed to be
spending their breaks here, so we wouldn't have to put up with her asshole
coworkers. She kicked the chair opposite to her out, gesturing for me to sit down
without looking up from her paper. I smirked, setting the food down between us and
falling into the chair. We both stayed silent for another minute as she continued
to read, my eyes constantly darting over to the clock.

"It's getting cold and your break will be over in just under fifteen minutes. Is
the newspaper really that important?"

"No, sorry! I just got a little caught up." I rolled my eyes at her, watching
eagerly as she opened up the travel container.
"Yum! It looks great, Tyler! Thanks." She mumbled, immediately digging in to the
food. I'd been hungry earlier, but that seemed to have suddenly vanished. Instead,
I was left with a different gnawing in the pit of my stomach. You know when you
really want to bring something up in a conversation, but have no idea how? Yeah,
that horrible feeling. I sunk down in my chair a bit lower, chewing on my lip
absentmindedly. I was studying all the new decor of the room when I heard my mother
scoff. I looked back to her, surprised to see her rolling her eyes.

"Spit it out already, what is it?" She asked casually, eyeing me over the brim of
her coffee mug. I blushed, trying to stifle a giggle. I really was way too obvious
about what was on my mind.

"What's what?" I asked, smirking. It wasn't that I didn't want to tell her, I just
loved messing with her. Whether she acted like she wanted to know or not she was
always more than excited for any insight into my life. I guess it was because I
never really came home and told her stories from school. But can you blame me? 'Oh
yeah, today I pinned some kid to the lockers because he called you trailer trash'.
No, there was definitely a good reason I kept those stories from her. But as for
Troye, there was nothing keeping me from talking about him, and god, did I ever
want to. I felt like I was going to explode if I didn't get my thoughts out to
someone.

"I've known you since the second you came into this world, I think I can tell when
you're tongue tied. What's on your mind?" She asked, setting her mug down to lace
her fingers together, resting her chin on them. I rolled my eyes in defeat, sinking
down further in my chair and refusing to meet her stare.

"A boy." I gushed, my cheeks likely turning their familiar bright red. She gasped
sarcastically, making it clear that's what she'd expected all along. It was weird
how well she knew me. I'd never talked about boys in the past much (aside from ones
on tv), but yet she still knew exactly what was on my mind. It made me wonder if
she ever believed any secrets I told her.

"Is he cute?" She squealed suddenly, her casual reserve fading fast and switching
into her usual zany self.

"That's the first thing you ask? Looks aren't all that matter, you know... But yes,
he is insanely cute." I beamed in response, leaning forward on the table excitedly.
She clapped her hands together excitedly, giving the biggest smile I'd seen on her
face in ages.

"Name?"

"Troye, with an e." I blurted, wiggling my eyebrows as I added the last part. She
stuffed some more lasagna into her mouth, though she somehow managed to keep the
maniac smile plastered on her face while she ate. After she'd swallowed she wasted
absolutely no time asking the next in, what I was sure to be, a series of
questions.

"What's he like? He'd better be a prince to deserve you."

"Mom!" I groaned, giving her an annoyed glare. She gave a wistful smile, but was
back to making hand gestures and eagerly urging me to answer only a few seconds
later. I exhaled loudly, deciding I'd better answer if I wanted the conversation to
go anywhere. "He's funny, awkward, adorable, just a little sassy, smart-"

"So, basically perfect?" She interjected, a knowing smile playing on the corners of
her lips. I thought her words over for a minute, a goofy smile breaking out across
my own face then.

"Basically."

"What's the catch?" She asked, quirking both of her eyebrows up. I narrowed my eyes
at her, tilting my head to the side.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Tyler, you and I both know people that perfect don't come without a catch. And
he's not horrendously ugly because you called him cute, so what is it? Does he not
like you back or something? Is he a druggie?" I furrowed my brow, thinking for a
minute. How do I put this into words and have it make sense?

"No! No, there's nothing wrong with him, he's just a little different." I sighed
inwardly afterward, mentally cursing myself for my choice of words. Different? I
make it sound like he's some kind of freak with three arms.

"Different? Tyler, is he one of those people with really weird fetishes? You do not
want to get yourself caught up in that, believe me." My eyes went wide in horror. I
sure hope she doesn't know this from personal experiences.

"No! Ew! No, he's just... mysterious." I knew this word choice wasn't that much
better even as I said it, but her annoyed expression confirmed my thoughts. I
decided I'd better elaborate, we only had so much time left before break ended and
she had to leave, and I really wanted at least a little bit of insight before
dealing with Troye tomorrow. "Like, one second everything between us is fine and
then the next he's lashing out at me or acting like he couldn't care less about me.
I mean, we only really just met today but he's already gone through so many mood
swings it's just, ugh."

"Did he have a reason to lash out at you?" Her voice was calm and collected, which
was a weird contrast to how hard she'd been fangirling only a moment before. I
thought about this for a minute as well, tracing back on everything I said and did
to him today for the thousandth time.

"Not that I can think of, but clearly he seems to think so. It's like he's going
out of his way to find faults in me though." I complained, sinking my face into my
hands. It was just so annoying. All I wanted was to get to know him, why was it
such a struggle to even achieve that?

"What else do you know about him?"

"Hmm?" I asked, raising my eyebrows groggily. She looked quite unimpressed with me
for zoning out during a conversation, but technically it wasn't that rude
considering I'd zoned out to the same topic we were talking about.

"Like, do you know anything other than his name and his initial personality?" She
repeated the question, albeit a little bit more in depth this time.

"Not really." I didn't have to think that long for this answer, it was quite
obvious considering I'd only met him today. But in time, I'd like to be able to say
yes. I'd like to be able to recite every single fact and detail about the boy, from
his Subway order to his favorite novel.

"Do you want my honest opinion?" My blood ran cold and I straightened up in my
seat, suddenly very invested in the conversation. What if she said he was a wasted
effort from the get-go? Before now I hadn't realized quite how much her opinion
meant to me. I mean, even if she said he sounded like a waste of time, I would
likely still go after him, but it'd just feel a lot better knowing she had my back
about it. At the same time, I couldn't recall a single time she'd been wrong about
a person. So what if she said he was a lost cause? Did that mean it was true?

"Is it going to be negative?" I asked, surprised to find my voice just above a

whisper. I really did sound like a scared little kid. When she didn't reply I
reluctantly forced my eyes off the floor, looking back to her. I felt like a huge
weight had been lifted off my shoulders seeing her warm smile and teasing eyes.

"You are such a wuss, Tyler. No, it's not negative."

"Then yes, continue." I said, immediately regaining my sassy composure.

"He sounds like he's been hurt in the past, honey. Obviously I don't know for
certain, but by the sounds of it, he's got walls built up. If you really care about
him, you're going to have to work on taking them down, piece by piece. He's likely
scared of being hurt all over again, so it's not going to be easy." My lips were
set in a tight line and I nodded occasionally when she spoke, letting her know I
was listening. After she'd finished we both stayed silent for a while, letting our
thoughts settle in our minds. She was definitely being honest. It was the advice
I'd been asking for and she'd kept it short and simple. Though I couldn't help but
think it was more of a warning than anything else when she said it wasn't going to
be easy. It was like she was subtly asking me if I was really up to the challenge,
if he really meant enough to me to even bother.

"I guess that explains why he keeps playing me out to be the bad guy, he's looking
for reasons not to open up to me." I mumbled, not sure what else to say in the
situation. I felt a little mad, to be honest. I was mad she'd even doubt that I'd
be up to the challenge. Of course I was, I didn't think I could give up on Troye
even if I wanted to. I didn't care how long it took or what it took, I wanted to
know him.

"Well, I guess you'll just have to try not to give him any, huh?" She said
cheerily, reaching over and giving me a supportive squeeze to the shoulder. I just
nodded, giving a shy smile as I continued thinking things over in my head. Silence
followed that, but it was the comfortable kind. We were all processing everything
we'd said during the short conversation. It wasn't until an unfamiliar man stuck
his head into the room and yelled at her 'break's over' that we snapped back to
reality.

"I've got to get going before they set the kitchen on fire. We'll talk more about
this another time, okay?" She said hurriedly, rising from her chair and walking
over to the sink to wash her hands. I followed, awkwardly standing behind her until
she'd finished. Once she had she turned around, smiling happily when she seen me
standing there. I stepped forward, wrapping my arms around her tightly.

"Thanks, Mom." I whispered, letting her go a moment later. She beamed a smile up at
me then.

"Don't mention it, I'm happy to help!" I could tell by her smile her words were
genuine. And with that, she turned on her heel and wandered off to the other room.
I still felt bad for her having to work a double shift, but she didn't seem to be
letting it get under her skin. One of the many inspirational things about my
mother; no matter how bad her day was she always found a way to force a smile onto
her weary features.

I sighed, looking around the room forlornly.

And then there was one.

I walked over to the table, cleaning up all of our mess. I took my time though,
subconsciously lingering in hopes of talking to her even a little bit more. It was
childish and stupid, but that didn't stop me from doing it. I was just so confused
right now. Where do I start? I can't exactly just walk up to Troye and ask him
about his past. I guess I'm going to have to start simple. But when will I find
time to talk to him when my stupid friends aren't hanging around? My life had
gotten so much more confusing in the last twenty-four hours.

A/n: HEYYY, this is just some cutesy dialogue as you can obviously tell. Sorry if
it got boring, but I wanted to kind of show Tyler realizing what was going on with
Troye and Emmy gave me the lovely idea of a Mommy talk instead of tonnes of inner
monologue, so thankyou Emmy. :') COMMENT AND VOTE :@

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PROMOTE A NEW FIC (TWO ACTUALLY). Everyone's FAVORITE author,
StayLovelyxxx has started not one, but TWO new fics since When In Rome ended and
they definitely live up to your expectations following When In Rome. One is about
them working on Broadway together and they kinda have trust issue-ee things, supes
cute. The other one Tyler is in the friend zone and comforting Troye through a
tough breakup though he's in love with him. BOTH ARE MY LITERAL LIFE AND I DO NOT
KNOW WHERE I'D BE WITHOUT THEM. So, yes, this chapter is dedicated to their lovely
author, StayLovelyxxx

Chapter Eleven
*Troye's POV*

I found myself running late yet again today, eagerly stuffing a muffin into my face
on my way into the school. I'd planned on skipping breakfast but halfway out the
door my mother had flew into me with a speech about nutrition and healthy choices.
So, of course I ended up taking her stupid muffin. I hadn't planned on eating it,
but now that I was here my stomach actually was beginning to rumble, so I decided
to chow down quickly on my way to first class.

I think part of why I took it was because I still felt guilty about last night. As
expected, her and Dad had bombarded me with questions about my day the second I
walked through the door, but I had no tolerance for humans left at that point. At
first I thought if I just said that nothing happened it'd work out fine, but
apparently that wasn't going to work this year considering I was so late getting
home. They just kept throwing questions at me and wouldn't let me speak for myself,
so of course I ended up blowing up at them. I screamed at them to leave me alone
and stomped off to my room. The muffin incident was the first time I'd spoken to
her since, so of course there was no way I could say no to her about that.

I reached the doors relatively unscathed, though I did have one awkward
confrontation where someone made eye contact with me while eating a muffin whole.
Needless to say, they gave me a pretty judgmental glare. I shied away from them,
hurrying up my steps until I got to the school. I walked inside with my head held
low, not wanting to attract attention. I did not want social interaction today. I
just wanted it to be like last year, when I had about three conversations with
students the entire year. I liked that much better than the dramatic events of
yesterday. It was boring, but it was safe.

I continued walking through the crowded halls and trying to be as close to

invisible as I could. I was doing a pretty good job of it too, until I turned the
corner and collided with someone. I guess I should have seen that coming when I was
staring at the floor. I stumbled backward a bit, reluctantly looking up to see who
I'd just violated. My heart stopped when I seen the furious Caspar flipping the
hair out of his eyes, his hands balled into fists at his sides. I felt the sudden
urge to run for dear life, but my legs just wouldn't cooperate. So instead I stayed
glued to the spot, watching as he straightened back up and blinked a couple times,
obviously a bit disoriented. As his eyes came into focus on my face I watched his
emotions flicker across his features. At first there was slight confusion, but then
there was anger that quickly grew to rage. I was breathing heavily, my eyes wide
like a deer in headlights. He started to raise his fist, before his brow suddenly
furrowed and he dropped it back to his side. I stared at him in disbelief for a
moment, before realizing my jaw had dropped and I promptly snapped it back shut.

"Ugh, if it wasn't for Tyler you would be so dead right now." He growled, narrowing
his eyes at me accusingly. Now it was my turn to furrow my brow, my mind suddenly a
puddle of mixed emotions. What did he mean if it wasn't for Tyler? Did Tyler make
him promise not to hurt me or something? That was sweet, but at the same time I
could handle my damn self. I couldn't decide if I was thankful or spiteful, but
when a familiar face walked around the corner I knew I'd better decide fast.

"What about me, Cas?" Tyler asked, his eyes fixed on the phone in his hands. Oh
yeah, he could walk around and not watch where he was going just fine. Perks of
being the popular kid, I suppose. He looked up abruptly, his eyes going wide when
he seen me. He looked good today, not that he didn't always, it was sort of a
mandatory rule of a popular kid. But today it looked like he'd spent extra time on
his appearance, his hair styled flawlessly and his outfit perfectly chosen right
down to the accessories. I mentally slapped myself, realizing it probably looked
like I was checking him out. I hardened my expression, meeting his eyes again.

"Your friend here just ran into my in the hallway, do you want to take care of
that?" Caspar asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively at the end of the sentence.
I was even more confused now, looking back to Tyler while biting my lip. He looked
guilty, his eyes refusing to meet mine.

"Yeah, you guys go on ahead. I'll deal with him." Caspar, and his goons standing
behind him that I hadn't noticed before now, I'll laughed obnoxiously at this. They
then wandered off, each giving Tyler slaps on the back. I watched them disappear
into different rooms and hallways, for once missing their company. It was better
than standing here along with Tyler when he wanted to 'deal with me'. Was he going
to beat me up? Was I going to look like Shane? That'd be just great, I can just
imagine my parents questions about that.

"Come on." Tyler said suddenly, grabbing my shirt before I could protest. He pulled
me toward the men's room, people watching with curious eyes as the door shut behind
us. He didn't immediately move to sit on the counter today, instead staying
standing beside me.

"Are you going to beat me up? I swear I didn't mean to run into him! Why would I?
That's basically social suicide in this school, possibly suicide in general because
he-"

"Troye, shut-up." He groaned, sounding genuinely annoyed with the whole situation.
He then drug me a bit further, toward the sink. I was even more confused now, my
heart pounding in my chest. Is there some kind of new form of bullying involving a
sink that I don't know about?

"Splash some water on your face, make it look like you've been crying." He ordered,
watching me with an expressionless face. I laughed, before realizing he was
serious. Was this a new form of bullying? Cry-shaming?
"What?" I choked out, all of my confusion seeping into my voice. He gave a weak
smile at this, though all his stress over the situation was still obvious.

"Look, the only way I could get Caspar off your back yesterday was to tell him you
were my problem. Reserved for me to bully only, sort of thing. I'm not actually
going to hurt you, but if you want him to leave you alone you have to at least play
the part." He said it gruffly, like it wasn't something to be questioned. I got the
feeling he was only acting like that because he didn't want to talk about it
anymore though, so I tried to think of a response that'd successfully steer the
conversational topic in another direction.

"Oh." Not the best reply, but at least I tried. I knew a second later when he
didn't reply that it definitely wasn't the best response, because the conversation
had ended all-together. He didn't leave though, walking over to lean against a wall
and watch me. I wasn't sure why he was staying, possibly to make sure I followed
through and actually did splash water on my face. I didn't know how believable it'd
look, but I also didn't feel like arguing with him so I bent over the sink and
splashed cool water over my entire face. I straightened back up a moment later,
surprised when a wad of paper towel was eagerly shoved into my hands.

"I'm sorry." Tyler mumbled quietly, looking up at me with sullen blue-green eyes. I
patted my face down, surprised to find him still staring at me expectantly when I'd
finished. Was he expecting me to say it was okay? Now that I wasn't in immediate
fear of getting my face bashed in the familiar emotions from yesterday were sinking
back in. Sorry? Where was Shane's apology? How could he keep acting like he was a
good guy around me when he'd beat someone up for something they can't change about
themselves less than twenty-four hours ago? I felt my blood heating up, rage
rolling off of me in waves. I didn't say anything yesterday because I was scared of
him beating me up, but he'd just told me he wouldn't hurt me. I had no reason not
to fly into him now.

"For what?" I demanded, shocked by how confident my own voice sounded. I never
sounded this loud. I guess I wasn't usually this angry either though.

"Is there more than one thing I should be apologizing for?" He asked, tilting his
head to the side. He didn't sound surprised, more curious. It was like he wanted to
have this conversation with me. Was he actually proud of what he'd done or
something? Was he trying to brag about it?

"I can think of quite a few actually." I spat, turning to leave. I made it a step
before he charged between me and the door, leaning against it annoyingly. He
flashed a smile, looking at me hopefully.

"Care to enlighten me?" He asked quietly, looking up at me shyly through his

eyelashes. I still had no idea why he was so interested in the freaking topic, but
if he wanted to talk about it then fine, we'd talk about it. I wasn't sure if he'd
like the conversation after we'd had it though.

"You really don't know? Tyler, I watched you beat up Shane yesterday. He can't
change his fucking sexuality, you prick!" I yelled, taking a step closer to him and
looming above him. This was the first time in forever I was actually happy about my
height. He was still backed up against the door, looking surprisingly intimidated
by me.

"Sexuality?" He choked out. He really did sound genuinely confused, but maybe he
was acting or something. How could he not know what he beat someone up over? No, he
was probably playing with me right now.

"Don't play dumb with me, you homophobic twat. Shane came out as gay over the
summer and Caspar was publicly shaming him for it when you walked over. He
whispered something to you, explaining the situation, and you didn't hesitate to
start throwing punches." I growled, locking eyes with him challengingly. He opened
his mouth immediately to reply, but no words came out. He snapped it back shut,
obviously having re-thought his choice of words.

"That's it? You don't have anything to say? Wow, Tyler." I snapped, moving toward
the door. He got out of the way quickly, letting me open it. I cast him a final
glare, slamming the door as best I could behind me. I stomped through the hallways,
the idea of going invisible suddenly the least of my worries. The halls were
relatively empty now though, so maybe that had something to do with it. I didn't
even think twice about pushing open the door to my class today, despite being late
yet again. I just didn't care right now.

The entire classroom looked up at me but I ignored them, stomping over to my seat
and falling into it.

Way to make a good first impression, Troye.

The room was silent for a moment before the teacher cleared his throat, telling the
class to continue where they'd left off. I glanced at the whiteboard, spotting the
clearly written page number. It was Math class, but we were only doing simple
review work today. Still, I couldn't get into it. I was too frustrated and
distracted. I was certain by the time the hour rolled around I'd have gotten one
question done, maybe two if I was lucky.

I wasn't far off with my prediction. I kept my head down and acted like I was
working the entire class, but when I handed my sheet in it had exactly four
questions done. The teacher gave me an annoyed huff, but didn't bother to say
anything, thankfully. I wasn't normally a bad student. Then again, my life normally
wasn't this drama-filled either. Could I even call that my normal anymore? I hoped
so, I hoped I could go back to my boring uneventful life sometime soon and forget
all this.

My other classes before lunch weren't much better and my teachers were all probably
thinking I was a slacker already. Oh well, I'd worry about proving them wrong some
other time. I hoisted my backpack up, marching toward the cafeteria. I'd realized
second period that, not only had I forgot my breakfast, I'd also managed to forget
my lunch. So now I was faced with the horribleness that was the cafeteria.

I was definitely back to trying to be invisible as I wandered into the crowded

room, praying there wouldn't be too long of a line. Of course my prayers weren't
answered, considering I was faced with one of the longest lines I'd seen in my
life. I felt queasy just thinking about standing surrounded by that many people. I
was beginning to re-think food at all when a sudden shout interrupted my thoughts.

"Troye!" I spun around, cursing under my breath when I seen all the eyes on me.
Just one classroom was bad enough, but this was a whole cafeteria. Sure, everyone
hadn't looked up, but all the people near me had, and that was more than I wanted.
I scanned the crowds, obviously noticing the dark brown-haired boy waving at me
with his hand high above his head. Alfie.

I trailed over, mostly because it meant getting to skip in line to stand beside
him, which ultimately meant less time around this many people. He kept the familiar
huge toothy smile on his face until I came to a halt beside him, and even then it
only dimmed slightly so he could greet me.

"Where were you yesterday? I watched out for you all lunch but I never seen you."
He asked, eyeing me as he reached for a tray. He grabbed two, handing the other to
me as I tried to come up with some sort of excuse. I couldn't very well tell him
I'd aten in my car to avoid humanity. Well, I could, but I wasn't sure how well
that would play out in the long run.

"I, uh, ended up eating lunch with some other friends. Sorry." I stuttered, my
voice sounding even more quiet and shy than usual. He didn't seem to notice or care
though, immediately flashing me a big smile.

"Oh, that's fine! Are you free today?" My eyes went wide as I realized his
intention. He wanted me to eat with him. Here. In the cafeteria. Surrounded by
people.

"Well, I, uh-"

"You'll love Zoe, she's the sweetest person I've ever met. Oh, and Louise is
hilarious!" He added the last name almost like it was an afterthought, making it
clear he thought more of Zoe. Even without knowing him well the sparkle in his eyes
when he mentioned Zoe made it very clear what she was to him. It was cute. Well, as
cute as a doomed teenage relationship can get. Do you know the statistics of how
many highschool relationships last? That's assuming they're even in a relationship
and it isn't just some crush.

"Troye?" I came back to Earth upon hearing my name, blushing red when I seen the
line had moved far ahead and I'd just stood there. Why did I have to be so
painstakingly awkward? I shuffled forward, tensing when Alfie shoved me playfully.
Not because it hurt, but because it sent an all-too familiar zing through me.

Look at the poor kid, he's so awkward. What a shame, he seems like such a nice guy
too.

I shook my head, willing the stupid thought to go away. Alfie was watching me with
a confused expression but I just shook my head slower, dismissing his concern. He
just turned back to the counter, now near the place he had to order. I scuffed my
feet along the floor distractedly, thinking about what I'd heard of his thoughts.
From the sounds of it he felt bad for me and was only trying to help by becoming my
friend. I guess that was sweet, but it still made me feel unwanted. I was a pity
friend. He was befriending me simply because he thought no one else would. I mean,
they wouldn't, but I was fine with that. I liked being alone. I definitely liked it
more than hanging out with people and having to hear their thoughts.

"Sir?" I looked up, cursing myself mentally for getting lost inside my head again.
Normally, I was free to get lost inside my head whenever I pleased, considering I
never had to interact with people. It felt weird not having that privilege.

"Uh, yeah, sorry... I'll just have the fries." I mumbled awkwardly, trying my best
to ignore how annoyed she looked with me. She fetched them from behind her then,
sliding them across the counter at me. I held the money out before she even had
time to ask for it, already having the exact change counted. I turned on my heel,
grimacing slightly when I seen Alfie had waited for me. I guess there was no
getting out of this one. I drug my feet as I walked over to him, trying to return
his smile for his sake. As soon as I reached his side he turned and began wading
through the crowded tables. I tried to seem as small as possible, taking care not
to make eye contact or bump into anyone. I didn't even look up from the floor until
Alfie stopped abruptly in front of me. I looked up cautiously, surprised to find us
stopped at the popular table. Was Alfie popular? I looked around his shoulder,
surprised to see him talking to Caspar.

"So, after school works for you? It's just some crappy English assignment, but I
don't want to mess up this early into the school year." My eyes widened at Caspar's
words. It sounded like he was asking Alfie to help him with schoolwork. He cared
about school? Wow, you learn something new everyday. I jumped, a sudden cackle
interrupting my thought process. I looked over, narrowing my eyes when I seen Tyler
sitting at the table on the opposite side of me. I mean, that wasn't actually that
surprising, considering he was a popular kid, but I hadn't been thinking about him
so it caught me off guard.

"You're kidding. You have got to be kidding, she did not say that!" I rolled my
eyes. Was he really gossiping about people? I mean, what else had I really
expected? An actual intelligible conversation between these goons? I froze,
realizing they were all staring at me now. Shit, had I groaned in annoyance out
loud? I thought that was a mental groan!

"Do you have a problem or something, Troye?" I glared at Tyler, the familiar rage
from earlier returning quickly with his snappy question. I knew he was only acting
for Caspar's sake when I seen his face though. The ferocity that had been there
whenever I seen him bully other people was absent and he looked almost... sad?

"No, I'm fine, thank-you." I mumbled awkwardly, taking an instinctive step

backward. I regretted that decision immediately, when I heard the unmistakable
sound of plates clattering. I gasped, tensing when I felt something splatter all
over my back. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for what was about to happen.

"Hey numb nut, watch where you're going!" A girl's voice yelled, likely the one
who's food I'd just upset. I turned around with all intentions to apologize, but I
was slapped across the face before I even got a word out.

Who does this kid think he is? And why's he so freaking skinny? It's gross.

I winced in both physical and emotional pain. I opened my eyes again slowly, not
surprised to see Jenna Marbles. If Tyler was the king of the school, she would be
the queen. Between her in-your-face attitude and good looks she was the object of
many people's affection, and the object of many people's fear.

"S-Sorry." I stuttered out, chewing on my bottom lip nervously. That was about the
time everyone around me started laughing and I realized I probably had God knows
what still all over my back. My eyes flickered around me, taking in just how many
people were pointing or laughing. Like a pack of wolves, all ganging up on me. My
heart was pounding in my chest and I suddenly felt very lightheaded. I shivered
violently, realizing if I didn't get out of here soon I was going to pass out. I
turned, stumbling toward the nearest exit as fast as I could manage right now. I
was sort of relieved I didn't hear Alfie running after me and shouting my name. I
knew he meant well, but I really just wanted to be alone right now. Come to think
of it, I always wanted to be alone.

I found my way to my car, just now realizing there were tears coating my face.
Lovely, now I really would be known as crybaby throughout the school. I slumped
down against the side of my car, my breathing short and raspy as I gasp for air.
Was this a panic attack? I didn't know, but I couldn't really be bothered to care
right now either. All I knew was that it fucking sucked. I closed my eyes to relax
and nearly jumped out of my skin when I felt a hand on my arm.

Fuck, he looks horrible. What do I say?

I slapped the hand away, looking up angrily. I was only slightly surprised to see
Tyler standing there, his eyes wide with concern.

"Troye, look, I-"

"Go away, Tyler! Can't you tell I don't want to talk to you? Not right now, not
ever! Just leave me alone!" I roared, ignoring his heartbroken expression as I
turned and got into the driver's seat of my car. I awkwardly peeled my ruined shirt
off, tossing it in the backseat. Luckily I had a hoodie in my bag to wear, but I
was too lazy to bother with getting it out of the backseat right now. So instead I
sat shirtless in my car with my head slumped down against the steering wheel, still
trying desperately to even out my breathing. I wasn't doing a very good job, to be
honest. I kept playing the situation over in my mind, which only made it worse. I
was in the middle of my tenth run-through,when I heard the passenger's side door
open. I furrowed my brow, freezing instead of lifting my head to see who it was.

"Teenagers are cruel, but they're also stupid. They'll forget the whole thing
happened in a week, tops." I immediately recognized Tyler's voice, though this time
I was a little surprised to hear it. He hadn't chased after me yesterday at the
store, I didn't expect him to today.

He was working, Troye. He does have a life outside from you.

Great, now I'm having arguments with myself inside my head. I sat up slowly,
subconsciously rubbing the salt water off my cheeks with the back of my hand. After
I was certain my face was dry I turned to look at him. He was leaning back in the
seat like he belonged there, his head turned toward me with a curious light in his
eyes. After a few seconds I realized he was waiting for me to speak.

"Did I not just finish telling you to leave me alone?" I growled. Even as I said it
I regretted the words coming out of my mouth. I didn't want him to leave. I wanted
to be alone, but at the same time I didn't want him to leave. For a fleeting moment
I was scared my words had discouraged him and he was about to get out of the car,
as he reached for the door. Except he stopped short, just rolling down his window
and turning back to me with a smirk.

"Did you really expect me to listen?" He asked, his smirk growing into a full-on
smile. I rolled my eyes, laying back in my own seat. My own smile began to fade
though, my mind doing what it did best; over-thinking everything.

"Why? Why didn't you leave?" I asked pointedly, sitting up to stare at him
curiously. He looked at me like I'd just asked me the most stupid question in the
world.

"Because I have way too much pride to believe you don't want to talk to me." I
snorted, turning to look out the window. But only a second later I heard him clear
his throat. "That, and you looked like you could use a friend."

"A friend?" I asked, staring at him incredulously. I know I'm supposed to hate him
still over the whole homophobic thing, and I did, but that didn't stop the prideful
swelling in my chest at his words. Whether he was an asshole or not, Tyler Oakley
had more or less just asked me to be friends. The most popular guy in school found
me interesting enough to talk to, on a regular basis.

"Yeah? Don't you know what a friend is? Those people that are there for you through
thick and thin, the ones that you actually enjoy spending time with, the-"

"Tyler, I know what a friend is." I laughed, my annoying giggle fading off into a
wide smile. He seemed pleased with this, like he'd accomplished something huge just
by making me smile. We stared at each other smiling for awhile, until his dimmed
slightly.

"Are you sure?"

 A/n: OUUUU, AND THIS IS WHERE THE FUN BEGINS. TRYOELER TRTOYLLETRG. UGH, I'M A
MESS. OKAY, COMMENT AND VOTE. I DONT HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO SAY ~(•ε • ~)

Chapter Twelve
*Tyler's POV*

The room was silent after Troye stormed off, the only sound the annoying dripping
of the stupid tap he hadn't shut off fully. I didn't even know what to think, what
to feel. I just continued standing their dumbstruck until a loud bell rang out,
succeeding in breaking me from my stupor. I restlessly ran a hand through my hair,
walking over to the mirrors. I looked horrible. So much for my whole 'getting up
early to look better for Troye' plan. Maybe next I should try the 'stop being a
fucking idiot and beating up people you don't even know' plan to impress him. A
strangled whimper left my lips suddenly, and I scrunched my nose up. I could not
cry right now, not at school. I think I liked the dazed state better, personally.

How stupid could I be? Of course Caspar would try to set something up like that! He
was always in my business, trying to manipulate my reputation to exactly what he
wanted his to be. I have no idea if he did it just to make me mad or because he was
jealous and trying to live his 'dream' through me. Whatever it was, this was taking
it too far. I mean, I'm sure people just assumed I was homophobic before, being the
jock at WBHS kind of implied that much. This was different though. People genuinely
thought I beat that kid up solely because he was gay. That was something I would
never do, not even if it meant holding my reputation. The only reason I laid a hand
on him was because he said something negative about my mother. Well, then again, he
technically didn't even admit to that. I jumped to conclusion and acted like a
dick, Troye had every right to be mad at me. Still, I really hoped he'd forgive me.
I'd never forgive myself if I ruined any chances of a friendship between us by
something like this, all because I couldn't be bothered to ask questions before
throwing punches.

I had to make it up to him.

*******************************************

If you asked me how I spent my next couple classes I probably wouldn't be able to
tell you. I was shaping up to be a wonderful student so far this year, between
skipping a class yesterday and not paying attention in any of them today. It was
just review stuff though, I'd have absolutely no trouble catching up. The second
the bell for lunch rang I'd jumped out of my seat, practically jogging to the
cafeteria. I cut in line, naturally, not in the mood for wait around for food right
now. Nobody argued with it, though of course they still shot me dirty glares. I
didn't care. All I cared about was the huge greasy pizza slice screaming my name.

A few of my friends were already at the table, which made me wonder considering I'd
sped here as fast as possible. Did they cut the end of class just to get good seats
or something? Meh, I wouldn't put it above them. They were pretty weird about stuff
like that. I just took my designated seat, the one in the middle of the table.
Personally I'd rather sit at the end so I didn't have people surrounding me on
every single side, but I guess that just wasn't the custom in popular kid world. I
eagerly flew into the pizza, starving for both some food and something to distract
me from myself.

My thoughts hadn't left the whole homophobe situation all day. I'd purposely been
avoiding everyone between classes and during morning break, mostly because I wanted
to avoid running into Caspar, talking about Caspar, or even associating with people
that associated with Caspar. My initial anger at him had only grown since earlier
and I really had no idea how I was going to react when I seen him next. I wanted to
punch his face in and make him grovel for mercy, but at the same time I knew I'd
never do that. Damn having a heart, it never seemed to get you very far. I just
hoped I'd be able to say something, anything, to at least alert him what he'd done
was not okay.

But when he approached the table, flocked by his usual goons on either side, I
couldn't swallow the lump in my throat. He didn't even address me, sitting down
casually on the other side of Marcus and immediately striking up a conversation
with one of his goons, the Harries twins. They weren't always the people he had
follow him everywhere, that switched on a day-to-day basis. But it was very rare to
find him alone in the halls, that was for sure. Oh well, I guess I'd talked to him
about it some other time, why'd it have to be right now anyway?

I turned back to my food, sighing when I seen only the crust was left. I was still
hungry, but I wasn't a big enough asshole to cut in line twice, and there was no
way I was waiting in that monster of a line. I studied it absentmindedly, though a
familiar head of chocolate brown hair caught my attention. He was standing out of
the line, looking at it with a forlorn expression. I giggled under my breath,
knowing he was probably in the same boat as me. No one wanted to brave that kind of
line. He looked up suddenly, looking at someone in the line. His face lit up
slightly as he recognized whoever it was, and my heart dropped. Was I about to see
who had left those flour prints on his shirt? Did his girlfriend go to this school?

He walked over, coming to a halt beside a familiar boy and I rolled my eyes. I
guess that wasn't the case, thankfully. I knew very well Alfie Deyes was straight,
mostly because he'd never shut the hell up about Zoe Sugg the few times we talked.
The only reason I knew him at all was because he lived in the house next to
Caspar's. Sometimes when we were a couple years younger, and I didn't find Caspar
obnoxious as all hell, I'd go over to his house for sleepovers. Caspar would never
admit to it at school because Alfie wasn't popular, but they were actually really
good friends. They had been since they were quite young and still were, though
their different social statuses had definitely put a strain on it. He was a good
guy, he really brought out the best in Caspar when they were together. Having known
him for so long he was the only one that wasn't afraid to speak up when Caspar was
being a douche, and coincidentally, the only one he'd listen to. I hadn't spoken to
him in a long time though, considering I'd gone to Caspar's house less and less the
older we got and we never interacted at school.

I watched them talk for awhile, noticing how uncomfortable Troye looked around him.
Did he look that uncomfortable when he was talking to me? If he did I felt bad for
never noticing it. At the same time, I was kind of glad I hadn't realized yet if he
did. I don't know how I'd feel if I knew I was nothing more than a nuisance when I
tried to talk to him.

I sighed, watching contently as he turned and started walking over to where Alfie
stood. He didn't look necessarily happy though, his eyes glued to the floor as he
trailed along behind his leader. I felt a twinge of sympathy for him, knowing what
it was like to be pressured into hanging out with people you didn't really want to.
They continued walking, surprising me when they walked off course toward our table.
My eyes widened in anticipation. I wonder what they wanted! I was on the edge of my
seat when I felt Marcus tap my arm. I groaned, knowing I couldn't very well ignore
him without bringing attention to myself. I reluctantly broke my eyes away from the
approaching Troye, turning to look at him. I looked at him blandly, boring my eyes
into his skull.

"What?" I asked pointedly, making it clear I was not in the mood for talking. He
ignored the obvious though, braving on despite my annoyed glare.

"I totally forgot to say this until now, but guess who I was talking to earlier!"
"Who?" I asked, letting my eyes fall back on my empty plate, because even that was
more interesting than him right now. Okay, that was rude. At any other time I'd be
more than up for a gossip session with Marcus, but not when I knew Troye was
standing just a few feet away from me and it was keeping me from looking up at him.

"That's not a guess, Tyler." Marcus chastised, using an annoying singsong voice. I
looked up at him with my best bitch face. He sighed his familiar sigh of
defeat."Okay, fine. I was talking to Grace and Jenna earlier at break, and guess
who Jenna is thinking of asking out?"

"Stop making me guess, Marcus, you know I'm not going to." I said blandly, refusing
to meet his excited eyes. I didn't want to encourage him any more than necessary.
Though this information was obviously intriguing, so was the cute boy across the
table from me.

"It starts with a Y." Okay, I have to admit that this caught my attention. None of
the immediate popular guys had names that started with the letter Y, so that meant
only one thing; she was asking out an irrelevant. How fascinating.

"Who the fuck has a name that starts with a Y?" I asked, not proud of myself for
suddenly letting my interest in the conversation show. He was though, smiling wryly
and trying to stifle a laugh."Spit it out already."

"You!" He beamed, flashing a huge smile. My eyebrows shot up in disbelief, only to

furrow when what he was saying really sunk in. I burst out laughing, clutching my
stomach desperately.

"You're kidding. You have got to be kidding, she did not say that!" I said, shoving
him playfully. He had to be kidding. The last interaction I had with her was half a
year ago at some scuzzy party and she tried to come on to me. Of course I pushed
her off. She was out of her mind drunk and I was, well, not into vagina. We'd
refused to address the incident ever since, and neither of us ever told anyone. I
was more than happy to leave it at that, and I thought she was too before this.

A loud groan interrupted my thoughts and my eyes flickered up to the boy standing
across from me, grateful for the excuse to look at him finally. I raked my eyes
over his body slowly as he looked around the table nervously. It was clear he was
nervous about us all staring at him, but that was far from enough to get me to look
away. I startled slightly, feeling a foot kick my own. I glanced at Caspar as quick
as possible, not wanting to alert the rest of the table to anything. He was giving
me a strange look, obviously noticing the fact I wasn't glaring at Troye, and was
actually checking him out. I had to cover my tracks, fast.

"Do you have a problem or something, Troye?" I snapped, hating myself as I said it.
Sure, it wasn't necessarily mean, but I didn't want to say anything even remotely
rude to Troye. I wanted to do the opposite. I wanted to shower him with compliments
and try with everything in me to make it up to him that I'd been such an asshole
yesterday. At first he looked enraged, but that quickly faded to confused.

"No, I'm fine, thank-you." He mumbled, sounding strangely polite. He seemed so

uncomfortable now, even more-so than before when we'd all been staring at him. He
took a step backward as if he was trying to get away from us. I wanted to scream at
him to stop but it was too late. He backed right into a tray of food, the spaghetti
splattering over his back. I cringed for him, only imagining how disgusting that
would feel with such a tight t-shirt on. And yes, I had spent extra time examining
just how tight the shirt was. I watched in horror as he scrunched his face up, his
eyes snapping shut. He looked so vulnerable and scared it was taking everything in
me not to run over to him.
"Hey numb nut, watch where you're going!" My eyes left his face for only a second
to glare at Jenna. If there had of been a chance of me saying yes to her proposal
earlier, it would definitely be gone now. He turned around slowly with the most
innocent expression I'd ever seen, only to be greeted by a heartless bitch slap. I
winced, practically drawing blood from biting my lip so hard.

"S-Sorry." If it weren't for the circumstances his stutter would have been
extremely adorable. I mean, it still was, but gushing over it was the last thing on
my mind as the surrounding tables suddenly broke out into a chorus of laughter. My
eyes were wide and it was killing me to watch the scene play out, but yet I
couldn't look away. Troye looked around him slowly, his big blue eyes shining with
what I was sure were unshed tears. He was paling with each passing second, his
eyelids fluttering shut every now and again only to snap back open promptly. He
looked utterly miserable and it was making me utterly miserable. I was nearing my
breaking point, when I was going to get up and scream at everyone to leave the poor
kid alone, when he suddenly turned and ran on trembling legs to the exit. My heart
was still racing in my chest, and people were still laughing among their peers. I
sat completely still, frozen in spot, until I felt a hand tap my shoulder. I
reluctantly looked up, immediately flinching under their touch when I recognized
who it was. Jenna.

"Hey, Ty!" She beamed, her voice a lot higher than usual. Oh, fuck, Marcus really
hadn't been kidding earlier. If it wasn't obvious from the fact she had talked to
me at all, her high-pitched voice and pounds of make-up obviously did. I actually
felt a little bad knowing I was going to disappoint her, before remembering what
she'd just done to Troye. Oh no, she deserved everything I could dish out.

I blinked, realizing I'd just been staring off into space instead of actually
replying to her. She looked nervous, a weird look on her considering she was the
ballsy loud-mouth of the school. God, this must really mean a lot to her. Good. I
bet getting embarrassed in front of an entire room of people meant a lot to Troye.

"What?" I asked stalely, locking eyes with her. She blushed crimson, averting her
eyes to stare at the table.

"I was, uh, wondering if maybe you would like to go to a movie this weekend."

"Oh. Like a date?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow. I could feel everyone staring at
us, taking in the exchange with eager eyes. If I said yes we would be the 'it'
couple. It would definitely big news throughout the school.

"Yeah, like a date." She said, her voice returning back to normal and a smile
spreading across her features. It was obvious my question had given her confidence,
which was my desired intention. It'd hurt her more this way.

"Then no, I'm not interested." I said flatly, making sure to add a long yawn for
effect. I couldn't help but smirk at the hushed gasps from around the table. She
just stood there looking completely dumbfounded for a few seconds, before her
expression flickered to one of sadness. She looked like she was about to cry and,
as much as I wanted to make her pay for hurting Troye, I didn't want to see her
cry. I shifted awkwardly, standing up and trying to move around her. "Do you mind?
I have to use the washroom."

"Yeah." She croaked, moving to the right. I flashed her a final smile, strolling
past with my chin held high. She would be over it in a week anyway, she wasn't very
committal when it came to relationships. Besides, I couldn't help but notice the
way Caspar draped his arm across her shoulders the second she sat down.
"Don't worry about him, Tyler's a heartless dick. You deserve better." I scoffed
under my breath upon hearing Caspar whisper that. I mean, I already knew we weren't
really friends, but hearing him outright talk shit was a new level of low. That
wasn't even mentioning the irony of his statement. I glanced over my shoulder,
glaring at him. He didn't notice though, too entranced with the blonde head of hair
laying on his chest and crying. Whatever, at least she had him to comfort her, poor
Troye had nobody.

Troye. Had. Nobody.

I stopped in my tracks. What the hell was I doing going to hide out in the bathroom
then? I turned on my heel, jogging to the closest exit aside from the one in the
cafeteria. That one was the closest, but everyone would see me if I took that one.
And I'm certain that would lead to all kinds of rumors, me running after the upset
crying kid I was supposed to hate. I charged out the door, jogging through the
parking lot. Of course I remembered what his car looked like from that first day at
the store, it was a gorgeous car, of course I remembered. I seen the black vehicle
parked a ways off from the rest of the cars, a smile tugging at the corners of my
lips at the irony. He even parked his car away from other cars. He was the
definition of distanced. Still, I closed the distance, walking over to the car with
my lips in a tight line. I was worried. What if he was really upset? What if I
couldn't help at all and I only made things worse? I mean, I doubted I was his
favorite person right now.

I walked around the corner of the car, stopping abruptly when I seen him. He was
leaning against his car, his knees bent slightly to make him look even smaller than
he was. He looked horrible, his eyes closed and his breathing loud and ragged. I
didn't know what to do, my own breathing speeding up as I began to panic as well.
What do I even say in a situation like this? Is there anything I could say? He
wouldn't even want to hear it. I was beginning to get seeds of doubt in my mind
when I noticed the thick layer of tears coating his face. My heart dropped to my
feet and before I could stop myself I was closing the distance between us. All I
wanted was to make those tears go away, to see him smile for once. A real smile.

I wanted to hug him, but I knew that'd be pushing it. Instead, I tentatively
reached out and placed my hand on his lower arm gently. He didn't take it as
lighthearted as I meant it though, immediately jumping up to stand straight. He
looked even worse now that I could see his face in the light. He'd really been
sobbing. Fuck, he looks horrible. What do I say?

He surprised me, suddenly slapping my hand away. I was about to yell at him for it,
when he finally looked up and locked eyes with me. My heart fluttered despite it
not being the right time at all. His eyes were just so blue... And so big. I then
recognized the anger in them, remembering the situation before I got too carried
away in my thoughts about him.

"Troye, look, I-"

"Go away, Tyler! Can't you tell I don't want to talk to you? Not right now, not
ever! Just leave me alone!" He yelled, though his voice turned into more of a
screech-like whine toward the end. My jaw unhinged slightly, taken aback by his
sudden loudness. And just like that he turned and slipped into his car, leaving me
standing there. I was once again left not knowing how to react after Troye stormed
off, staring off into space for awhile. I didn't know where to go from here. I
wanted to fight for him more but I couldn't exactly force him out of his car to
talk to me. I turned to leave, a cloud of dread hanging over me, when I remembered
my mother's words from yesterday.

He's likely scared of being hurt all over again, so it's not going to be easy.
How could I be so stupid? I made the mistake of not running after him when he
pushed me away before, and it only ended up in both of us even sadder than if I had
of. At least from what I could tell anyway, it was a little difficult to tell what
he was really thinking considering he always acted completely different outwardly.
I wonder if it'll always be like that between us. I hope not, I want to reach a
point where he can just be himself around me.

Well, Tyler, you're never gonna reach that point if you don't come up with a plan
soon.

I groaned quietly, rubbing my eyes. Okay, so I had to talk to him but there was no
way he was going to get out of the car. That left one option. I walked over to the
other side slowly, worried I would end up making things even worse between us. I
felt like I was constantly walking on eggshells around him. He was never honest,
how was I supposed to know how he wanted me to act around him? I opened the door,
slipping into the seat quickly before I had time to chicken out. God, these seats
were comfy. Rich people perks, I suppose.

I glanced over at him, my breath hitching slightly when I noticed he'd discarded
his shirt. I guess that was the sensible thing to do considering it was a complete
mess and he didn't want it allover his expensive car, but that didn't make it any
easier to keep from checking him out. Thankfully, he didn't seem to be looking up
from his steering wheel any time soon. What was the harm in looking if nobody
noticed? There was none.

After about thirty seconds I forced my eyes to look out the window, knowing the
silence was probably hella creepy. I wonder if he knew it was me. Then again, who
else would be getting into his car at random? Ah yes, his mystery girlfriend was a
possibility. I should probably speak up then, don't want him thinking I'm his
girlfriend. Besides, his breathing was still completely spastic and uneven so maybe
talking to him would calm him down a bit.

"Teenagers are cruel, but they're also stupid. They'll forget the whole thing
happened in a week, tops." I promised, looking up at the ceiling. I was expecting
him to look up to respond, and I really didn't want him to see me eyeing his body.
He straightened up, rubbing his eyes like a cute little kid. I laid back against
the seat, watching in awe as he continued to dry off his face. You wouldn't think
someone wiping tears off their face could be so cute, but it definitely was. I was
beginning to suspect he had a way of making anything he could possibly do look cute
though. He stopped abruptly, dropping his hands to his lap as he turned to face me.
I played it casual, turning my head toward him again to make it look like I hadn't
been staring at him. I felt like a complete idiot, like some sort of bubbly
schoolgirl in front of her crush and over-thinking everything. Was that was this
was? A crush? Maybe. I'd had crushes lots in the past though, but none of them had
been enough to make me actually pursue anything and risk my reputation. None of
them made me feel like my emotions were an unpredictable roller coaster, tumbling
all over the place. Even this one I knew couldn't go anywhere. As far as I knew he
was straight, and likely way too damaged for me anyway. Still, that didn't stop me
from examining all the different shades of blue in his eyes or how thick his dark
eyelashes were.

After a while he tensed suddenly, like he just realized we'd been sitting there
staring at each other awkwardly. He looked thoughtful for a second, obviously
calculating his next move.

"Did I not just finish telling you to leave me alone?" He snapped suddenly, his
voice low and gravelly. At first I was a little worried, terrified I'd made the
wrong choice in following him. That was until I saw his bottom lip trembling. It
was a tiny thing, something no one else would notice if they didn't go out of their
way to take in every little thing about him. Maybe he did wear his emotions more
than I gave him credit for, he just wasn't as easy to read as everyone else. Still,
he did deserve to know his snappy comments had consequences. I reached for the
door, purposely making it look like I was going to leave. I could feel his eyes
locked on my hand, watching eagerly. Last minute I changed courses, rolling down
the window with a cheeky smirk.

"Did you really expect me to listen?" I said quietly, looking back to him with a
smile. He didn't look impressed, rolling his eyes and making me stifle a giggle. It
was hard to think of him as sassy, but I guess if you really concentrated you could
see those undertones. I wondered what else I'd learn about him the closer we got.
He was so intriguing, I'd never met anyone else like him. He had this thrill to
him, never knowing how he was going to react or what he'd say next. It was
definitely a well-needed break from all the stereotypical easy-to-predict goons I
hung around with. And then when you uncovered something new about him, no matter
how small, it still felt like a huge accomplishment. The only thing I could compare
it to was a puzzle, that high you get when you finally find that piece that clicks
into place correctly. It felt weird comparing him to a puzzle though, because he
was a hell of a lot more exciting.

"Why? Why didn't you leave?" He blurted suddenly, untangling me from my web of
thoughts. I looked at him incredulously once his words really sunk in. Was he
kidding? He was crying and upset, of course I was going to follow him. Of course I
cared.

"Because I have way too much pride to believe you don't want to talk to me." I
teased, not sure if the moment called for sappy mush just yet. He scoffed loudly,
reminding me of his secret underlying sassy nature, and then turned to look out the
window. I panicked immediately. Had I said the wrong thing? "That, and you looked
like you could use a friend."

"A friend?" He blurted, his eyes wide as he turned back to me. I couldn't help but
compare him to a lemur with how huge his eyes were. On anyone else they would be
way too big for their face, but they just worked on him. Hell, they definitely
worked. He looked like some kind of angel chiseled from marble. I smiled to myself,
noticing that he was staring off into space. Was he honestly that shocked I wanted
to be friends?

"Yeah? Don't you know what a friend is? Those people that are there for you through
thick and thin, the ones that you actually enjoy spending time with, the-"

"Tyler, I know what a friend is." He giggled, his lips widening into a smile. A
smile with his teeth. I swear my heart did a double-take at this, my eyes going
wide. God, his smile, his real smile, is the most beautiful thing I've seen in my
entire life. I got the feeling he didn't use it much though, considering he wasted
no time regaining his composure and snapping his mouth shut. Still, I'd seen it,
even for just a second, and I knew I'd never be able to stop trying to see it
again. He was still grinning slightly and I smiled back, staring at him awestruck
for a while longer before the situation finally came back to me.

Did he really? From what I'd seen of him so far he seemed to think of friends as a
foreign concept. For some reason that hurt me a lot more than it should. He seemed
so sweet, so misunderstood. He didn't deserve the hand he'd been dealt. He deserved
friends, he deserved to be treated with respect, he deserved to be known. Then
again, maybe it was just that these people didn't deserve to know him. He was too
good for them.

"Are you sure?" I asked quietly, watching him closely for his response. He looked
slightly angry at first, like I'd insulted him. That faded though and he sighed
loudly, shrugging indifferently.

"Sort of... Not really." He looked deep in thought, his eyebrows scrunched up. I
couldn't tell if he was trying to figure out if he'd ever had a friend or how he
was supposed to feel about my question. I was studying his face to try and figure
that out when he looked up, eyes going wide when he saw me. He definitely took my
intent stare the wrong way. He stuttered, immediately trying to explain himself. "I
mean, I've had friends, yeah, but just not-"

"Shh, it's fine. I was just thinking about how I'd like to be the one to change
that, that's all." I said, my voice getting noticeably quieter the longer I spoke.
I hadn't realized just how sappy the words were until I started saying them, and I
couldn't really back out halfway through. I could only imagine how red my cheeks
were right now. I blushed over absolutely anything, and this definitely called for
blushing.

"Why?" I looked up from the floor with my eyebrows quirked, locking eyes with
Troye. He looked genuinely curious, like he really didn't understand.

"Do you question everything people do?"

"Only the things that don't make sense."

"What doesn't make sense about this?" I asked, looking over at him expectantly. He
sighed, running a hand through his hair before falling back against the seat. He
left his arm strewn across his face then, covering his eyes. I took advantage of
this, my eyes trailing over his body. I swallowed hard, my eyes coming to rest on
the dark happy trail at the base of his jeans. Fun fact; being a closeted gay boy
that can't act on any of his temptations leads to one being very sexually
repressed.

"All of it. Why are you talking to me? What's so important about me that the most
popular boy in school wants to 'be friends'? Is it because I've got money, because
I'm not giving you any and-"

"God, can you not believe for a second that someone might just genuinely want to
get to know you? You seem fun and interesting and I like fun and interesting
things, it's that simple." I interrupted, sinking back in my seat. He still had his
arm covering his eyes, but I watched as he slowly lifted it and eyed me
suspiciously.

"But I'm not interesting, or fun."

"I reject that out of hand." I retorted, turning my lips up in a half smile at his
surprised expression. He quickly wiped it off his face though, shooting me a glare
silently.

"Spend a day with me and you'll believe me." He promised, letting out a quiet sigh.
I frowned for a minute, before realizing a quip I could make.

"Is that an invitation?" I asked, raising my eyebrows pointedly. This time he

didn't even try to hide the shock on his face, feigning indifferent with a shrug.
His face told a completely different story.

"I mean, if you want to. I told you already it won't be fun or interesting though,
so I don't know why you would." He tried to sound casual, but the way he was
constantly messing with his hair gave it away. He really was so unsure of himself.
How could he not tell he was perfect? I really wanted to know his story. Every
single chapter of it. But that would take time, he'd only get mad if I asked for it
now. I had to get him to trust me before I could try anything like that. That was
going to be the hard part. Even now he had doubt etched on all of his features,
like he still couldn't even believe I was talking to him.

I heard the bell ring in the distance, alerting us that lunch was over. I looked
out the window forlornly, watching the students scattering as they rushed to get
back in time. I was really not looking forward to being stuck in a classroom after
this. If my head had been filled with Troye earlier it'd definitely be now. I
closed my eyes, trying to will myself to find the words to say and get out of the
car. God, what I would do to skip the rest of the day and just sit here with him.
My eyes shot back open and I turned to him with an overly excited expression, which
was quickly toned down a notch when I seen his skeptical stare. It wasn't enough to
make me rethink my plan though, I didn't know if he could say anything that would
at this point.

"Alright, let's do it!" I said eagerly, patting the dash of the car as if to say
'start er up'. He looked confused for a moment, before his eyes went wide and he
started shaking his head quickly.

"What? Right now? I didn't mean today!"

"Why not?" I asked, tilting my head to the side inquisitively. He didn't even
hesitate a moment before coming up with his reply.

"There's a thousand reasons 'why not'! It's the middle of a school day, I don't
even have a clean shirt, I'm in a bad mood and-"

"All the more reason to! Maybe I can turn your bad mood around." I offered, giving
him a big convincing smile. His eyes looked annoyed with me, but there was the
undeniable hint of a smile on his lips.

"I doubt it."

"You doubt everything." I chirped, rolling my eyes over-dramatically.

"I'm not, Tyler. The school will call my parents and I'll miss stuff and fall
behind." He didn't sound annoyed now, just a level and strict tone to get his point
across. I sighed loudly, slumping down in my seat so far I looked more like I was
laying than sitting. I pouted my lip out, crossing my arms angrily like a child. I
would never act like this around my other friends, but it was different around
Troye. I wasn't constantly scared of being judged, he just didn't seem like the
type. I even felt like he might appreciate me being my one-hundred percent honest
self. When he still didn't backtrack on his words and give me my way I exhaled
loudly, deciding to add something more.

"You are such a prude, Troye with an e. If it's that big of a deal, I will tutor
you back to your grade level to make up for it. I'll even take all the blame for
your parents." I added the last line in a singsong voice, wiggling my eyebrows some
more. He still looked skeptical, just watching me with dull eyes. I was certain he
was about to reject my offer again, when he suddenly hoisted himself up and
shuffled around the car awkwardly. I raised my eyebrows and my jaw went slack as he
dove into the backseat, leaving his crotch in my face. I tensed up, cautiously
shuffling as close to the door as possible. My breathing was way too fast and
obvious and I tried really hard to cover it up to no avail.

"Uh, Troye? What are you doing?" I chuckled nervously afterward, biting down on my
lip. He looked over his bare shoulder with a confused expression, his face going
pale when he realized just how awkward his position was. He grabbed a bag quickly
then, hauling it back into the front seat with him.

"Sorry." He murmured quietly, digging around in it until he found a black hoodie.

He tossed the bag into the backseat carelessly then, lifting his arms and shrugging
the sweater on. I couldn't help the frown that spread across my face now that I
couldn't openly marvel at his body, but at the same time it was probably for the
best. It was only a matter of time before I took things too far and he caught me
checking him out.

He turned to me then, a completely blank expression.

"Fine, I will go, but you had better make it worth my while." I smirked, biting my
lip as I thought of all the different things I'd liked to do to make it 'worth his
while'.

"Oh, trust me, I will."

A/n: I am still sort of iffy if this is too much Troyler interaction but ya know,
you guys seem to like it and that is all that matters to me <3 I love you all and
WHO'S EXCITED TO SEE HOW THEY SPEND THE DAY? I AM, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT EVEN I
HAVEN'T DECIDED! Okay, COMMENT and VOTE :* (This is june 22 me and I have decided
how they spend the day) I'm going away so leave me lotsa lovely comments to come
back to <3

Chapter Thirteen
*Troye's POV*

"Oh, trust me, I will." I tried to ignore the cocky tone he had on, instead
searching for my keys in my pocket. I wasn't even sure where we were planning on
going yet so it wasn't really necessary to find them right now, but it was more of
a distraction than anything else. Even though he was easy to talk to, that didn't
make talking any less awkward for me after so long being socially deprived. I
fumbled with them for a minute, eventually managing to get them in the ignition.
Except, now there was absolutely no distraction. I reluctantly looked over at him,
nervous to see what he was doing. I groaned out loud seeing he was just on his
phone. His eyes flickered up from the screen, silently questioning my annoyed
noise. I looked pointedly at his phone and he nodded knowingly.

"Sorry, I'm kind of a chronic Tumblr addict." Outwardly, I rolled my eyes at him.
Inwardly, I was smiling like an idiot. No one in our school was really internet
savvy and I thought I was the only one who even knew what Tumblr was. Of course I
wasn't going to ask to exchange Url's, mine was too dark and gloomy and I doubted
he wanted me to know his seeing as he didn't offer. "Lady Gaga liked one of my
posts once."

"You're kidding!" I wasn't necessarily a huge fan of Lady Gaga but that didn't make
it any less significant. She was freaking famous and it was a big deal to get your
posts liked by her. That, and how could I not be happy for him when his eyes were
shining like that? I could already tell he didn't get to talk about Tumblr much,
seeing as he was seemingly bursting at the seams at the chance to fangirl over it.

"No! It was over the summer, I swear I nearly peed myself I was so excited." He
squealed at the end, falling back against the seat dramatically. I couldn't help
but smirk. He was just so... weird, for lack of better words. One second he was so
tough and heartless and next he was the most sensitive girly man I'd ever
encountered. I was beginning to think he had a very severe case of multiple
personality disorder.
"What was the post?" I asked, genuinely interested. He opened his mouth to respond
quickly, though it was quickly snapped back shut and he blushed crimson.

"Some lame quote." He mumbled, his eyes darting to look out the window immediately,
successfully ending the conversation. If I'd been interested before I was
positively intrigued now. I wonder what his blog's about? He didn't seem like the
type to get embarrassed easily, but that's definitely what it looked like now. I
felt the relatively familiar pull, the battle with myself not to reach over and
manually find out what the post was. Would it really be so bad? Yes, it would, but
that also wasn't about to stop me. I was curious and I wanted answers. Now I just
had to think of an excuse to touch him without it being creepy.

"This is nice." I mumbled awkwardly, reaching over to examine his 'watch'. He gave
me a weird look as my fingertips brushed against his wrist, but I was too
distracted to worry about it.

Can you imagine if he found my blog and showed the school? God, I'd be ruined.

Wow, fucking lovely. That helped my curiosity so much. I noticed I still had a grip
on his watch and immediately backed off, giving him a quick nod. There was silence
again, but this time it was a lot more awkward. Well, that was my fault for
reaching over to feel his arm up. I cleared my throat, giving a weak smile.

"So, where do you want to go?" I asked quietly, reaching over to turn the keys. I
seemed to think for a moment, before reaching up to further his point and stroke
his imaginary beard. Though I might have rolled my eyes at him earlier over
something like this, now I was only thankful. It meant the awkward air had passed.

"I'm thinking... West." I raised a single eyebrow at this statement, but either he
didn't understand or care because he just gave a rolling hand gesture, telling me
to hurry up.

"West?" I questioned finally, hoping he'd give me a real answer this time.

"Yeah, you know, that way." He said, raising a finger to point out of the
windshield. I took a deep breath through my nose, getting slightly annoyed with his
antics.

"That's a direction, Tyler. I meant a place."

"But I haven't decided on a place yet, let's just drive until we find one." He
wasn't looking at me as he said it, closing his eyes lightly as he let out a long
yawn. A smile broke out across my face as I watched him sleepily rub his eyes. He
was unbearably cute. I couldn't think of another word to describe it. I'm pretty
sure anyone of any gender, age, or sexuality would agree with me on it.

"Alright." I said finally, giving in to him. I'd never done anything like this
before, skipping class and just going where the wind took me. It just wasn't like
me. I liked set paths and plans, I liked safe and sturdy. I got the feeling Tyler
was the opposite already though. Maybe that would be good for me though.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Start the car already." He urged, opening his eyes
now that he'd finished with his yawning. I shook my head slowly, pretending to be
frustrated with his eager behaviour. I listened though, starting my car and pulling
out of the school parking lot. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a crazy rush of
adrenaline knowing I was skipping class. This was the most bad-ass thing I'd done
in all of my years of school. That's sad, actually.

"Is it too soon to point out the fact you're having yet another shirt mishap
today?" I didn't take my eyes off the road but I could practically hear the smirk
in Tyler's voice. I tried to act annoyed, though my lips betrayed me, turning up
into a smile.

"Definitely too soon."

**************************************************

We fell into a comfortable silence as I drove, which was probably for the best. I
was a good driver, but I wasn't really used to distractions. Also, I had trouble
carrying on conversations when I gave them my full attention, there was no saying
how bad it'd go if I only had a fraction of it to give. It was so silent I was
beginning to wonder if he'd fallen asleep in the passenger's seat. I made a mental
note to check at the next stop sign. My eye flickered quickly to the radio, biting
my lip when I seen we'd already been driving for an hour. Not that I was
complaining, but at this rate we really wouldn't have that much time to hang-out
whenever it was we got where we were going. I wasn't sure when he wanted to be back
by, but I couldn't see him wasting his entire day driving around with me. Surely he
had better things to do.

I put my foot on the break, happy for the sudden stop sign. As soon as the vehicle
came to a halt I subtly peeked over at Tyler, expecting to find him snoozing and
slumped over in the seat. He wasn't though, it was more the exact opposite. He was
sitting up straight, his eyes wide and bright as he eagerly studied what was going
on outside of the window. I hadn't realized how long I'd sat there staring until a
car honked it's horn behind us, basically telling me to hurry the hell up. I
stepped on the gas, mentally scolding myself for getting so distracted. I jumped,
hearing Tyler cackling suddenly beside me.

"What?" I growled, refusing to take my eyes off the road.

"You're just a bit of a goof, that's all." My immediate reaction was to feel
insulted, before I actually considered how warm his voice was. He didn't mean it
rudely, he was teasing. It felt weird to be teased by someone that wasn't immediate
family, and really I didn't know how to react. I stayed silent, considering I
didn't really know what I was supposed to say. I got the feeling I would have to
figure out a set reaction soon though, because he seemed to be pretty into the
whole teasing thing.

"Ou, Troye! I know where we are now!" He exclaimed excitedly, leaning forward in
his seat eagerly. I could see him out of the corner of my eye now, trying not to
laugh at how eager he looked.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! There's this cute little beach not far away and this really good seafood
place we can go to! It's on that road actually, turn off." He commanded, pointing
in front of me. I groaned, using one hand to slap his arm out of my line of view. I
listened though, of course, pulling off to my left like he'd ordered. Not because I
was actually interested in said seafood restaurant, but because I didn't want to
disappoint him.

It didn't take long at all to spot the small restaurant, standing out like a sore
thumb with it's over-the-top sea-related decorations scattered all over the
property. Tyler must have noticed the way I crinkled my nose up in distaste,
because he giggled slightly.

"I know, it's kind of hideously tacky, but the food is insanely good. You are going
to love the clams!" He guaranteed, unbuckling his seat belt the second I parked the
car. He started to reach for the door when I laughed under my breath, causing him
to stop immediately and look over at me.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure I won't." I mumbled awkwardly. I hadn't been expecting
him to look back at me. I was only laughing over the irony of his statement. He
narrowed his eyes, actually looking annoyed with me for the first time.

"Do you have to be so damn pessimistic? At least try them for-"

"No, Tyler, I'm allergic. I really don't think you want me trying them." He
blushed, obviously embarrassed with himself for being so quick to jump to
conclusions. Embarrassed was a new look on Tyler Oakley, but I'd be lying if I said
I didn't like it. I didn't even think it was possible to blush that dark.

"Sorry... We can go somewhere else if you want." He offered, giving me a weak

smile. I shook my head immediately though, undoing my seat belt.

"No, you love this place. It's fine, I'll just get a bread bowl or something." I
said, getting out of the car. Tyler joined me a moment later and I made sure to
lock the doors. I was also going to subtly make sure to sit by a window so I could
keep my eyes on it at all times. My car was my baby, I had no idea where I'd be
without it. Wait, actually I do; I'd be stuck at home all hours of the day. No, I
definitely couldn't lose my car.

"Coming?" I looked up, surprised to see I'd actually legitimately zoned out
thinking about my car. Tyler was already have way to the door, smirking at my
idiocy with his hands shoved in his pockets. I glared at him, but I did end up
trailing into the little building behind him.

For how good the food was said to be it was next to vacant, the only other customer
an elderly man slumped over the counter, looking generally depressed as he stuffed
his face with pie. Tyler must have noticed me staring because he laughed quietly,
shoving me gently. I frowned, slightly disappointed when I didn't get a glimpse
into his thoughts from it. I turned to look at him, originally planning to give him
an annoyed glare. That plan didn't work out though, how could I even pretend to be
annoyed when his face was so lit up? I guess I really didn't need to read his
thoughts anyway, they were so clear on his features. He was obviously too ecstatic
to even think straight, but that was a good thing.

"Let's go find a table!" He beamed, motioning me along. I followed him toward the
back, frowning when I realized where he wanted to sit.

"Can we get a window seat?" I asked quietly. I wasn't going to outright say I
wanted to watch over my car, he'd think I was some sort of car-obsessed freakazoid.
I was surprised to see him blushing all over again when he turned around. He didn't
give an explanation though, just nodding meekly as he walked past me. I furrowed my
brow at his odd behaviour, following close behind. We reached the window tables I
minute later and I couldn't help but notice all the tables only had two chairs. I
glanced over at Tyler questioningly, already having a vague idea what was going on
by his blush.

"This is sort of the place reserved for couples, the window seats. But I get it,
you wanna watch your car, we can sit here if you're okay with it." I studied the
table for a moment, eventually shrugging.

"It's not like it's a big deal." I mumbled, falling into one of the seats. He
mirrored my movement, smiling brightly to himself as he turned to look out the
window. The restaurant was on slightly higher ground than the rest of the
community, making it easy to look down at the other buildings. Who knows, maybe
we'd even spot our next destination. I wasn't really concentrating on that right
now, my stomach rumbling to remind me I hadn't actually gotten the chance to eat my
fries before running off crying. It was weird thinking that was only an hour ago.
It felt totally irrelevant now, when, in fact, it had been the most traumatizing
moment of my highschool experience. This was new to me, considering usually I did
nothing but flip out over mishaps for hours or even days after they occurred. I
guess I could thank Tyler for helping me forget though, cocky homophobe multiple
personalities and all, he was a pretty good distraction from myself.

"Are you like super allergic to clams? Because what if they didn't wash their hands
and they get clams on your bread bowl and-"

"Tyler, it's fine. It's only if I actually eat them." He nodded, his eyes darting
back down to the menu he'd picked up at some point. I smiled down at my own, happy
he was so concerned for me. I liked this Tyler. Yes, liked. It wouldn't sound that
significant to anyone else, it was easy to like a person, but it wasn't for me. The
last time I remembered genuinely liking spending time with someone... Well, that
was a while ago.

But of course there was a catch, it was this Tyler I liked, I couldn't stand his
asshole alter-ego. I wonder if he even realizes he has two personalities. If he
does, then why does he have the other one at all? Doesn't he realize everyone likes
this one better? Maybe I'd ask him about it someday, if we actually stayed talking.
Even if we didn't I'll likely read his mind to find out. It was selfish, but if I
never found out the story behind it I was going to die of curiosity.

"Hello, gentlemen! What can I get for you today?" I glanced up, only mildly
surprised to see an older woman with a notebook in her hands. Tyler and I exchanged
quirked eyebrows, before I gestured for him to go first. He looked up at her with a
smile and I watched as he happily listed off his choices. Yes, choices, there were
multiple. For how fit he was he ate like a pig. Once he'd finished the woman turned
to me, flashing her likely-dentured smile.

"And what about you, sir?" I hurriedly recited my choices, my voice cracking
nervously. She wasn't even that intimidating, I just always got worked up over
talking to anyone, particularly strangers. She acted like she didn't notice though,
thankfully. She flashed us one final smile, walking back toward the kitchen. I let
out a breathy sigh of relief, sinking back against the cushioned seat. We both
stayed silent then, my eyes fluttering shut from lack of sleep last night. I wasn't
actually in danger of falling asleep, but resting my eyes for a moment definitely
felt good. Tyler still seemed pretty distracted by the view anyway, so I didn't
think he minded it much. It wasn't until I heard the woman talking to Tyler again
that I slowly opened my eyes, blinking rapidly at the change of lighting. She
already had her back to us and was walking away by the time my eyes got into focus,
but I didn't think I'd missed much. My eyes fell on my food and my mouth
immediately began to water. It looked and smelled absolutely delicious. I looked
over at Tyler's, a laugh falling out of my lips before I could help myself. He had
so much food, arranged in a neat little line in front of him. The worst part was
he'd actually eaten, less than an hour ago.

"Hey! This is a judgment free zone, let mama eat in peace!" He snapped, though his
eyes were sparkling and it was obvious he wasn't actually mad. I watched him
shuffle his first bite in, an elated hum escaping his lips as he savoured the
taste.

"Did you just refer to yourself in third person? As mama?" I asked skeptically,
taking my own first bite. I had to use all my self control to keep from expressing
my satisfaction vocally like he had. We ate for a few seconds longer, before my
words seemingly seeped in.
"What did I just say about this being a judgment free zone?" He asked, narrowing
his eyes accusingly. I rolled my eyes, snickering under my breath.

"My bad." I held up my hands in defense. He shot me one last stink-eye before going
back to eating, food obviously being higher on his priorities list than I was. I
didn't take it personal though, I got the feeling this boy liked food a lot more
than he was already letting on. Besides, I had my own food to concentrate on.

We actually didn't speak again until we were both finishing up our meals. Strangely
enough, that was at the same time. He had eaten three different dishes in the time
it took me to finish one. My family had always called me a slow eater, but this was
a new low. I watched him contently scrape up the last of his final dish, swaying
ever so slightly to the scratchy country music playing. There was a lot to take in,
but really there was only one thought running through my mind;

He is so freaking different than he lets on to be.

I'd discarded my multiple personalities theory sometime during the meal, when I was
lost in my own head thinking about it. If that was the case he wouldn't have so
much control over himself. He'd be acting like a dick around me sometimes, wouldn't
he? But he didn't. So far he'd been the Tyler I liked any of the time we were in
each other's presence, which made it clear it was a conscious choice of his to act
like a dick when we weren't. This only intrigued me more. If it wasn't in his
nature, then why was he doing it?

"All finished?" I jumped, my eyes quickly darting away from Tyler's concentrated
face and back to the waitress. I was secretly hoping she hadn't noticed, but the
knowing smile she gave me made it all too clear how she took my staring. Tyler
looked a little disoriented when he first looked up, obviously caught off guard by
the sudden interruption.

"Yeah, we are." I spoke for him for once, enjoying the smile of approval he gave.

"Okay, great! Who's taking the bill?" My jaw dropped just barely, a blush rising in
my cheeks. It was a simple question really, but her tone of voice had just been so
suggestive. Sure, Tyler had warned me what it meant to sit here, but this was
different. I reluctantly broke my eyes away from the floor, knowing I had to
discuss this with Tyler. He was blushing too, but unlike me he also looked like he
was about to burst into a fit of giggles. He was so immature. "Or do you guys want
to pay separate? That's fine, of course."

"No! I'll pay." I'd been about to blurt a yes to her question, but Tyler's response
had gotten out before mine. I furrowed my brow, looking over at him. He seemed to
hear my unspoken question, his eyes focusing solely on me. "It's fine, I dragged
you all the way out here and wasted your gas."

"Okay, great! Here's the bill, will you be paying with cash or credit?" I watched
her pass him a little piece of paper, smiling broadly. I likely would have argued
with Tyler, had she not been suspecting we were a couple already. Bickering over
who got the cheque was probably the most coupley thing we could do. He scanned over
the note, mumbling a quick 'cash' before digging into his pocket. He went pale
suddenly, his eyes flickering to mine.

"I forgot my money in the car, I can go get it, I'll only be a minute-"

"Shut-up, Tyler." I rolled my eyes, pulling out a rough estimate of what we owed
and handing it to the woman. She dug into her pockets to get my change but I
dismissed her with a wave of my hand. "Keep it as a tip."
"Thank-you!" Her over the top squeal made it quite clear I'd overpaid by a lot, but
I also didn't really care. The only thing I ever spent my money on was iTunes gift
cards anyway, and I had a pretty substantial weekly allowance. I watched her sashay
off with a huge smile on her face, making her cheeks wrinkle up. I hadn't really
meant for it to be some heartfelt gesture, but my heart felt like it had grown
three sizes bigger just from watching her reaction.

"You didn't have to do that." I was surprised to see Tyler genuinely pouting on the
other side of the table. I laughed at how childish he was being, but when he still
didn't lighten up I knew he was serious. "I could have paid for it myself."

"I never said you couldn't." I mumbled awkwardly, eyeing him suspiciously. He had
his arms crossed, his eyes fixed on the table. I waited for him to respond but it
seemed pointless as he wordlessly continued staring at the table, like it was the
most mesmerizing thing he'd ever seen. I was really starting to get frustrated,
looking out at the car longingly. I wanted to go to the beach already, I wanted
that waitress to stop eyeing us from across the room like she knew exactly what was
going on, but most of all, I found myself wanting Tyler's familiar bubbly smile
back. I guess I had to realize what I did to ward it off first though. I spent a
few seconds trying to decode his blank expression, before a brighter idea hit me. I
could just read his mind, duh! You'd think that would be my go-to plan after all
these years, but at the same time I'd spent most of them trying to deny my ability
and use it as little as I could, it felt weird to switch over to using it
willingly. This was the first time ever I'd been intrigued by a person I actually
wanted to know their thoughts.

I bit my lip, trying desperately to think of an excuse to touch him. I had to act
fast too, before he got over it and started worrying about something else. In the
end my rational thought lost, beaten by the dire need to know what was going on
inside his head right now. I kicked my shoe off, knowing it was more likely to work
without all the interference's. And then I went through with my horribly stupid
plan, kicking forward and brushing my foot against his leg, suddenly very thankful
he was in shorts.

I could have paid for myself, damn it. Is he looking down on me just because I'm
not filthy rich? I hate when people make big deals over m- Hey! Is he trying to
play footsies with me?

My eyes went wide and I hurriedly jolted my foot back to the floor, feeling the
blood spread across my cheeks as I blushed crimson. At least now he wasn't refusing
to look at me, now he was doing the exact opposite. His eyes were staring me down
questioningly, as if waiting patiently for me to make the next move in a game. I
gave him a shaky smile, knowing it was probably more than obvious how embarrassed I
suddenly was. Great, now he's really going to think I meant more than I did by the
stupid leg touching. I am such an idiot sometimes.

Way to 'make a move' on the outwardly homophobic jock of the school, Troye.

I was running over ways to assure him I was, in fact, not at all interested in him,
when he started to laugh. I realized he was laughing at my expense, but at the same
time I was too happy to see his smile again to be upset over it. I waited until his
smile began to fade to say anything. He still looked cheerful, but I didn't want
him looking back on this in the future and still having the wrong idea about me. I
was definitely not bragging about being rich.

"Sorry about that, it'll be your turn next time. I'm just an impatient ass and
couldn't wait the extra minute to go see this beach you've been speaking of. Shall
we?"
"Oh... Yeah!" He piped up immediately, jumping out of his seat and not even waiting
for me before starting toward the door. I breathed out a sigh of relief, following
after him. The idea of spending the rest of the afternoon with him sad had been
horrifying, so of course I was glad he was so easy to cheer up. I wonder if that's
how he felt about earlier when I was in one of my moods. I could relate to him
though. I didn't have money concerns, but I definitely knew what it was like to
have people shove unwanted pity at you. Just like how Alfie was offering me friends
because he felt bad for me. Sure, I wouldn't be opposed to real friends, but that
wasn't how I wanted to earn them, just because somebody felt bad for me and handed
them over. It was weird knowing I had something in common with the Tyler Oakley,
something so significant. We were on completely different ends of the spectrum, but
really we both had the same concerns, fears, and hopes.

But the weird thing was, I felt like I understood him even less now that I was
beginning to get to know him. He was an open book right now, nothing like at
school. He was a completely different person on school grounds. If he was an open
book here, he was a locked up top secret journal at school. I couldn't for the life
of me understand why. He had nothing to hide, he was an amazing guy. He'd likely be
popular even if he was honest about himself at school. He might not have the exact
same friend group, but he'd probably have a nicer one. I just didn't understand it
and it was really beginning to frustrate me.

"Can I drive?" I blinked, looking up abruptly. I'd apparently gotten too wrapped up
in my thoughts to even walk, considering I was stopped halfway across the parking
lot. Tyler had already made it to the car and was standing in front of it with a
hopeful expression.

"No way." I said simply, strolling past him with a heavy stride to the driver's
side. He frowned, dragging his feet as he headed back to his door. I still had a
pout on as he began to open it, and for some reason that bothered me a lot more
than it should have. He was just so happy and bubbly, the opposite of me. It didn't
feel right to see him sullen for even a second. "Fine, but if you get so much as a
scratch on it you owe me for life."

"Really?" He beamed, practically skipping over to my side. I exhaled loudly,

dropping the keys into his outstretched hand.

"I'm trusting you with my life here, Oakley."

"Aye Aye, Captain- What's your full name?"

"Troye Sivan Mellet." I answered, starting over toward the other side of the car.
He raised his hand back up to his forehead, giving me a salute.

"Aye Aye, Captain Mellet."

"And yet, you call me the goof." I huffed, though I couldn't help but smile at how
happy he looked. I slipped into the passenger's side then, watching him get behind
the wheel. If I'd had even a shred of regret before it was definitely gone now,
watching the way his face lit up as his hands landed on the steering wheel. He
looked over at me before turning the key in the ignition, beaming his one-thousand
watt smile.

"You're awesome, Troye with an e."

A/n: asyhjngged, idk, sorry if this was all over the place, it took me forever to
write so. Thoughts? Was it cute? Was it boring? Was it
supercallifragilisticexpiallidocious? COMMENT and VOTE :3
Chapter Fourteen
*Troye's POV*

This drive was silent as well, but not like before when we just didn't have
anything to talk about. If I had it my way we would actually be conversing, which
was weird considering he was the socialite and I was the introvert. I actually
tried to spark up a conversation, regarding his music tastes, but he just shushed
me. At first I was a bit angry, before realizing he was just using all his energy
to concentrate on driving. So really he was still looking out for me in a sense,
making sure not to cause my car damage. So now I was sitting quietly in my seat,
twiddling my thumbs awkwardly as I waited patiently for him to reach our
destination. Well, 'patiently' might not have been the most fitting word
considering I was practically dying of boredom. Normally I had the distraction of
driving to keep me busy in the car, but obviously that wasn't the case right now. I
hadn't been driven around since I'd just turned sixteen, it definitely felt strange
to have the freedom to look away from the road while in a car. Strange, but also
insanely boring. I'd been debating turning on the radio forever now, eyeing Tyler
warily and trying to gauge what his reaction would be. He'd shot down conversation
pretty quick but surely he could put up with a little bit of music.

"Troye, stop fidgeting around, it's distracting." He scolded, his eyes flickering
to me for a fraction of a second. I blushed, running my hand through my hair. I
hadn't even realized it, but I probably had been shifting about a lot. I tended to
do that a lot when I was bored, ADHD or something. I took a deep breath, leaning
forward quickly to flick on the radio. I straightened back up immediately, not
wanting to bother him any further. I leaned back in the seat for a moment, before I
recognized the song as some sappy overplayed romance song. I wasted no time
switching the station, scoffing barely audibly under my breath. There were way too
many songs about love. Wasn't there anything else in the world interesting enough
to write songs about? I jumped suddenly, my eyebrows shooting up when I heard Tyler
giggling all of the sudden.

"What?"

"Nothing, you just act like such a cynical old man all the time, it's funny." He
chuckled, the corner of his lips turning up into what I could only assume was a
signature smirk of his. I'd seen him use it many times just since we started
talking, so it must be a regular thing of his. Not that I was complaining, it
definitely suited him.

"Better than acting like a bubbly little five year old all the time." I replied
casually, cursing myself for getting so excited over what his response would be. I
just really liked bickering him. He always had the perfect responses or one-liners,
managing to constantly keep me on my feet.

"Is not!" I guess he was too concentrated for a better response right now, but I
was still bickering with him so I went with it, responding equally as childishly.

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is t- Hey! Is that the beach?" I shouted suddenly, eagerly pressing my face up
against the window, despite knowing the smudges I left would only irritate me like
mad later. Whatever, I could wash the windows. The beach was bare aside from a few
stray seagulls picking around, which only made it better. I hated crowded beaches.
I wasn't sure who would really come to a beach on such an overcast day, but still,
it was relieving to actually see it completely empty.

"Wow, Sherlock, what gave it away? The sand or the vast majority of water?" Tyler
teased, expertly parking the car. I didn't reply, instead waiting to see what his
follow-up would be. Once the car was turned off he turned to face me, an unreadable
expression on his face.

"What?" I whispered, my voice small and tentative as I nervously tried to decipher

what he was thinking. Had I done something wrong? Was he mad?

"I'll race you to the waterfront!" He shouted suddenly, causing my ears to ring.
And just like that he'd unbuckled his seat belt and jolted out the door.

"Not fair!" I yelled, stumbling slightly as I tried to fly out of the car too
quickly. Even if he hadn't gotten such a huge head start he definitely would have
beaten me. I mean, look at him. He's a thousand times more in shape than I'll ever
be. Still, I ran across the rocky terrain, nearly crashing into him as I flew to a
stop just behind him. His feet were just barely out of reach of the water, the
waves lapping at the very tip of his shoes. I was going to continue the childish
behavior and shout something along the lines of 'that wasn't fair!', until I seen
the absolutely content look on his face. He looked so at home all the sudden, his
eyes fluttering shut lightly as he took a deep breath of the fresh air. I watched
his chest rise and fall slowly, my own heart-rate slowing down with his. I thought
for a minute before mirroring his movements, letting my own eyes fall shut. I
concentrated solely on the crisp feel of the salty air for so long I nearly jumped
out of my skin when I felt Tyler's hand on my hip.

I wonder what he's thinking about.

I snorted aloud at the irony, before realizing what a weird reaction that was to
someone setting their hand on your waist. I opened my eyes quickly, blushing
apologetically. Hopefully he'd disregard it as me being socially awkward and not me
being a mindreader, because that was definitely the obvious conclusion to jump to.
He removed his hand, looking worried. Oh, he probably thought he'd crossed some
sort of boundary with my weird reaction. Whatever, that's probably for the best. I
don't want him touching me unannounced too much, I might hear something I really
don't want to hear.

"Do you want to walk down the beach and explore?" He asked, looking up at me, his
smile already returning so soon after the awkward hand-waist incident. I just
nodded eagerly, gesturing for him to head out ahead of me. He did, his feet
slipping slightly as they struggled to find good footing on the damp rocks. I
followed behind, although a lot slower than him. I obviously didn't have near as
much enthusiasm as he did, watching him bound eagerly ahead of me.

"Look! I found a really gross dead fish!" I couldn't help but burst out laughing,
walking over to his side to examine his find. My laughter was cut short when I
actually seen the thing, my stomach churning. It had definitely been on this beach
a lot longer than we had. I was also willing to bet the stray seagulls from earlier
had found it before us, considering the missing pieces. I gagged again, knowing I
wouldn't be able to stand looking at it much longer.

"Ew, Tyler, that's disgusting." I whined, shielding my eyes daintily. I listened to

his retreating footsteps as he started to walk away, uncovering my eyes just in
time to watch him shout over his shoulder.

"I warned you it was really gross, you're the idiot that looked." I stared at his
back begrudgingly, stumbling after him after taking special care to avoid the
grotesque scene. I caught up to him quickly now, seeing as he must have worn off
most of his initial in-a-new-place energy. He really did act like a five year old
in a sense. Not so much that he was childish and naive, he just had that innocent
essence children have, like they're seeing everything for the first time. He just
seemed like he appreciated everything a lot more than other people, and I had a
feeling it was something that'd rub off on me if we ended up spending a lot of time
together. I hoped it would rub off on me.

Tyler squealed suddenly, causing me to look up at him quizzically. He was running

across the beach fast now and my eyes slowly followed his direction, landing on the
fire-pit he was likely headed toward at the top of the beach. I followed after,
albeit much slower. I didn't share his excitement or his physical prowess, so yes,
I would be walking there. By the time I got there Tyler had already situated
himself on one of the 'seats', which were just extremely large pieces of driftwood.
I scanned my options silently, trying to decide if I was meant to sit on the same
log as him or get my own on another side of the fire. I was opting for my own until
he cleared his throat, looking up at me expectantly, his quiff losing hold as it
started to flop clumsily to one side. I didn't even hesitate to plop down next to
him then, my eyes falling on the charred coal in the fire-pit.

"If we had of actually planned ahead of time like normal people we could have
brought marshmallows."

"Maybe next time." Tyler disregarded my passive aggressive tones casually, instead
getting caught up in the process of stretching his arms and legs simultaneously. I
smiled to myself, looking back down at the sand. It seemed to natural to him that
there would be a next time. I wasn't sure whether I should be insulted he was so
cocky or honored he was so determined. Though, judging by the fact I was smiling
like an idiot at the sand, I was willing to bet I'd already chosen the latter.

"So, Troye Sivan, tell me something about yourself." I sat up straight upon hearing
my name, looking at him with a puzzled expression. What did he mean by something? I
didn't want to be the first one to throw something out there, what if it wasn't
what he was looking for? Did he want casual talk about our favorite colors or deep
conversation about our hopes and dreams? No, I wanted him to start off the
conversation and give me a foundation to work with. I didn't want to mess it up

"No, tell me something about yourself, first." I said confidently, sitting taller
as I challenged him. He seemed happy with this though, raising his eyebrows in
acceptance.

"Fine. I'm an Aries, my favorite color is lilac, I actually don't like sports that
much, and I love pop culture." He said, looking over at me expectantly. He was
probably waiting for me to give some sort of reaction but I was busy thinking over
his choices. The facts themselves were totally random, but it was the why behind
them that I wanted to know. Why did he choose these facts first? Why did he do
sports if he didn't even like them? I blinked, realizing I'd yet to give him a
reply.

"I don't believe in astrological signs, my favorite color is blue, I prefer Drama
to sports any day if we're talking extra-curricular activities, and I love pop
culture as well." He smiled happily, looking out over the water. I wasn't sure if
this meant the conversation was over or not so I stayed facing him, waiting for
some kind of confirmation. After a few seconds of staring off into space he turned
to me suddenly, curiosity sparkling in his eyes.

"I didn't know you were in Drama?" He quirked a single eyebrow, looking insanely
excited for some reason. I felt a blush creeping over my neck, the skin heating up
as the blood rushed to it.
"I'm not, I just said I preferred it to sports." I mumbled awkwardly, refusing to
meet his stare. I didn't want to see him disappointed with me after seeming so
excited about it.

"You should join this year, it's your last chance." He said casually. I looked up
cautiously, taking in his big encouraging smile.

"Nah, I don't really do well with crowds." His face fell slightly and I was
suddenly overwhelmed with the need to bring the smile back. "I mean, it's totally
fine. It's not like I'd ever go somewhere with singing or acting, it's pointless."

"It's not pointless if it's something you enjoy." He tilted his head to the side,
looking up at me with the same expectant light in his eyes. I rolled my eyes,
giving him a look. I'd meant to disregard the whole topic with that last sentence,
make him realize I didn't actually care about it that much. I mean, sure I liked
singing, but even I knew I wasn't that good.

"Yeah..." I mumbled weakly, practically begging him for a conversational change.

His eyes went wide suddenly and he sat up, looking at me with excitement woven into
all of his features.

"Did you say you could sing?"

"I, uh, well, I mean it's-"

"Sing something!" He beamed, bouncing eagerly on the seat. I felt the color drain
from my face, nausea building in the pit of my stomach. I'd never sung in front of
anyone, much less the most popular guy in school. What if he hated it? Of course he
was going to hate it.

"T-Tyler, I can't." I stutter, trying my best to sound strict.

"Why? You said you weren't good with crowds, there's only one of me." He pressed,
wiggling his eyebrows as if he was trying to bribe me. I wiped my sweaty palms on
my jeans, chuckling nervously as I tried desperately to even out my breathing. It
was stupid, getting this worked up over nothing. It was my choice whether I sang or
not, he couldn't hold it against me or force me into it. I took a deep even breath,
my eyes opening. I didn't remember closing them, but I also didn't realize so much
time had passed. I knew the second I opened my eyes it had though. Not because the
sun had gone down or anything, but I could just feel the awkward tension in the air
that comes when someone doesn't respond to you. I sat up, moving my head out of my
hands, and looked over at Tyler. He was staring at me wide-eyed, a mixture of
emotions scattered across his face. But mostly, he just looked concerned.

"Sorry." I blurted immediately, feeling guilty for letting him down. He gave a weak
half smile, reaching over and cupping my shoulder.

I bet he sounds amazing, maybe when we're closer.

"Don't worry about it." I smiled genuinely at him now, a big goofy one. It was so
weird actually enjoying my glimpses into his mind when I loathed anyone else's. It
was just different, because I actually cared what he thought. I wanted to know what
he thought. Especially when he was thinking sweet things about how nice he figured
my voice was.

"So? What should we talk about next?" I beamed, trying my best to sound like I
wasn't totally new to these getting-to-know-each-other conversations. He chewed on
his bottom lip thoughtfully for a moment, before something seemed to click and his
eyes widened.
"Earlier, in the bathroom-"

"Ty, we don't have to talk about that. I mean, I don't support your views but I'm
not going to try and change them either. I'll just try to ignore that part of you,
the other ones are good enough to make up for it." I bit down on my tongue as soon
as the words slipped out, quickly darting my eyes back to the sand. That had gotten
real sappy, real fast. 'Good enough' to make up for it? What was I, ten?

"Troye, listen to me. I am not homophobic. I've spent the entire day trying to
figure out how to say that to you. The only reason, the only one, that I beat up
Shane, was because Caspar told me he was talking shit about my mother. I don't
know, I guess the protective instincts kicked in before my brain did. I'm an idiot,
I should have looked into why everyone was already surrounding him, fuck." He
groaned the last word, sinking his face into his hands. I watched him with my eyes
instead of turning my head, not sure if I wanted him to know I could see him right
now or not. He really did look genuinely torn up over it. I couldn't help the way
my heart sped up, the corner of my lips twitching as I failed without success to
hide my smile. It was a lot more acceptable that he was standing up for his mommy
than beating someone up over sexuality. I mean, I'd still prefer he avoided
punching people's faces in in general, but if he had to this was a more suitable
reason. But how could I tell he was telling the truth? Maybe he was just a good
actor.

Or maybe I'm just looking for another excuse to read his mind.

I scoffed quietly to myself. No, the only reason I was doing this was to make sure
he wasn't homophobic. I reached over cautiously, not wanting him to look up and
question what I was doing. He didn't though, so I let my hand fall on his back,
rubbing in, what I hoped to be, a supportive nature. He tensed slightly at first,
though a moment later he was relaxing against my touch.

What if he doesn't believe me? I don't think I could live with him having such a
twisted idea of who I am.

"Tyler, it's fine, I believe you." I promised, giving him a final pat on the back
before removing my hand. I watched the relief wash over his face, though another
thought sparked in my mind then. "Though you really should apologize to Shane...
when he finally comes back to school."

"He should apologize to my mother." I couldn't help but giggle at how sassy he
sounded. He shot me a glare but I just rolled my eyes, getting to my feet.

"You're a stubborn brute, aren't ya?" I laughed, holding a hand out to help him up.
He took it, hoisting himself up. I was actually a little disappointed I didn't get
yet another glimpse into his mind, but not surprised. My mind reading wasn't
exactly reliable, in any way at all actually. It was likely to happen if I touched
someone, but never guaranteed. Lots of things affected it, from the amount of
clothes separating us to how important the thought was to them. I really wished it
was like the movies where I could control it and turn it off, use it to my
advantage. I couldn't really though, so it was more of a nuisance than anything
else.

"What are you thinking about?" I jumped, looking over at Tyler slowly. He was
walking right beside me, hands in his pockets and his eyes fixed on me. I shrugged,
hoping he'd let it slide. "'Oh, gee, I don't know, Tyler. Just thinking about how
on-point your hair game is today!'"

"Shut-up." I growled, not enjoying his girly impression of me in the slightest. He

laughed so hard he doubled over, clutching his stomach. I just waited patiently,
crossing my arms as I watched him with a straight face. He finally stood back up
after a few minutes, casting me a big smile.

"You lied."

"About?"

"Being fun and exciting." He purred, looking up at me with a lost expression. I

rolled my eyes, walking onward and leaving him standing there gaping. He didn't
take long to catch up though, stumbling beside me awkwardly. We walked in silence
for awhile, until the car came into view. I could tell this bugged him, his mouth
immediately flying open in an effort to stall for time. We'd already been gone a
good four hours, school would be out now. Our families were surely wondering where
we were. But at the same time, I wanted nothing more than to stall for time too. I
was having fun, genuine fun, for the first time in ages.

"It's probably for the best you don't join drama anyway, all the girls would be all
over you. Good looks and singing abilities, that's just not fair." I stopped
walking, a smile growing across my face. Partly because of his compliment, but
mostly because he'd found something to keep us from heading home, if only for a few
minutes longer. I turned to face him, a cheeky smile on my face.

"Yeah, you're right. I'd have to beat girls off with sticks, wouldn't want that." I
said sarcastically, snickering at the irony of my own joke. That would never
happen. My 'good looks' hadn't even gotten me one potential love interest yet, I
doubted singing would bring that many more in. I didn't mind though, love just
didn't appeal to me. It was cheesy and overrated. People let on like you couldn't
be happy without a special someone in your life, that you weren't 'whole' until you
found your 'other half'. It made me a little sick that they were so dependent on
the concept, truthfully.

"Well obviously not, that'd only piss your girlfriend off." I blinked, my jaw
unhinging slightly. What the hell was he talking about? His face didn't seem to be
any help though, considering he was refusing to meet my stare.

"Girlfriend?" I asked, bending over to look up at his face. He quickly ran a hand
through his hair, obviously trying to cover up how put-off he'd been a moment
before.

"Yeah... The one that left those flour prints on your shirt?" It wasn't really a
question, but his tentative confused tone definitely made it seem like one. I was
confused for a moment, wracking my brain for what he was talking about. A
figurative light bulb turned on and I started giggling. Tyler looked insulted that
I wasn't letting him in on the joke though so I hurried to include him.

"Oh yes, I have a very intimate relationship with my mother."

"Fuck." He groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead. I continued giggling, jumping

when I felt something cold hit my shoulder. I looked to him to see if he noticed it
as well. He met my eyes, giving me a hard look. And just like that, the clouds
opened up and it started pouring. "Fuck!"

"Quick!" I laughed, grabbing his arm and tugging him in the direction of the car.
He got the hint, jogging with me toward it. We were about halfway when he tripped,
falling toward the rocks. Thankfully I still had a grip on his arm, hauling him
upward with a hefty heave. Once he had his footing again we locked eyes, both of us
bursting into fits of laughter at the other. We were both drenched, his hair
clinging to his forehead and water droplets sitting on his eyelashes despite his
glasses shielding them. I'd always wondered why he wore glasses instead of
contacts. I mean, he wore contacts for games anyway, wouldn't it be cooler to wear
them all the time? I was kind of glad he didn't though, the glasses suited his real
personality a lot better. I watched him reach up, plucking them off and casually
wiping them on his soaked shirt.

"Does this count as another shirt mishap?" I asked, smirking when he giggled under
his breath.

"I guess you could say that."

"I'm going to have to start bringing extra shirts when we hang-out." I mumbled,
more to myself than him. I still caught him smiling to himself in response though,
ringing his shirt out as he started walking slowly toward the car again. I wasn't
sure if he was just okay with the rain now or if he was willing to do anything to
stall for more time between us, but I wasn't going to question it. Who knew when
we'd hang out again, if we did at all. No matter how many times he said it, I don't
know if I'd ever believe he found me interesting enough to befriend. I mean, I'm
the definition of boring. The only unique thing about me I've hidden so well no one
will ever find it. So, why?

"Your seats are going to get soaked." Tyler mumbled, sounding slightly apologetic
as he handed me the keys. I just shrugged, dismissing his concerns easily. Whenever
I took my siblings swimming I'd freak out about them getting the seats wet, forcing
them to sit on towels and making a huge deal. It didn't really seem like such a big
deal with him though. I slipped into my seat, watching as Tyler awkwardly collapsed
into his. He closed the door, immediately reaching over to the heating panel.

"Hey, when did I say you could mess with the settings in my car?"

"You let me drive it, Troye, this is fair game." I rolled my eyes, knowing he was
right. I couldn't even act like it bothered me, because it didn't. I happily
wrapped my fingers back around the steering wheel, glad to be back on the driving
side. Tyler started to relax back into his seat before he sat upright rigidly.

"Fuck!" He shouted, scrambling through his bag clumsily.

"What?" I asked quietly, watching him grab his phone and start to call someone.
"Who are you calling?"

"Shush- Hi, Bruce! I am so sorry, I totally lost track of time. I swear nothing
like this will ever happen again, I just-" He fell silent, nodding as if whoever it
was could see him through the phone. He looked stressed for a few more seconds,
before his features relaxed. "Definitely, that works out fine for me. I really am
so sorry about this- Okay, fine, bye."

"Boss?" I asked, giving him 'the look'. He just shot me a glare, tossing his phone
on the dash carelessly. "Did you really miss work?"

"I just lost track of time, it's not my fault you're so damn fun and exciting." He
spat, though even his sarcasm didn't seem genuine. I had the feeling he didn't
regret it at all. I started the car finally, pulling back onto the road. I waited a
few seconds before asking my next question.

"Are you in trouble?"

"Nah, he was really cool about it. I'm just going to come in on my day off
instead."
"Good."

"Why? You don't want me to get fired?" He said, the familiar teasing tone seeping
back into his voice. I scoffed, putting my foot on the brakes as someone pulled out
in front of me.

"Well, I mean, there are less favorable people that could get the job and I do tend
to shop there quite a lot."

"So it has nothing to do with me? You could care less if poor helpless Tyler gets
fired as long as someone nice takes my place?"

"I guess I might care a tiny bit. Now that I don't hate you for being a homophobe
it might be fun running into you there."

"Might?" He sounded so hurt I didn't have the heart to continue my teasing. Not
that he didn't know I was joking anyway.

"Fine, I would definitely care and I'd definitely enjoy running into you there.
Happy?"

"Elated." He beamed, settling back into his seat and closing his eyes. I flickered
my eyes back to the road, wondering if he planned on actually falling asleep this
time.

I was completely drained when I finally pulled the car to a stop in the school
parking lot. The only other car in sight was the one I'd come to recognize as
Tyler's, a small blue car that nearly always had junk piled in the backseat. It
wasn't messy to the point of gross though, just enough to represent his cluttered
personality and what a carefree guy he was. Not my car though, it was always
spotless and completely pristine. I guess that represented my personality in a
sense too, the rigid perfectionist who over-thinks everything.

I shook my head, disappointed that I'd let myself get so carried away with car
comparisons. I really was pathetic. I sighed, running a hand through my hair that
had begun to lose hold. I hated that in-between stage where your hairspray still
had some hold but it was floppy. Ugh, at least I'm going home after this. Then
again, if the price of hanging out with Tyler for a little longer was limp quiff
syndrome I'd be totally okay with it, he was worth it. Besides, he'd seen me with
my hair down at the store the other day and was still talking to me, so obviously
he wasn't that bothered by messy hair. I glanced over at him again, not surprised
to see him still slumped over against the window. He'd been asleep most of the
ride. I knew it was actually asleep because I'd tried talking to him. Well, that or
he didn't want to talk to me so badly he was faking unconscious.

Wow, way to make yourself feel like shit, Troye.

I forced those thoughts out of my head, insisting to myself that Tyler wasn't like
that. He was up front and honest and if he didn't like talking to me he wouldn't be
the type to beat around the bush about it, he'd just tell me. At first that had
intimidated me, but I was beginning to appreciate it now that I'd talked to him
some. He was honest before anything else. He wasn't the type to sugarcoat or lie
for the sake of others, and I loved that about him. There were no guessing games or
confusion, what you seen with Tyler was what you got, and so far I definitely liked
what I'd seen.

Ugh, that sounds way more creepy than I intended.

I looked back over at him impatiently, chewing on my lip and debating how to wake
him up. I felt bad cutting his sleep short but at the same time I couldn't very
well leave him passed out in my car overnight. I took a deep breath, getting ready
to say something, when he said something.

"Go away!" I frowned, knitting my eyebrows together and feigning insulted.

"Tyler, you're in my car, I'm not 'going away'. I know you're grumpy about waking
up but you can't stay here, it's-"

"Ranch dressing." I blinked, realizing he hadn't actually been talking to me. I

leaned forward in my seat with a huge grin, watching him flail around in his sleep.
He was dreaming and talking in his sleep, how adorable. I should have seen it
coming though, it was the cherry on top to his cute child-like personality; sleep
talking. Well, he wasn't really talking so much as murmuring, but you got the just
of it. I watched with a content expression as he continued to shift around in his
sleep, only saying coherent words every few seconds and never in context enough to
tell me what he was dreaming about.

"Caspar." I frowned upon hearing this name, settling back in my own seat snugly.
Even hearing him say that name annoyed me. It reminded me that this sleepy little
friendly kid in the seat next to me was hardly like this all the time. I wished he
was, but that wasn't the case. I sighed, watching as his flailing began to get more
and more restless. He was going to wake up soon on his own and it'd probably be
better for me to wake him up then him wake up and find us already sitting in the
parking lot. I couldn't very well tell him I'd been listening to him mumble in his
sleep for over ten minutes, he'd think I was some sort of stalker. I'd planned on
just yelling at him, before an idea sparked in my head. I'd never tried to read a
sleeping person's mind before, I wonder what it's like. I reached over cautiously,
watching him stir restlessly in his sleep, and set my hand gently on his leg.

Dogs are so cute. I wish dogs had wings. Ou, chicken wings. Caspar should marry a
cockroach, I wonder what their kids would look like. Casproaches. I really want to
dye my hair.. Troye has such pretty eyes. I would kill for some chocolate ice cream
right now.

I withdrew my hand so fast it was like he'd physically burnt me. He hadn't, but
he'd definitely surprised me. It was like his thoughts were flying at a thousand
miles per hour, but I guess that made sense. Hadn't I heard that your brain works
way faster when you're asleep? Still, nothing could have prepared me for that
shitshow. I giggled quietly to myself, concentrating on actually thinking about
what he'd been thinking. I remembered my name, but the thoughts were flying so fast
I hadn't really had it sink in. I thought for a few seconds longer before
remembering it. He'd called my eyes pretty. Sure, he was unconscious and he'd also
thought about things as insane as Caspar and his cockroach bride having children,
but that didn't stop the bubbly feeling it gave me. Pretty eyes.

I jumped, noticing he was starting to sit up next to me. If I wanted him to think
I'd woken him up now was my chance.

"Tyler! Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!" I purred, shoving him as softly as I could.
He grumbled quietly, looking like a big grizzly bear that had just finished
hibernating with that huge grumpy expression. He turned toward me slowly, glaring
me down.

"I hate you." He declared, his voice low and gravelly from just waking up. I
blushed, turning to look out at the barren parking lot.

You can hate me all you want, but that doesn't change the fact you think I have
pretty eyes.
a/N: Hey guys! I am speed-writing this because a very grumpy turkey is yelling at
me for taking too long to post. Anyway, first of all I'd just like to point out two
things; 1. Last chapter got over 100 votes! THAT'S A NEW RECORD FOR ME ON ANY OF MY
STORIES <3 2. THIS STORY'S VOTES ARE NEARLY AS MUCH AS MY ONE WITH 40K. YOU GUYS
ARE INSLAYNE AND I LOVE YOU <3
Next, I'm going to be promoing my new faaaaaaaaaaaaave fic. It's called 'Darkest
Shade' by incongruous-x. It's suuuuuuper hot and dark and sort of like fifty shades
of grey but not so masochistic and well, TROYLER. SO GO READ IT YOU GUYS, I SWEAR
YOU'LL ADORE IT. I'll dedicate the chappie to the lovely lovely author <3 OKAY
THAT'S ALL, COMMENT AN DVOTE LOVE YOU GOTTA GO FAST

Chapter Fifteen
*Tyler's POV*

I leaned back in my seat, closing my eyes. I wasn't actually tired in the

slightest, but I wanted a bit of time to myself. I needed to think. Now that I'd
spent a day with Troye I had no doubt in my mind that he was the type of person I
wanted to get to know, not that I really had before. The little thrills it gave me
when he let his guard down and gave me glimpses into his life were unlike anything
I'd ever experienced in my life. Getting even the simplest information out of him
felt like an accomplishment. I'd gotten carried away with the singing thing though,
and I had mentally slapped myself nearly a hundred times over it already. Of course
he wasn't comfortable enough to sing in front of me yet, I knew that. But can you
really blame me for getting excited when an already cute boy tells me he has a
hidden talent that makes him even more attractive?

In truth, that was hardly a good thing when I actually thought on it. If there was
one thing Troye Sivan did not need, it was to be any more attractive than he
already was. As it was I was having trouble reminding myself of the whole 'in the
closet' thing and that I had to 'take things slow'. Do you know how cute it would
have been to kiss him in the rain instead of just laughing when we locked eyes? I
sighed quietly, not wanting to alert him I was actually awake. Can you imagine his
reaction though? I'd be living in a dream land if I actually believed he'd want to
kiss me back already. He'd shove me off and tell the entire school without a
second's hesitation. No, I had to wait if I wanted this to work. It'd be worth it
though. It'd be so worth it.

"Tyler! Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!" I felt a pair of soft hands on my arm then,
jostling me softly. I still groaned though, making an overly big deal of my rising.
I hated being woken up before I was completely rested. I turned slowly, examining
Troye. He was staring at me with huge lemur eyes and a smirk on his lips, as if
he'd been waiting for me to wake up for a very long time.

"I hate you." I stated simply, curling back into a ball facing away from him. I
smiled happily when he didn't retort immediately, saturating in the last few
minutes of 'sleep' I was getting. We actually stayed silent for a long time, to the
point I actually got curious what was going on and sat up, abandoning my shut-eye.
Troye was looking out his window, seemingly in deep thought as he chewed on his
lip. I wonder what it is he spends all his time thinking about, he always seems to
be lost inside his head. I glanced at the clock, cringing when I read 9pm. My
mother is going to be livid by the time I got home. First I skip school and now I
don't even giver her an explanation as to why I'm out so late. Still, I didn't find
myself in any rush to leave.

"Hey, Tro-"
"Why are you talking to me? I thought you hated me." He asked, turning to face me
with a smirk on his lips. I rolled my eyes, sinking down further in my seat.

"That was sleepy Tyler, he says a lot of stupid things." Troye outright laughed at
this, his bubbly giggle filling the small space. I felt my lips twitch too,
fighting off the smile that always seemed to accompany his laughter. He mumbled
something then, sounding very similar 'you're telling me'. I was curious what he
meant by it, but I also got the vibe I wasn't meant to hear it to begin with, so I
didn't question him. Eventually he settled down, his big toothy smile fading into a
small smirk as he looked over at me.

"It's getting late for a school night." He observed, looking out across the parking
lot again. I bit my lip, nodding in agreement.

"Yeah."

"We should probably head home soon." He continued, though the statement sounded
more like a question than it should have.

"Yeah, probably." I mumbled non-commitally, looking out my window as well.

Everything he was saying was true and we both realized that, but neither of us were
making a move to leave. We sat in silence for a while longer, both of us dreading
the inevitable.

"So, I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow. Well, I mean, we probably won't talk
at school but I will see you there and I guess that's what I said anyway, but I
just felt the need to clarify in case-"

"Troye! I get it! I'll see you at school tomorrow." I laughed, ending his rambling.
He could be so awkward at times, but in the adorable way. I glanced over at him,
taking in his obviously flustered appearance. He was blushing, running his hand
through his hair repeatedly to the point it was losing hold and flopping down
against his forehead.

"Yeah, sorry..." He mumbled awkwardly, rolling his bottom lip between his teeth. He
looked out the window again for a moment, snapping back to look at me almost
immediately. "Hey! What are you doing Friday night? We should do something." I
smiled excitedly, my heartbeat speeding up. He'd invited me out again! I mean, of
course we were going to go out again regardless, but the fact that he was the one
to initiate it felt so significant. He hardly ever bothered with anyone, but he was
going out of his way to hangout with me. I blinked, actually taking his question
into consideration now that the initial shock had worn off. Shit, I have football
practice Friday night, I can't really blow that off.

"I'm busy actually-"

"Oh, yeah, of course you are! That's fine-" I rolled my eyes at his rambling this
time, reaching over to shove him playfully.

"Troye! Let me finish! I've got practice on Friday, but I'm free Saturday, if the
offer still stands." I offered, looking at him expectantly. He nodded, beaming a
big smile at me.

"Definitely! What do you want to do?"

"Don't ask me, I told you it was your turn to pick next time." He blushed, his eyes
falling to the floor. We sat in silence for a minute as he seemingly thought over
our options, twiddling his thumbs in concentration.
"Do you think we could maybe just hang-out at my place? I mean, we could go
somewhere if you really want, but I'm trying to cut down on my gas expenses." I'd
be lying if I said my heartbeat didn't speed up at the thought of seeing the Mellet
household, seeing Troye's room, hanging out with him without having to worry about
anyone else interrupting. I was positively ecstatic.

"No, that sounds great! What time should I be there?" He recited the schedule then,
though I was only half paying attention. The only thing that really registered was
him asking for my number, my only reaction being to pass my phone to him. I knew he
was wealthy from the car, I wonder what his house looks like. And his room, I
wonder if it reflects his personality. Maybe I'd learn even more about him through
it. I blinked, realizing I hadn't even heard what time. Oh well, I'd just show up
at some time and either be fashionably late or annoyingly early. Hopefully he
wouldn't mind.

"Great, I look forward to it!" I beamed, turning to face him again. He was still
blushing, but he managed to croak out a simple 'same' before his eyes fell back on
the floor. I knew it was well past the time I was supposed to get out, but my legs
felt useless and my heart heavy at the thought of leaving Troye. Sure, I'd see him
on the weekend, but that was if I managed to cope with the withdrawals during the
week beforehand. It wasn't fair at all. I was going to see him all around school
and not be able to interact with him because of stupid social statuses, what kind
of bullshit is that?

I reluctantly looked back up at his face, taking in all of his features in a hurry.
Thankfully he was still looking down so he couldn't see me checking him out, I
could only imagine what kind of a mess that would result in. I reeled myself in,
forcing my eyes off of him.

"Alright, I really do have to go now." I sighed, unbuckling my seatbelt. He just

nodded in understanding, watching as I reached for my bag by my feet. I sat it on
my lap, looking back to him one last time. I flashed a quick smile, forcing myself
to reach for the door handle. My fingers had just curled around it when I felt his
hand on my arm. I looked over my shoulder with a smile, raising my eyebrows
inquisitively.

"Yes?"

"I, uh, I just wanted to say I had a lot of fun today. And I just wanted to say
thanks, I guess." His quiet nervous voice is enough to make my stomach flip, that's
not even mentioning how big and blue his eyes look in the darkness. The rain is
still pounding on the roof but it seems totally distant as my eyes fall on his lips
yet again. I really need to stop thinking about kissing him, at the very least when
we're together. Just because he doesn't have a girlfriend doesn't mean he's gay,
and I really shouldn't get my hopes up. I flicker my eyes up to meet his, giving a
smile full of admiration.

"Thank-you, Troye Sivan, this is the best day I've had in a long time." I beamed,
hurrying to turn around and get out of the car. Not because I wanted to leave him,
but mostly because the more his face lit up at my words the more I felt my self-
restraint slipping. Hey, I was a teenage boy, not a saint, you can't blame me for
wanting to kiss someone so gorgeous, can you? I jogged through the rain, flying
into my car and scowling. These seats were definitely not nearly as comfortable. I
looked back out my window at his car, frowning even harder when I realized his
windows were tinted. Totally not fair, he can see me but I can't see him. I stick
my tongue out in his general direction, not even sure if he's watching, before
starting my car. I was hit with a wave of relief when it actually started, though
the feeling of dread was setting in in the back of my head. There were only so many
times it'd start before it'd decide not to again, let's just hope I didn't have
anywhere important to go the day it decides to quit on me. I jumped, hearing
Troye's horn honk. I gave the finger in his general direction now, knowing he did
it just to startle me. Cheeky little shit. I'd return the gesture, but my horn has
been broken for about a month now, so that's not an option. Instead, I stomp my
foot on the gas, speeding out of the parking lot ahead of him. I bet it'd be quite
the insult to be outrun by my piece of shit car.

His car stayed behind mine most the journey, though I had a feeling that was more
because of the 'no passing' zone than the speed of my little jalopy. He was still
following me when I pulled onto my road and I was a little happy to realize my
house was on the way to school for him. He'd probably passed here everyday for ages
and I'd never even known. Oh god, if only I'd bumped into him a couple years ago, I
feel like my highschool experience as a whole would have been a lot better with him
by my side. It wasn't until my house came into sight that the nagging feeling of
insecurity settled in the pit of my stomach. Would he think any different of me
when he seen the eyesore that was my house? Not that he really gave the snotty
vibe, but he was obviously fairly wealthy to have a car that nice at his age, I
couldn't really blame him if he looked down at me for this. The car was one thing,
the junked up building I actually lived in was another. It wasn't like I could just
turn around though, we were already on the road, he'd already seen the
neighborhood. I guess I'd just have to trust he wouldn't hold this against me, that
he was above trivial matters like money.

I slowed down my car, pulling into my driveway and holding my breath. It's not like
I could really see his reaction, but I was still hella nervous. I turned the car
off and wasted no time jumping out of the car, wondering if it was possible for me
to get into the house before he drove by. I made it about a step away from the car
when a loud noise made me jump back against the hood. I glared at the road where
the familiar black Corvette was idling, right in front of my driveway. Great, wake
up the whole neighborhood, why don't cha? It was arrogant and rude, but it was also
insanely cute in a sense. I raised my hand in the air, giving him a huge sarcastic
wave goodbye. I was half-worried he'd honk the horn again when he drove off into
the night, leaving me standing in the middle of my driveway looking like an idiot,
listening to my neighbor's dog bark endlessly. I had a blank expression on for a
while before the events actually sunk in and I fell back against the hood yet
again, but for totally different reasons. I legitimately squealed as I looked up at
the stars, clutching my bag to my chest. Fuck, I had it bad.

I was in the process of running back over every single thing that had happened
today when the porch light flicked on. I blushed, watching my mother step out onto
the deck in her pajamas. I stood up hastily, my face as red as a tomato as I
stumbled over to the front door. She looked mad for a moment, before the expression
immediately vanishing and her lips turning up into a smirk.

"Tell. Me. Everything!" She squealed, not giving me much say as she grabbed my hand
and hauled me into the house. I wasn't about to say no though, any excuse to talk
or think about Troye was completely okay in my books.

I followed her into the kitchen, gratefully accepting a cup of tea from her and
sipping at it quietly. She sat down across from me, watching me over the brim of
her teacup in silence. Eventually she cracked, setting it down on the table in a
hurry and making 'get along with it' hand gestures, her eyes wide.

"What?" I asked innocently, knowing very well what 'what' was. She scoffed at me,
kicking my foot under the table.

"You were out with that boy, weren't you?" I had planned on denying it for a bit
longer, but my bubbly giggle had obviously given it away. And so I melted onto the
table, rambling on about everything and anything about Troye. She laughed and
smiled right along with me, even cringing at awkward parts. It felt like hours of
talking when I finally found myself at a loss for words. She reached across the
table then, taking my hand in her own.

"He sounds lovely, Ty, when do I get to meet him?"

"Maybe someday soon, if you're lucky and promise not to embarrass me." I said
strictly, glaring at her through my eyelashes. In truth, the idea of her meeting
Troye both excited and scared me. Of course I wanted to show him off and let her in
on that aspect of my life, but I was also terribly nervous what she'd think of him.
I knew she wanted what was best for me no matter what, but what if she didn't think
Troye fit into that category? What if she thought he was too mysterious, too
different, too much work. I'd never really disagreed with her on anything in the
past, but I also knew I'd have to if that happened. I'd only just met him and it
was probably totally irrational, but I was positively infatuated with him. I'd
never felt anything so strong in my whole life. It was like my emotions were on
steroids whenever we were together, every single feeling heightened to extremes. I
guess that had it's good sides, meaning when I was happy I was freaking ecstatic,
but it also made me worry what it'd be like if we didn't work out. Being
heartbroken wouldn't just be heartbroken, it'd be absolutely unbearable. That was
an awful lot of weight to put on a relationship that had barely even begun. I
didn't even know if he was gay! I was so invested in this already and it terrified
me, but in a good way. You know those risks you just have to take or you know
you'll never forgive yourself? This was one of them. Sure, the consequences were
horrid if it didn't work out, but think of the benefits if it did. It was worth the
risk. He was worth the risk.

A.n: Blerpy blerp here is this chapter! Sorry it's kind of short, idk, deal with
it. That's all I've got to say really so comment and vote and do that stuff, okbye
ALSO, TRXYE
SHRUIFTJGEJRFUITJ5NEHYGESGRHTJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJHNGFYRGJSHDUGEJiadzfkjfsuehw
eahYHGSJRDNTHIUYEDR FUCKEROONI FUCKSTICKS HOLY BUMBOLI HAND ME THE RAVIOLI

Chapter Sixteen
*Troye's POV*

I watched him rev out of the parking lot ahead of me, rolling my eyes at his
competitive nature. Normally I might have made a big deal and raced after him in an
effort to show him who's boss, but not right now. All I could do was sit there and
replay those last few seconds before he got out of the car.

He'd been reaching for the door and all I could think about was how badly I wanted
to keep him from leaving. I hadn't felt this at home with someone in ages, and I
couldn't help but worry that it might not happen ever again. What if something
happened between now and the weekend and things got awkward between us? Or worse,
he just outright said he didn't want to hangout with me? It was desperate and
needy, but I wanted more time with him, even if it was only for a few seconds. I
reached out carelessly, gripping his bicep.

Doesn't he realize how hard it is for me to leave as it is? The last thing I need
is another excuse to stall for time.

I blush, my stomach doing flip-flops at his thoughts. He didn't want to leave

either. That was definitely reassuring to me, making it a lot easier to see him go.
If he was even half as invested as me then I knew he'd still want to hang-out with
me when Saturday rolled around.
"Yes?" He asked, his lips turning up into a smile the second he looked over his
shoulder at me. I blinked, realizing I still hadn't really thought out what I was
going to say to him.

"I, uh, I just wanted to say I had a lot of fun today. And I just wanted to say
thanks, I guess." I mumbled quietly, my heart racing. Wow, now he's definitely
going to think I'm some clingy weirdo. I slowly let my hand slip off his arm as he
started to look lost, looking at me with a blank expression. I was too worried to
actually concentrate on what exactly he was staring at until his eyes flickered up
to mine a minute later.

"Thank-you, Troye Sivan, this is the best day I've had in a long time." He said
adoringly, making my heart flutter in a way completely foreign to me. I ignored it
though, shoving any of those confusing thoughts to the back of my mind and focusing
solely on what I did understand of my emotions, which was basically that I was
extremely extremely happy. I felt my face breaking out into a huge lopsided grin at
his heartfelt words, surprised how emotional I'd gotten over one measly sentence. I
guess it wasn't so much the words, but the way he said it. The way his eyes
sparkled and the very corner of his lips had quirked up in a little half-smile.
Every single one of his features had screamed that he was genuine. He had meant
every single word and he'd never truly understand how much that meant to me.

I snapped back to the present, starting the car and stomping on the gas in hopes of
catching up to Tyler. It wouldn't be hard with my car versus his, but he had gotten
quite the head start while I sat there looking lost in a daze.

I parked my car in the garage like usual, though for once I didn't hurry inside. I
wasn't exactly looking forward to the questions I knew I was about to be bombarded
with. The last time I'd stayed out after school unannounced was... Well, never. I'd
never skipped class either. They were definitely going to give me some kind of
annoying lecture and quiz me on how I'd spent the day. I wasn't sure why, but I
really didn't feel like telling them. Not yet anyway. I kind of wanted the whole
Tyler thing to myself, to get used to the idea of being friends with him on my own
before having people squeal over it and bug me. I knew that was too much to ask for
though, they were going to demand answers and I was too exhausted to come up with
any sort of lie.

I forced myself out of the car eventually, swinging my backpack over my shoulder
and locking the car. I had nothing left to stall me now so I started toward the
door with a scowl on my face. Maybe if I acted really unapproachable they'd leave
me alone. That hope flew out the window the second I walked out of the garage and
noticed the curious faces pressed up against the window. Sage and Tyde both had
wide eyes, watching me as I approached the front door. I gave them the finger,
enjoying the way they immediately disappeared like they were trying to be sneaky
this whole time. I smiled to myself, knowing they meant well, even if their overly-
clingy nature got on my nerves sometimes. I opened the door casually, trying to act
completely natural as I walked into the entryway. I was a little surprised to find
it empty and no one waiting for me, but I didn't stress over it too much. They'd be
here, soon enough.

I started toward the kitchen, genuinely shocked to find it empty as well. Mom was
always in here... I brushed it off, grabbing a juice-box and heading toward the
stairs. Well, if they weren't going to ambush me then I wasn't going to seek them
out. Who knows, maybe I'll actually get to my room before they catch up to me!

I was beginning to get really weirded out when I reached my door without any family
interaction. This was too weird. They attacked me when I was just getting home from
school, why wouldn't they after I was out for so long without explanation? I tried
to shake it off, opening the door. I walked into my room, rolling my eyes when I
seen my entire family crammed onto my bed.

"Hi, Troye!" They all shouted in unison, beaming huge smiles. I laughed out loud,
despite the fact I'd planned on acting distant to get them off my back. I couldn't,
I was just too happy to even pretend otherwise. They seemed happy with my response,
jumping up to come and swarm me.

"Where were you?" My dad asked, standing significantly taller than all the rest.
Before I could even get a reply out Tyde started jumping right in front of me,
successfully distracting me,

"Did you actually skip half the school day? You badass." He teased, giggling at my
awestruck response. Had they been having a family discussion about this?

"Troye, is this something we should know about?" My eyes fell on my mother's

concerned face and I sighed loudly, shaking my head. I didn't want her jumping to
the worst conclusion, so I'd better let her in on it partially. Besides, I needed
to ask about him coming over this weekend anyway.

"No, it's nothing to worry about, Mom, it won't happen again. I was just hanging
out with a friend and lost track of time, it's not actually that big of a deal if-"

"A friend?! You were hanging out with a friend?" Sage shouted, worming through the
other family members and looking up at me with her jaw hanging open. I reached up,
slapping it shut harshly.

"You're going to catch flies if you keep gaping like that. Yes, a friend." I stated
simply, walking over and falling onto my bed. I watched upside down as they crowded
around me yet again, except for Steele who at least had the decency to stand over
by the wall. I closed my eyes, waiting for the attack of questions I was about to
be faced with.

"What kind of friend?" Tyde beamed, crawling onto the bed beside me.

"What do you mean?" I sat up, eyeing him cautiously.

"No, like, are they a friend or a friiiiend?" He said, wiggling his eyebrows on the
second option.

"They're a friend." I said it flatly, but the few seconds of hesitation I took
before replying must have made it hard to believe, because they were all squealing
a moment later. I groaned, flipping over to bury my face in the pillows.

"Name?" My dad asked simply, trying to sound as level as possible. I knew he was
just seconds from squealing as well. I thought about it for a moment, trying to
decide my best course of action. There was obviously more than one Tyler in the
town, but I knew the second I said the name I'd hear a chorus of 'Tyler Oakley?!?'
so I wasn't sure if I should be honest with them. At the same time, if he actually
ended up coming over this weekend they were going to find out on their own accord.
I sighed loudly, sitting up so I could see their reactions. I guess I was looking
forward to that part a little bit, bragging about spending the day with the most
popular guy in school, I'd never admit to that though.

"His name's Tyler. Tyler Oakley." I said simply, darting my eyes to each of their
faces. My mother had a warm smile on her features, Steele had his usual steeled
expression, my dad seemed lost in thought as he scrunched his eyebrows up, but Sage
and Tyde's expressions were by far the most interesting. Tyde didn't actually know
much about Tyler, just enough to know where he stood in the school, but even still
his mouth was hanging open and his eyes bulging. Sage, on the other hand, looked
utterly skeptical, with her lips set into a scowl and her eyes squinted as she
stared me down.

"You're lying." She said simply, scoffing at me in obvious annoyance. I glared at

her, shaking my head.

"I am not! I hung out with him the whole day! We went out to dinner at this little
cafe and then we went to the beach and-"

"So you went on a date?" My mother interrupted suddenly, her voice so shrill it
made my ears ring. I groaned, shaking my head.

"No, we just hung-out, platonically." My family had all asked me about my sexuality
in the past at different times, though I'd given them all the same answer. 'I don't
know' because I genuinely didn't. I hadn't really ever liked anyone, definitely not
enough to make me even care enough to look into it. Putting a label on myself just
wasn't a big deal to me, and thankfully they understood that. They now just acted
like I could be attracted to anyone, and made it very clear they didn't care either
way. I was thankful for that, how accepting they were of me.

"But you like him?" She prodded, inching closer to me on the bed. I made a face of
annoyance at her, scrunching my nose up and frowning.

"No, we're just friends." I repeated, feeling a little bit bad when I seen her
disappointed frown. Just because they didn't care who I was interested in, doesn't
mean they didn't care that I was interested in someone. I couldn't even remember a
time they hadn't been trying to talk me into getting a boyfriend or girlfriend. At
first I found it weird they were in such a rush to shove me out of the nest, before
realizing they were just trying to make me happy. They thought that was what I
needed to 'come out of my shell'. I could hardly be annoyed at them after realizing
this, sometimes even going along with the eccentric dates they set me up on with
their friend's kids. None of them ever worked out, but how excited they got before
I left always made them worth while.

"I still don't believe you. Tyler Oakley is the most popular guy in school, why
would he hang-out with you? No offense, but that'd hardly be good for his
reputation."

"Sage!" My mother scolded, swatting at her. She dodged easily, shrugging innocently
and making it clear she didn't regret her words. I sighed, knowing this part was
coming as well. She was the only one of my siblings actually in the same school as
me, meaning her reaction actually kind of mattered. She could actually see Tyler
around school and talk to him if she really wanted, meaning I had to make sure she
didn't.

"No, she's right. We're actually kind of keeping the friendship on the down-low for
that reason. It's not that he's embarrassed of me, he just doesn't want to get
bugged for hanging out with me so-"

"That sounds an awful lot like being embarrassed of you." Steele said, speaking up
for the first time since I got back. I glared across the room at him, shaking my
head slowly.

"It's not like that." I said strictly, surprised to hear how obviously annoyed my
voice was. I never got outwardly snappy with family members. I figured they had
enough to deal with having a socially inept outcast child that hated physical
contact, the least I could do was be the nicest I could be to them. I'd never made
a big deal over things like this in the past. Then again, I'd never had anyone to
make a big deal over in the past. Steele scoffed, giving me a look of disbelief
before heading out of my room. Whatever, I didn't need his negativity in here
anyway. I turned back to Sage, hoping to enforce my point that she was not to
approach Tyler to talk about me under any circumstances, when I noticed she'd
disappeared. I furrowed my brows, turning to Tyde.

"What happened to her?"

"She snatched your phone and ran off while you were bickering with Steele. I think
she said something about calling Tyler." My eyes went wide and I leaped off the
bed, running toward the familiar door across the hall at an inhuman speed. I
pounded against the wood angrily.

"Sage! Give me back my phone right this instant!" I demanded, watching out of the
corner of my eyes as my parents retreated back downstairs, giggling to themselves.
Some help they were. Tyde had joined me now, leaning against the wall of the
hallway with a curious expression, obviously only here to watch the show play out.
I was about to pound the door again when it flew open, revealing a smirking Sage.
She shoved the phone at me with a giggle.

"It's ringing." My eyes went wide and I held it to my ear, my heart racing in my
chest. It continued to ring for a long time and my face fell slightly. Maybe he'd
just gone to bed already, but I couldn't help the worst case scenario images in the
back of my mind. What if today was a one time thing? He'd seemed genuine when he
said it was the best day he'd had in a while but maybe he's just an insanely good
actor. Maybe today meant nothing to him. Fucking Sage, she had to ruin this for me.
I was about to hang up when the phoneline cracked, alerting me someone had picked
up.

"Hello?" Tyler panted into the phone, sounding like he'd just run a marathon. I
couldn't help the stupid grin that spread across my face, before remembering I had
absolutely no excuse to be calling him. Grr, I was going to kill Sage for this. As
it was she seemed overly interested in the conversation, leaning against the door
frame and watching me with bright eyes.

"Uh, yeah, it's me, Troye." I mumbled sheepishly, mentally face-palming myself for
sounding so awkward. Sage made hand gestures then, mouthing the words 'put it on
speaker' repeatedly.

"I wasn't expecting you to call me."

"Neither was I, to be fair." I chuckled awkwardly, retreating back toward my room.

I knew better than to even try locking Sage out, so I just fell onto the bed and
accepted it when she joined me.

"So? Is there a reason you called? Or did you just miss me too much to fall
asleep?" I knew it was stupid when the blush spread across my neck and creeped
across my cheeks, but that didn't make it go away any. Obviously it was just a
coincidence his words sounded slightly flirty to me, that was probably just my own
mind twisting things around. Even so, if that was the case that meant I wanted him
to be flirty. Did I? No, this was all just a big mess because I was overtired and
couldn't think straight. I'd worry about it in the morning.

"I just wanted to make sure you had my number, in case any plans change for
Saturday." That was most definitely the lamest and most unbelievable excuse on the
planet. Sage perked up at the mention of plans for Saturday, immediately snatching
the phone out of my hands and putting it on speaker phone. I would have yelled at
her and snatched the phone back, had Tyler not been able to hear everything. So
instead I just glared at her begrudgingly as she held the phone out, listening to
Tyler's adorable giggle through the phone.
"I have it, yeah." He reassured me, his tone slightly teasing. I wracked my mind
for a response, though of course I couldn't come up with anything on the spot. I
looked to Sage for help but obviously that was the wrong idea because she was doing
all she could to keep from giggling out loud. I shot her a glare, telling her to
keep it under wraps until I got off the phone, and blurted the first thing I came
up with.

"Okay, cool." The line was silent for so long I thought he might have fallen
asleep, or worse, hung up on me. That was, until a loud laugh filtered through the
speakers, alerting me he was most definitely still there.

"Cool." He purred, the smile he had on evident in his voice. I blushed, once again
blurting the first thing to come to my mind.

"The coolest." I actually groaned out loud at myself over this one, sinking my face
into my hands and glaring at Sage through the cracks of my fingers. She was
silently laughing now, clapping her hands together quietly like some sort of
hysteric seal. I could hear Tyler laughing too, his big witch cackle. It was also
obvious he was holding the phone away from his mouth so I wouldn't get the full
experience. I waited patiently for his laughter to subside, actually finding myself
missing it when it did. Thouh it was a bit much at first, his loud obnoxious laugh
actually did grow on you. It definitely made you feel proud knowing you'd been the
one to cause it, that's for sure.

"You're a goof, Troye Sivan. Go to bed, you have to make up for a lot of missed
classes in the morning." His tone was slightly teasing, obviously knowing it was
his fault I'd missed all those classes to begin with. Not that I regretted it, I
wouldn't for even a second.

"Yeah, you're probably right... I'm just not looking forward to seeing all those
people after the cafeteria incident." I said honestly, ignoring Sage's questioning
stare. Right now I just wanted to talk to Tyler. If anyone knew the ins and outs of
highschoolers it'd be him. Maybe he'd have some good advice as to how to live
through tomorrow.

There was silence for a few seconds, before he let out a quiet sigh. When he spoke
up again his voice was much softer, obviously trying to comfort me.

"Hey, it'll be fine." He cooed, his voice so quiet and intimate I actually felt
embarrassed having Sage listen in. Without thinking I snatched the phone from her
hands, grateful when she didn't make a scene and just let me take it, turning
speaker phone off before holding it to my ear.

"Are you sure?" I asked quietly, walking into my bathroom and closing the door
behind me. This conversation just didn't feel like something I wanted to include
her on. I didn't ask for advice often, and I wanted time to actually consider what
Tyler was about to say, if it was anything wise at all.

"Troye, tomorrow's gonna suck, I'm going to be honest with you. If anything you
made it worse for yourself running off like that, giving them time to talk about
it. But they'll forget after that, teenagers are two things before anything else.
One, they're cruel, two, they're utterly stupid and have the attention span of a
fly. Trust me when I say they won't even remember you exist in a few days." He
assured me, his serious tone sounding completely unnatural on him. I leaned against
the bathroom wall, furrowing my brows. I honestly had trouble accepting that he
thought like this. I thought it'd only been me with such cynical views, but I guess
I wasn't alone on it after all. I didn't think I'd ever get used to this side of
Tyler though, the serious slightly dark side. I needed him to be his usual bubbly
self, to cheer me up and bring me out of my own funk. I needed him to be everything
I wasn't.

"Good, I liked not existing just fine." I replied finally, adding an awkwardly fake
chuckle. He didn't respond, just sighing heavily into the phone and making me
wonder even further what was on his mind. "Thanks, Tyler, I'm kind of a nervous
wreck if you haven't guessed already."

"Ah, but you're my nervous wreck. Now try and get some sleep, it's easier to face
the world fully rested." He was considerably happier sounding now, though his words
were obviously still serious. I groaned, starting toward the door to my bedroom.

"Fine, I'm going." I mumbled, happy to find my room empty when I walked out. I put
the phone on speaker for a moment, stripping my shirt over my head.

"Oh, and Troye? Can I give you one final tidbit of advice?" I hurriedly dropped my
pants as well, scrambling under the covers and grabbing the phone again. I turned
off speaker phone, excited to hear what he had to say.

"Yes?"

"Always remember the three 'F' rule. If they're not feeding you, fucking you, or
financing you, then they're irrelevant." He explained, giggling adorably to himself
after finishing. I rolled my eyes at his childishness, sinking into the pillow with
a content smile.

"But Tyler, you're not doing any of those things for me."

"Hey! I was going to pay for our meal today!" He sounded genuinely hurt and I
couldn't help but smile. If there was one thing Tyler Oakley was not, it was
irrelevant. Regardless of who you asked, he was definitely relevant.

"Next time." I reminded him, hoping to make him feel better.

"Yeah, next time." He responded immediately, sounding content with this

information. There was silence for a while then and it wasn't until I heard a woman
talking in the background that I realized how late it was getting. I was still used
to being able to sleep in past noon, if I wanted to get up in time for school I'd
better cut this call short.

"Troye? Did you hear all that? Sorry about my mother, she's a nuisance." He sounded
slightly flustered, making me really wish I had of heard their exchange.

"No, I didn't hear anything. Tell her I said hi!" I immediately regretted my words,
thinking about how dumb I'd sounded. He just laughed though, letting out a long
yawn.

"I will in the morning, right now I think it's time for bed."

"I second that." I mumbled quietly, listening as his loud breathing began to even
out. I was beginning to think he'd fallen asleep on the phone yet again, when
another yawn pierced through the air, making it clear we had only fallen into one
of the frequent comfortable silences we experienced.

"Sorry, Troye, I really should head to bed. I'll talk to you tomorrow sometime."
Talking to me tomorrow definitely sounded a lot more promising than only seeing me
tomorrow. I nodded dumbly before realizing he couldn't see me through the phone.

"Uh, yeah, that's fine. Goodnight, Tyler." I said formally, letting my eyes fall
shut as I waited for his final response.

"Night, babe." My eyes snapped open now, full of confusion.

"Babe?" I questioned innocently, groaning aloud when he didn't respond. My phone

alerted me the call had been ended and I was left over-thinking the stupid pet name
to no end. Had he meant something by it? No, of course not, he was the straightest
guy out there, constantly hooking up with girls at parties and bragging about it.
Maybe it'd just been an accident, he'd said it himself that sleepy Tyler said
stupid things. That must be the case. With this in mind I nuzzled further into the
pillow, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

For once I didn't wake up to the sound of siblings screaming, but instead the
mouth-watering smell of bacon wafting through the house. Even with this in mind I
couldn't bring myself to get out of bed, rolling around and cocooning myself in
blankets like a grumpy caterpillar. I was pretty content with my human burrito,
until I heard my phone go off and realized I couldn't use my arms like this. I
sighed, untangling myself and grabbing the cellphone off the bedside table. I
scowled seeing it was only a text from Sage, but clicked on it anyway.

"I heard you call Tyler babe last night, scanDaLOUS." I glared at the text, letting
out an over-dramatic sigh. Oh no, I've been ruined! I forced myself out of bed
then, deciding breakfast was more important than personal hygiene today. What was
the point of looking good anyway, all anyone was gonna see was spaghetti back
Troye. I stumbled down the stairs, stomping into the kitchen. The second I entered
the room everyone's eyes snapped up to face me, matching coy smiles on each of
their faces.

"Hello everybody?" I asked questioningly, taking my usual spot at the table. Nobody
spoke, continuing to stare at me with those freakishly non-emotional faces. "Guys,
stop acting like dolls and tell me what is up with you."

"Our little baby got a boyfriend!" My mother beamed, her self-restraint obviously
snapping as she barreled toward me.

"Mom! I told you not to tell him I told you!" Sage groaned, sinking her face onto
the table. I laughed nervously, hugging my mother back when she threw her arms
around me. We stayed in the embrace for a long time before she straightened back
up, legitimate tears on her cheeks.

"We were beginning to think this day would never come, that you were asexual or
something. Not that there's anything wrong with that! The new boyfriend excitement
is just nice, that's all." I blushed, looking back down at my food.

"Well, you see, the day still hasn't come because Tyler and I are just friends." I
said honestly, emphasizing the last two words. My family seemed to have mixed
reactions, some looking at me in obvious disbelief of my words and the others just
looking extremely disappointed. It hurt to let them down, but this was one thing I
couldn't exactly hand them on a silver platter.

"But you called him babe, didn't you?" Sage questioned, a hopeful tone to her
voice. It was strange how invested in my personal life they all were, but I didn't
want to hurt them more by just rejecting their questions so I decided to just be
honest.

"No, he called me babe and I was only questioning it."

"But he called you babe though, that's the same thing." Steele mumbled, looking up
from the paper he'd been studying. I couldn't stop the stupid blush from invading
my cheeks as I looked back down to the food in front of me, thinking over what he'd
said. No, there were still a ton of other ways to interpret Tyler's pet name. I
would not let them ruin this for me.

"No, it's not! Listen you guys, I appreciate your concern but I can handle my
relationships on my own so-"

"So you're admitting it's a relationship?" Sage asked quickly, jumping in her seat
excitedly. I groaned loudly at this, standing up to pace the room slightly.

"Ugh! Guys! If you keep this up I am banning you from the property when he comes
over. We are just friends, I promise." I insisted for what felt like the hundredth
time, making sure to lock eyes with them one by one in a last attempt to get them
to keep from asking any more questions. For a few seconds, they actually did stay
silent, until Tyde cleared his throat.

"Now when you say that, do you mean just friends at this point in time or just
friends permanently?"

'Tyde, leave me alone." I mumbled simply, refusing to meet his stare. Why did they
insist on asking me questions like this? Better yet, why couldn't I give them an
honest answer to them? I'd never had to think twice when getting them off my back
about potential love interests in the past. 'This one's too bitchy', 'this one's
too boring', 'this one straight up told me she was only here for my money'. I had
no trouble finding flaws in everyone else, deeming them undateable the moment we
met. Tyler, for once, was someone that did not fall into either category. He wasn't
exactly dateable, but he wasn't automatically undateable like every other person
I'd encountered in the past. The only other people that I'd actually considered as
potentially dateable were Beyonce and Harry Styles, so him making the cut was a
pretty significant deal. I'd never actually go through with it. Just because I'd
consider doesn't mean I'd actually do it. Relationships weren't my thing, and I was
totally okay with that.

"As soon as you answer my question." Tyde urged, leaning over the table toward me
annoyingly.

"What was the question again?" I asked innocently, knowing very well what the
question had been considering I spent over a minute considering my answer. He
opened his mouth to speak but Sage interrupted, slapping her hand over his mouth
and quickly filling me in.

"He basically asked if you'd consider dating Tyler."

"Well, I, uh, I mean, he's an alright guy but I'm not really looking for a
relationship right now, with anyone." I mumbled, feeling slightly bad when their
faces fell. I was about to make some crummy excuse and rush out the door to avoid
their sad faces when Steele cleared his throat.

"But what if the relationship found you? What if he was the one to ask you out?" I
blushed, looking over at Steele reluctantly. Damn him and his wise older brother
sage-like outlook on everything. I hadn't thought about this, obviously, because
Tyler Oakley would never ask me out. I was well aware of everyone's eyes on me as I
tried to come up with a response, but I didn't know for sure so I just told them my
honest thoughts.

"Well, when that happens, I will make a decision. Until then, it shouldn't matter.
Understood?" I asked, trying to look strict as I locked eyes with each family
member. They were trying to look calm too, though Sage couldn't hide her obvious
smirk and I noticed Tyde hitting Steele's shoulder out of the corner of my eye.

"Understood." My mother said above everyone else, snatching my empty plate off the
table and heading toward the dishwasher. I was actually surprised they dropped the
topic after that, but I was also certain they'd find a way to bring it up again.
This was the closest I'd ever come to 'boy talk' with them, no way would they let
me live it down.

I didn't wait long after finishing to head out to the car. Partly because I wanted
to make sure I got to school on time today, but also because I could tell they were
going to explode if I didn't leave and give them time to discuss the new
information without me. I jogged out to my car, relieved to find that it was
actually sunny out today. I slid into my seat with ease, starting the car
immediately. On the upside, my mother hadn't even mentioned me taking the bus she'd
been so distracted with all the gossip. Maybe there are plus sides to letting them
into my life after all.

A/n: Early update because I love you nuggets <3 So, uh, thoughts? Comment and vote
and all that lovely jazz, your comments give me life :*

Chapter Seventeen
*Troye's POV*

The drive from my house to the school seemed to pass in seconds I'd drove it so
many times. It wasn't until I actually parked the car that I remembered I passed
Tyler's house on my way. I didn't even bother to look up. I grabbed my bag out of
the passenger's seat and reached for the door, but I couldn't will myself to open
it. Today was going to be utterly horrible. I had a hard enough time dealing with
their rude thoughts, I'd never in my life had to put up with rude words before this
year, and we all seen how well I coped yesterday in the cafeteria. What if there
wasn't anyone there to make me feel better today?

It wasn't until I tasted blood that I realized I'd been chewing on my lip nervously
this entire time. I winced in pain, grabbing the door and opening it before I got
the chance to chicken out. Besides, the earlier I left the less people would be in
the halls. I strolled across the parking lot relatively unscathed, considering no
one was out there aside from a single group of younger girls. That wasn't what I
was worried about, it was the hallways. I could just picture them flooded with
people, cutting me off from going to my next class and surrounding me. The very
thought made me queasy as I stepped through the doors.

I scurried to my locker, clumsily grabbing books out of it without even really

concentrating on what ones they were. I just wanted to get out of here, into a
classroom where the teacher would make students more cautious about what they said.
I even had my favorite teacher first class, surely they'd help me out. I started
toward the classroom quickly then, before the familiar sound of hundreds of loud
voices filled the hallway. And, the buses had gotten here. I started jogging now,
despite knowing I wasn't allowed to run in the halls. I just didn't want to run
into anyone that remembered yesterday. I could do this, I'd spent my whole life
invisible, why was it so damn hard to blend in now?

"Hey, Troye!" I froze, my eyes going wide as I hugged my books tighter to my chest.
This is it, they've caught up to me. I listened to the footsteps approach me from
behind, even closing my eyes when they got too close. I didn't want to see who it
was. "Troye? Are you okay?" I opened my eyes, surprised to find Shane standing
beside me. I felt like hugging him in that moment, though of course I didn't.
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I was up late last night and I'm a little out of it." I lied
through my teeth, knowing he'd believe it.

"That's fine! What class do you have first? Didn't you mention the other day we had
a similar schedule on Wednesdays?" I hurriedly passed him my schedule, hearing
voices not far behind us. I started walking, hoping he'd take the hint and walk and
talk with me. He did, still looking down at the little piece of paper in his hands.

"Yeah, we have most of our classes together today, except for the one at the very
end of the day."

"That's cool! We should try and sit beside each other." In truth I wasn't actually
that into the idea of sitting beside him, but he was definitely better than some
stranger. Especially if that stranger remembered the incident from yesterday and
never let me live it down. Shane looked totally ecstatic at my suggestion though,
beaming a huge smile and nodding.

"That'd be awesome!" He laughed, handing me back the schedule. I got the feeling he
wasn't used to having people ask him to sit by them. It actually bugged me a little
bit, that people could be so cruel to someone without reason. Was it just because
he was fat? He'd been unpopular long before the whole 'coming out' thing and I
could hardly think of another reason. He was a nice guy, the nicest one I'd run
into in this school. Well, aside from Tyler. Then again, I guess nice wasn't really
a necessary component in people in highshool.

The first classes flew by in a whirlwind. Who knew actually having friends made
school pass so much quicker. Were Shane and I friends? I suppose he was the closest
I'd had to one in a long time. I wasn't going to put a label on it though, that'd
only make it hurt more when he inevitably thought something rude about me. I was
more than happy to spend time with him until then, especially if it meant not
having to face the torment completely alone. The bell had just rung for lunch and
we were shuffling out of the classroom, him talking about some movie he'd watched
over the weekend as we walked. He was a total movie enthusiast.

"Yeah, and the main actress just had this undeniably mysterious vibe to her that
just complimented everything the movie was going for and-" Shane stopped as he lost
his footing, starting to fall. Instinctively I reached out and grabbed his hand in
an effort to hold him up, noticing the outstretched foot from one of our
classmates. Assholes, everyone in this school is a bunch of assholes. Thankfully
Shane regained his footing after a couple seconds, blushing as he hurried out of
the room now. I followed, partly because I didn't want to face the world on my own,
but also because I kind of wanted to make sure he was okay. I genuinely cared that
he was okay.

I found him not far down the hallway and I jogged to catch up, walking next to him
in silence. He was looking straight ahead, ignoring everything around him.

"So, what are you doing for lunch?" I mumbled awkwardly, not used to this sort of
thing. He stopped walking then, looking up at me with an obvious expression of
disbelief.

"You still want to hangout with me? Troye, stuff like that happens all the time. I
know you're no Mr. Popular yourself but I am the very bottom of the food chain,
hanging out with me would only hurt your reputation."

"That's just it, Shane. It's my reputation, not who I actually am. If they don't
care enough to get to know me better and prove it wrong then I shouldn't care what
they think anyway... Neither should you." He stared at me with a blank expression
for a moment before his lips twitched, turning up into a smile.
"You're different, Troye, in a good way."

"I like to think so." I laughed, looking down at my feet. I felt his hand slap me
on the back gently then, relieved when it didn't give me the familiar electricity.

"Let's go." I followed after him happily, until I realized he was headed toward the
cafeteria. I mean, I wasn't sure what else I had expected considering it was lunch
time, after all, but I definitely didn't want to set foot back in there.

"Do you think we could maybe eat outside at the picnic tables?" I asked awkwardly,
bounding forward to step between him and the cafeteria doors. He thought for a
minute, nodding eventually.

"Yeah, sure. I just have to buy my lunch first, come on." I felt like melting into
a puddle as he pushed past me into the other room. Damn it. I trailed after him
reluctantly, keeping my head down and my shoulders slumped. Maybe no one would
notice, maybe I was making a bigger deal of this than they were. I made it about
halfway before I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I slowly turned around,
grimacing when I seen Caspar standing behind me with a tray of food.

"Hey, buddy, do you want some spaghetti?" He had a devilish grin that made me sick
to my stomach. I felt like curling in on myself, shaking my head nervously. I now
noticed the usuals flanking his sides, surprised to see Tyler was standing behind
him as well. He was acting totally enveloped into his phone screen, though he
obviously knew what was going on and was just going along with it. I bored my eyes
into the top of his head, but he didn't look up. "Are you sure? I hear you love it,
so much you even wear it sometimes."

"I'm sure." I mumbled weakly, my eyes darting to the floor. I was shaking slightly,
cursing myself for how weak I probably looked. I wonder how many people in the room
are watching this.

"Caspar, fuck off." I looked up quickly with wide eyes, relief flooding over me.
Except, Tyler was still staring at his phone screen. It hadn't been him that spoke
up. I turned, surprised to find Shane standing beside me with a confident stance.
He was standing up for me and Tyler wasn't.

"Or what, faggot?" They circled Shane then, disregarding me as I stepped away from
the group. I felt horrible just backing away when Shane had stood up for me, but I
probably wouldn't be any help anyway. I noticed Tyler had backed away too, still
entranced by his phone. He did look up once though, his eyes scanning the situation
warily. They flickered to me then, though it was only for a split second before he
looked back down guiltily. I knew I shouldn't be mad, I should have expected this,
but I couldn't help it. All he had to do was mumble a simple 'guys, cut it out' and
they'd retreat like some sort of army, but he couldn't even do that. Shane had
stood up for me despite knowing the consequences already.

I grabbed my own phone, selecting Tyler's name and typing in a simple 'thanks a
lot' before clicking send. I watched him read the text, his eyes still refusing to
look up at me. Did this really matter more to him than I did? Why did he even want
this stupid life so badly? He'd said it himself he didn't really like Caspar or
sports, what was keeping him here? It was so frustrating, not knowing all his
motives behind this.

"Troye? Coming?" I looked up, surprised to find Shane standing in front of me

relatively unscathed. I noticed a patch of spaghetti sauce on his before spotless
shirt, but other than that there wasn't really any damage. I cast one final glare
in Tyler's direction, happy to see that he was actually looking, and turned back to
Shane.

"Yeah, of course. Thanks, by the way."

"Don't mention it." He beamed, starting toward the doors ahead of me. I trailed
after him without another look in Tyler's direction, though he was definitely on my
mind. Did this mean we weren't friends anymore? Was that all it took to end it?
Wow, that didn't last long at all. I should have expected it though, people like
him don't befriend people like me.

As much as I tried to convince myself that it didn't bother me, I found myself lost
inside my head for the rest of the day. Sure, it was probably pathetic to be this
invested after just one hang-out session, but he'd seemed so genuine. He really
seemed like he wanted to get to know me, that he cared about me. Even my friends in
the past hadn't really shown that. They'd talk to me and all, but they didn't
really care. I guess Tyler didn't all the much either.

Shane tried to talk to me throughout the day but most times I ended up just
brushing him off and focusing on my schoolwork. I was doing a pretty good job of
this until I walked through the door to my last class of the day. It was the only
class I hadn't been to already this year, considering I skipped it yesterday. It
took me approximately four seconds to recognize the boy sitting in the back of the
classroom looking out the window. Great, I would get stuck in a class with Tyler.
We were the only two here so far, considering the bell for this class hadn't even
rung yet. Oh well, at least this means I won't get stuck sitting beside him or
something. I walked straight to the front of the room, as far away from him as I
could get, and sat down.

The bell rang a few minutes later, obnoxiously loud students filtering into the
room. I ignored them, keeping my head down impossibly close to the textbook in
front of me. I straightened up when the teacher started to introduce himself,
though it wasn't really to pay attention to him. I subtly looked over my shoulder,
noticing that no one had sat beside Tyler. I guess because he was the only popular
person in this class and no one was brave enough to risk sitting beside him or
something. Oh well, I doubt he'd have a problem with getting lonely or anything. I
looked back to the front, surprised to find a random girl in front of my desk.

"Uhm, hello?" I noticed the teacher standing behind her now, his hands on his hips
as he looked down at me expectantly.

"Mr. Mellet, would you mind answering my question?"

"What question? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." I blushed at his glare,

twiddling my thumbs awkwardly.

"Of course you weren't. This is Lisa and she has bad vision so she needs to sit at
the front. Do you have a reason for sitting up here or can she switch seats with
you?"

"No, I can sit anywhere." I blurted quickly, eager to please him after the whole
'not paying attention' situation.

"Okay, great. Go sit in the empty seat at the back, please." My eyes went wide as I
realized what he was asking. The only other empty seat was... Fuck. I gathered my
stuff up in my arms, struggling to balance it all as I headed toward the back. I
refused to make eye contact with Tyler as I dropped it all on my desk. I watched
helplessly as my phone toppled out of the pile, realizing it must have been on the
table when I scooped it all up. It was falling toward the floor but a hand grabbed
it, holding it out to me silently. I knew it was Tyler, but I also wasn't about to
thank him. I snatched it out of his hand, relieved when I didn't get a glimpse into
his thoughts. I fell into the chair beside him, sitting up straight and as far away
from him as possible.

Thankfully we were just doing book work this class so I didn't have to talk to him.
I concentrated on the stupid work like it was my religion, completely blocking out
the rest of the world. I made it through three pages before I felt my phone go off
in my pocket. I grimaced, grabbing it to check the text.

"Are you ignoring me?" I stared at the text with a blank expression for a moment
before pointedly deleting it, knowing that Tyler was watching, and shoving the
phone back in my pocket. I got through another half of a page before it went off
again. I debated not checking, but honestly I was too curious what kind of bullshit
apology he would give. I grabbed it, scanning the text.

"Troye, I'm sorry, but what did you expect me to do? Tell Caspar to back off and
hope for the best? That'd throw the whole school off balance, it was better to just
let it take it's course." I glared at the screen for a minute, rage boiling through
me. I'd originally planned on just deleting this text after reading it as well, but
I couldn't now, I was too angry.

"Better for you or better for me?"

"Both of us. They'd only make a bigger deal of it if I interfered and then they'd
tease me about sticking up for you. Trust me, I know highschoolers." I glared at
the screen, wondering if he'd actually thought this out beforehand or if he was
just making excuses. Either way, I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now,
much less him.

"You're a dick, just let me do my work." I started to put the phone away before it
went off in my hand. I sighed, opening the text.

"You've got the wrong answer for C, just saying." I shoved the phone into my pocket
without replying, leaning over my desk and checking my answers. I sighed, realizing
he was right, and erased the answer out. I hated Math with a passion. I looked up
at him for the first time since sitting down then, rolling my eyes at his smug
grin. He grabbed his sheet then, handing it toward me. I glared at him, but
eventually I ended up accepting it. I didn't want to just copy, but maybe his
answers would make it easier.

By the time the bell rung I'd actually finished all the assigned work, with Tyler's
help. We didn't talk, but he'd let me watch as he figured out some questions and
correct me if I messed up. I was still mad at him, but it definitely felt nice not
having homework for a change. Tyler was the first out of the room, rushing ahead of
everyone else like it physically pained him to be here. I took my time though,
ending up being the very last to hand in my work and head out of the classroom. I
was doing it on purpose, knowing if I took my time most of the end-of-the-day
crowds would be gone when I walked out. I was right, as always. The halls were more
or less empty aside from the odd straggler, giving me lots of space as I headed
toward my locker.

Before I knew it I was heading out to my car, actually pretty happy with my day. It
definitely could have gone much worse. I wasn't about to admit it, but spending the
last class with Tyler had brightened my mood considerably. I was mad at him though,
so I would never tell him that. The parking lot was pretty empty, making it easy to
spot the familiar piece of shit car and cute boy messing around under the hood,
obviously frustrated. I approached cautiously, watching Tyler mess around in
silence.
"Fucking piece of junk, I swear I'm buying a new car with my first paycheck." I
smirked to myself, watching him pound at a random piece of metal with what looked
to be a large rock. Damn it, how was I supposed to stay mad at him when he looked
like this? When he spoke up again his voice was much quieter, practically pleading
with the car at this point. "Please, please, start. I have to be at work in like
ten minutes."

"Tyler." I said simply, not able to hide my smile when he jumped and smacked his
head off the hood. He cursed loudly, rubbing the back of his head as he
straightened up and looked at me curiously.

"Troye."

"Car troubles?" I asked with a smirk, leaning against the side of his car. He just
glared at me, pouting his lips out.

"No, I am carsexual and this is how I get intimate." He said sarcastically, closing
the hood and jumping up on it.

"In the middle of a parking lot? I really thought you were classier than that." I
teased, surprised at how naturally it came to me now. His cheeks lit up but he
rolled his eyes, shoving me away.

"What do you want anyway? I thought you were ignoring me."

"I don't want anything- well, I wouldn't be opposed to a better apology. But, I got
the feeling there was something you might want. Like, I don't know... A drive to
work?"

"Are you offering one?"

"I don't know, I don't hear you apologizing." I said in a sing-song voice, starting
towards my car. Tyler followed, I could hear his shoes scraping against the
pavement. I stopped in front of my door, turning around to face him. He fell to his
knees dramatically then, clasping his hands together and batting his eyelashes at
me.

"I'm so very gravely sorry, Troye, I'll do absolutely anything to make it up to

you! Please, forgive me! I can't cope with you being angry at me, you're the only
sunshine in my dark miserable life!" He wiped an imaginary tear off of his cheek
then, giving a pretty realistic frown. I reached down, grabbing his hand and
hauling him to his feet.

"I don't appreciate the sarcasm, but I guess I'll accept that. Go get in the
passenger's." I sighed, dismissing him with a wave of my hand. Except he didn't
leave immediately, instead he wrapped his arms around my torso and squeezed me to
him so tight I was sure my lungs were caving in. I hugged him back, a little bit
confused by how much I was enjoying it. I shied away from physical contact, not
willingly threw myself into people's embraces.

Mmm, he smells so good.

I blushed at this random thought, patting his back as a way of telling him to back
off. He did, beaming a huge smile up at me and shouting his 'thank-you'. I didn't
really hear it though, considering my mind was once again wandering. I must have
looked like a robot as I got into the car, completely unaware of my surroundings.
All I could think about was how good that hug had felt. It had been so long since
touching someone was a positive experience, it felt utterly foreign.
"Troye? Are you gonna start the car?" I blinked, giving a weak smile in Tyler's
general direction.

"Actually, do you want to drive, Mr. Carsexual?"

"Are you giving us your blessing?" He asked, pretending to be shocked as he leaned

forward and kissed the dash of the car. I rolled my eyes at him, handing him the
keys and getting out. I was confused why he didn't get out until I opened his door
and found he'd already awkwardly maneuvered himself into the driver's seat. I fell
into the seat beside him, leaning back and closing my eyes. I'd be lying if I said
I was actually deep in thought trying to figure out all the weird things going on
in my head lately, truthfully I was just saturating in the bubbly feeling the hug
had produced in me.

A/n: Before you yell at me, NEXT chapter will have Tyler's POV and will kind of be
a backtrack so all you lovely people can see his thoughts on all these events, as
well as some new ones. Ugh, the romantic aspect is finally started to seep in and I
could not be more excited. Also, you guys got me to 1k comments, IT'S TURNED BRIGHT
RED. Soon this is going to be rivalling the amount of votes/comments on It's
Complicated and I cannot tell you how insanely happy I am about this. Keep all the
votes and sweet comments coming, I appreciate every single one.
I have a lot to say today, or maybe I'm just rambly, but here goes. In the very
near future I have yet another Troyler fic planned, a kinda darker much smuttier
one to contrast how fluffy this one has turned out. Lord knows, Mama's thirsty. But
yeah, keep your eyes peeled for that (not literally, don't peel your eyes, that's
unhealthy.)

And lastly, my sorta shout-out thing of the day, is smut. Now this isn't just smut,
this is SMUT. Ugh, just trust when I say you need to read it. It's called 'A lot
like fiction' by colour-me-troyler and it is quite possibly some of the best smut
on wattpad. Written amazingly and lots of tension build-up and justtttttttttttt,
ugh. Go read it, I'll dedicate this chapter to the author so you lovelys can find
it easier.

And finally, I think I'm done talking. If you read all this you're a saint, love
you <3

Chapter Eighteen
*Tyler's POV*

I'd taken forever to fall asleep after that phone call with Troye. It had been
going pretty smooth up until the last couple seconds. I'd even somehow managed to
get through my mother yelling in the background 'are you on the phone with that
cute boy we were talking about?' without things getting awkward. He told me he
didn't hear her, but I wasn't sure if I believed him. She was pretty loud, I had to
inherit it from somewhere. I'd fallen asleep on the phone for a couple seconds
after that, and that's when I knew it was time to end the phone call. As much as I
didn't want to, I also didn't want him listening in on me if I started to snore or
something weird like sleep talk. Who knows what kind of crazy things I'd say. My
mother had caught me doing it a couple times and I never heard the end of her
teasing over it, I definitely didn't want him to find out I did.

"Sorry, Troye, I really should head to bed. I'll talk to you tomorrow sometime."

"Uh, yeah, that's fine. Goodnight, Tyler." I smiled warmly, loving the way my name
sounded in his satiny voice. My eyes started to fall shut again and I let out a
content sigh, knowing I had to come up with some kind of response soon before I
fell back asleep.

"Night, babe." Sleep was suddenly the last thing on my mind as my eyes snapped
open, my heart racing in my chest. Fuck, fuck, fuck, had I really just said that?
It just felt so natural and fuck. I clenched my jaw, scrambling and ending the
call. I didn't want to hear his response, because surely he was going to be weirded
out.

I spent the next hour and a half rolling around and trying desperately to fall
asleep, my mind plagued with all the different reactions Troye could have had. It
was his own fault for calling me so late, what did he expect? Maybe that's what
he'd do, dismiss it as something stupid I said because I was overtired. Let's hope.

The stupid conversation was still on my mind most of the day at school. I wanted to
see him, to see what he was like around me and that nothing had changed between us,
but it was like he was hiding. At first I thought it was from me, before
remembering what exactly had happened yesterday at school. Of course he was hiding!
I suddenly felt extremely worried for him, glancing toward the clock impatiently.
Lunch started in fifteen minutes, but even that seemed like too long. Honestly I'd
cut class right now and leave to go hunt him down, except that was hardly logical
considering he was in class as well. So I was stuck watching the clock and
completely ignoring everything my teacher said. I was actually tapping my foot
against the floor anxiously when the bell finally rang. I leapt out of my seat,
slinging my bag over my shoulder and rushing out of the room before I could even
hear what was assigned for homework. I'd get Marcus to tell me later. Right now, I
just wanted to find Troye, preferably before I ran into anyone else.

I checked the bathroom and the hall his locker was in before realizing I could just
text him. I stopped in the middle of the hallway, ignoring the people buzzing
around me. I'd opened the text and was in the middle of typing it in when I felt a
hand clap me on the back. I gasped, scrambling to get a better hold on my phone.
Once I had I turned around quickly, glaring harshly at Marcus.

"What? Were you texting anyone important?" He wiggled his eyebrows, trying to
snatch my phone from me. Luckily, I'd had a lot of practice in the art of hiding
what was on my phone screen, so I effortlessly clutched it to my chest and glared
at him.

"None of your business."

"Whatever, let's just go eat." He mumbled, obviously still a little annoyed that I
wouldn't let him in on my conversation. I sighed, walking behind him with my eyes
still fixed on my phone screen. I was more cautious now though, keeping it close to
my chest as I tried to decide what to send to Troye. I didn't want to say anything
too forward in case he was still creeped out over the 'babe' thing, but I did want
to talk to him. I was so entranced in my phone I didn't even realize Marcus had
stopped walking until I crashed into him. I grumbled quietly to myself as I fixed
my glasses, pushing them up on my nose instinctively. I didn't even bother to look
up, automatically assuming he'd stopped in the line for food and that was it. I
started to type out my text to Troye, trying to keep it casual while still making
it clear I genuinely did care that I got to talk to him.

"Hey, buddy, do you want some spaghetti?" I furrowed my brow, looking up just
before I clicked send to see a familiar group of goons standing in a flock in front
of us. I was confused for a second, before Caspar's words actually registered and
my eyes fell on the nervous looking Troye standing in front of all of us. He looked
like he was about to puke all over the floor, is hands clutching his sides
desperately. I felt sick just looking at him and imagining how horrible he felt, my
eyes darting back to my phone in an effort to steady myself. I felt sick myself as
I listened for Caspar's next words. "Are you sure? I hear you love it, so much you
even wear it sometimes."

"I'm sure." Troye's strained voice only made it worse, making me wince at the
sound. I felt on the verge of tears as I stared pointedly at my phone, knowing it'd
be too much when I finally looked up and actually took in Troye's features.

"Caspar, fuck off." I was shocked for a moment, before realizing it had been Shane
that spoke up. I was still a little shocked, but less than I would have been if it
was Troye saying it. I wanted to look up and see Shane's face, see just how
invested in protecting Troye he was.

"Or what, faggot?" I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, my mind replaying
Caspar's words over and over again. It was like you could hear the loathing laced
in them, how much he truly detested Shane over something so small. Why did it
matter to him at all? Did it physically hurt him that Shane liked fucking guys?
Well, I mean, unless Shane fucked him, I guess that could- No, that wasn't the case
though. He was just being a homophobic bigot, shoving his nose where it didn't
belong and giving opinions no one cared to hear.

I didn't look up as they started to crowd around Shane, trying to act as

indifferent to the situation as I could. The last thing I needed was them seeing
how upset I actually was and question it. I kept my eyes on the phone in my hands
for a long time, before curiosity got the better of me and I had to see where Troye
had gone. Surely they weren't beating him up too? I glanced over, slowly taking in
the situation in front of me. My bottom lip started to tremble slightly as I
watched Caspar rub spaghetti into Shane's shirt, a sneer on his lips that could
rival a vicious dog's. I felt my eyes start to sting as they shoved him, watching
them laugh to each other like it was utterly hilarious. It was so fucking sick,
that they got some kind of high off of hurting other people. What kind of thing had
to go wrong in someone's life for them to think like that? I darted my eyes away
quickly when they started to advance again, knowing I wouldn't be able to take
anything more. It felt too real, too close to home. Of course it was horrible
watching them bully anyone, but it'd never left this sour taste in my mouth before.

It never made me feel like a raging hypocrite.

My eyes landed on a familiar pair of electric blue ones, though at the same time,
they looked completely different. They were narrowed, full of judgment as he glared
at me. So what, Troye was mad at me now too? Fuck, I couldn't do anything right. My
eyes fell back on my phone, chewing on my lip as I felt a tear threatening to
escape. But unlike before, I let it, blinking to stop anymore as the single bead of
saltwater trailed down my cheek. My phone went off in my hands and a smile broke
out across my face when I seen Troye's name. I crossed my fingers, hoping for some
sort of explanation. I didn't get one, instead getting a stupid three word-long
text that made me feel even worse.

"Thanks a lot." I stared at the phone blankly after reading it, tilting my head
downward to make sure Troye couldn't see my expression. The last thing I needed was
him thinking I was some sort of crybaby. It made sense why he was glaring at me
now. After all we'd talked about yesterday it would have also made sense for me to
stand up for him. I couldn't though. I could barely keep myself together.

"Troye? Coming?" I looked up quickly, surprised to see my friends had already

sauntered off. Shane was standing in front of Troye, staring down at him
expectantly. I glared at him, shoving my phone into my pocket and crossing my arms.
Was it just me or was Shane taking way too long to stare Troye down? Besides, where
did he get off acting like he was just automatically Troye's best friend anyway? I
bet he barely even knew him. I mean, I didn't either, but surely I was making more
valiant efforts to get there than Shane Dawson was.

"Yeah, of course. Thanks, by the way." Troye shot me a glare as he said this,
starting toward the door with Shane.

"Don't mention it." I watched them leave with a scowl on my face, stomping over to
the cafeteria and getting unnatural amounts of food, even for me. I knew I wouldn't
be able to eat it all, but I was also too far gone to care. I reached our table a
few minutes later. Marcus tried to greet me but I just held a single hand up and he
fell silent, slinking away from me knowingly. If there was one thing everyone knew,
it was when to steer clear of me. I definitely wasn't pleasant when I was in a bad
mood, wearing my heart on my sleeve. I melted into my food then, completely
ignoring everything else as I stuffed my face.

I sighed, looking over Troye's shoulder at the jumbled mess of scribbles on his
paper. Math really wasn't his thing. I chewed on the end of my pencil, kicking his
foot under our desks and nodding toward his sheet, alerting him he'd gotten another
one wrong. He glared at me, though it was also obvious he still appreciated my help
considering he hurried to erase it and check the correct answer on my sheet. I'd
finished ten minutes ago, and the teacher was actually offering computer time to
people that finished early and handed their sheets in, but instead I was sitting
here helping him through what felt like the fiftieth question he'd managed to get
wrong. I leaned back in my seat casually, yawning loudly. My eyes instinctively
landed on the clock, pleased to see there were only a couple minutes left. Troye
would surely finish by then, at least I hoped.

I wanted to wait around for him after the bell rang and actually try to talk to him
about earlier, but I did have work and I wanted to be on time to make up for being
late yesterday. I shoved my way through the sea of people, casting glares at anyone
who tried to shove me back. After what felt like forever being way too close to
sweaty strangers, I walked out into the parking lot. I jogged down the stairs and
ignored the girls ogling me from a few feet away. If I hadn't been interested in
them before I definitely wasn't now that I'd met Troye. I headed over to my car
with an obvious spring in my step, remembering how flustered Troye had gotten over
getting questions wrong, or how his eyes lit up when the pieces finally clicked and
he understood one. He was so adorable, intoxicating really. I swung into the
driver's seat gracefully, smiling as I turned my key in the ignition. The smile was
short lived when my car didn't immediately roar to life, instead letting out a
pathetic sputtering noise. I groaned, shaking my head desperately.

"No, no, no, no, no, not today!" I sighed, trying it again despite knowing what the
outcome was going to be. I was right, of course, and the car didn't start. I let
out a small whimper, sinking my head down against the steering wheel. I had to be
to work on time today! This was too good of a job to risk losing!

I decided to get out and try my usual last effort method; beating around under the
hood and hoping for the best. I jumped out, scurrying over to the grass and finding
a rock to use. I hurried back, knowing my time was slowly ticking away. I winced as
I lifted the hood up, the metal a lot hotter than I expected it to be after the
long warm day. I then got to work, beating around.

"Fucking piece of junk, I swear I'm buying a new car with my first paycheck." I
muttered under my breath, hitting the spot I usually had to particularly hard. I
was beginning to get desperate, knowing how important it was that the car started.
It was too the point I was willing to make deals with it. If I had to buy it a new
set of tires to get it to start than I most definitely would. "Please, please,
start. I have to be at work in like ten minutes."

"Tyler." I jumped at the sudden voice, hitting my head in the process. My hand flew
to the place where a bump was already forming, rubbing it and pouting slightly.
That was, before I noticed just who it was who'd surprised me.

"Troye." I acknowledged, eyeing him warily. He hadn't really talked to me in class

so it was hard to tell if he was still mad or not. But now, watching a smile break
out across his face as he leaned against the side of the car, it was pretty easy to
tell he wasn't all that mad.

"Car troubles?" I narrowed my eyes at him, fighting the urge to roll them in
annoyance. He was obviously being a dick about it because of how intent I was on
getting out of the parking lot ahead of him last night, rubbing how nice his car
was in my face.

"No, I am carsexual and this is how I get intimate." I snapped, sitting down on the
hood and watching him walk over toward me. He was at arm's distance away now and I
could catch the occasional waft of his cologne.

"In the middle of a parking lot? I really thought you were classier than that." I
shoved him away at this, partly in response and partly because I didn't know how
much more of the cologne I could take before I did something stupid like call him
babe again.

"What do you want anyway? I thought you were ignoring me."

"I don't want anything, well, I wouldn't be opposed to a better apology. Also, I
got the feeling there was something you might want. Like, I don't know... A drive
to work?"

"Are you offering one?" I piped up, smiling widely at the idea. There was still a
chance I could get to work on time! And with Troye!

"I don't know, I don't hear you apologizing." His tone was almost cocky now, as he
turned and started back toward the driver's side. I trailed after him with a big
grin, trying to decide how to apologize to him. Did I want to make it sappy or
sarcastic? I decided last second to go with sarcastic, not wanting to overdo it
considering I still didn't know what he thought of the whole 'babe' thing. I fell
down to my knees, clasping my hands together and batting my eyelashes at him.

"I'm so very gravely sorry, Troye, I'll do absolutely anything to make it up to

you! Please, forgive me! I can't cope with you being angry at me, you're the only
sunshine in my dark miserable life!" I then wiped a very obviously fake tear off my
cheek, pouting my lips out. He smiled down at me warmly for a few seconds, his eyes
sparkling as he reached a hand out. I took it without hesitation, fighting the urge
to wind my fingers between his. His hands were so insanely soft, a total contrast
to mine that were worn and tough from chores and sports.

"I don't appreciate the sarcasm, but I guess I'll accept that. Go get in the
passenger's." Even as he sighed this I could see the big smile threatening to
invade his features. Without thinking I threw my arms around him, my eyes wide when
I realized what I'd just done. Damn it, I really needed to start thinking before I
did things. It was too late to back out now though, so I just embraced it, hugging
him to me tightly and losing myself in his flowery scent. A few seconds later I
felt his lanky arms drape around me as well, hugging me back. That didn't last long
before he was patting my back and silently telling me to back off. I grimaced
behind his head, not wanting to end the embrace so soon. I did though, forcing
myself to remember the whole 'taking things slow' plan. I didn't want to come on
too strong and scare him off before he even opened up to me. I gave him a huge
smile once we'd separated, confused by his dazed look. I decided not to question it
though, instead yelling my thanks.

"Thank-you!" I shouted, even more concerned when he didn't even address this. He
then turned and got into the car, still looking completely lost in his thoughts. I
was suddenly really regretting the hug, wondering if I'd crossed some sort of
boundary. He should have just pushed me off if that was the case. I got into the
car feeling guilty, noticing that he still hadn't even started it. Shit, had I
messed up all over again? I wish I knew what was going on inside of his head so I
could just avoid all these horrible guessing games and awkward moments.

"Troye? Are you gonna start the car?" He came back to Earth then, looking over and
giving me a tiny smile that looked nothing like his usual ones. It was heartfelt
though, which relieved me quite a bit.

"Actually, do you want to drive, Mr. Carsexual?" I felt even better now. If he was
willing to tease me he must not be that upset over it. I decided to go along with
his casual sarcastic setting.

"Are you giving us your blessing?" I asked, gasping as I threw a hand over my
heart. I leaned forward then, kissing the grey dash and making a big smooching
noise. I looked up just in time to see him finish rolling his eyes, holding a pair
of keys out to me. I took them and watched him get out, crawling across the seats
the second his door closed and falling into the driver's side. I didn't have time
to get out and back in. He slipped into his seat a moment later, looking like he'd
gotten lost all over again. He leaned back and his eyes fluttered shut, and he was
seemingly dead to the world. That was a good thing though, considering I was having
serious trouble breaking my eyes away from his face. He looked so peaceful with his
eyes closed like that, like all the walls he normally had around himself had just
vanished.

Eventually I remembered I was actually in a rush to get to work and started the
car, hoping he wouldn't question why it had taken me so long. He didn't, not even
moving a muscle as I pulled out onto the road. I had to wonder if he'd fallen
asleep. He didn't speak up or move at all, not even when I parked the car in front
of the store and sighed loudly. I couldn't leave him just sleeping in his car
though, so I reached over and swatted at his arm.

"Troye? Troye boy? Wake up!"

"I am awake! Don't you have to go to work?" He grumbled, shoving me away. I rolled
my eyes, glancing in the vanity mirror quickly

"Just trying to make sure you don't get in trouble for loitering. But yeah, I
really do have to go. Thanks for the drive, really Troye, it means a lot." I looked
back to him as I said this, happy to see his eyes slowly fluttering open.

"Yeah, yeah." He waved his hand dismissively and I took the hint, getting out
without another word and bounding across the parking lot. I stopped abruptly to
open the door clearly labeled 'pull', though the second I came to a halt I felt
someone step on the back of my heels. I scowled, turning around with a pointedly
fake smile etched across my face. That was quickly replaced by a genuine one when I
recognized the familiar chocolate brown quiff of the boy looking down at the
ground.

"Miss me already?" I teased, sticking my tongue out playfully. He looked up from

the pavement to lock eyes with me and I wasn't pleasantly surprised by how pink his
cheeks had gone.
"No, I just didn't eat much at lunch and was thinking maybe-" I held a finger up,
covering his lips dramatically and shushing him.

"Shh, there's no need for excuses. We both know they aren't true." I added an over-
the-top wink and fake hairflip, sauntering off into the building ahead of him
after. I made it about three steps before realizing what I'd just done. I really
had to get better control around this kid, I was outright flirting with him now. I
mean, I doubt he'd think anything of it considering I was known as the
'straightest' guy around, but I was definitely giving him the grounds to be
suspicious.

"Hey Bruce!" I beamed, spotting the familiar head of white hair behind one of the
shelves. He walked out with arms full of mac and cheese boxes, a big smile on his
face.

"Look who decided to show up today! Oh, and you brought a friend?" I turned around
slowly, surprised to find Troye standing right behind me looking nervous. Was he
that nervous around Bruce? I took a step back so we were beside each other, snaking
an arm around his waist.

"This is Troye! With an e." I squeezed him tighter to my side, enjoying how shy he
suddenly was. Bruce just nodded with a smile, excusing himself as he dumped the
boxes and headed toward the door. Someone was in a rush today, maybe he wanted to
get there before all the good fish had been caught or something. Or who knows,
maybe he wanted to give Troye and I some alone time.

The second the doors closed behind him Troye shoved my arm off, rolling his eyes at
me before heading off to the corner I'd come to recognize as the junk food palooza.
I rearranged the messy mac and cheese boxes as I waited for him to gather up
whatever he wanted, making sure all the labels faced the right way and that they
were lined up perpendicular. I had just finished when a hand reached around from
behind me, pinging a box over casually. At first this didn't bother me, before
watching the domino effect it had as all the boxes toppled over.

"Troye Sivan!" I groaned, turning around to face him. He was smiling smugly to
himself, his arms full of unhealthy food. I crossed my arms and exhaled loudly,
sulking as I made my way back to the cash register. He approached then, dropping
his stuff on the counter carelessly. As I started to ring his stuff through he
leaned against his elbows on the counter, studying the little list of 'notes to
self' I had made. It was messily scrawled and vague, but it was enough to help me
remember all my responsibilities at the shop until I got used to working here. I
tried to keep my eyes on the things I was checking through, but they kept
flickering back up to Troye on their own accord. He seemed so interested in the
stupid note, his big blue eyes moving in swift lines as he read through it.

"Gross, you have to clean toilets?" He wrinkled his nose up adorably, obviously
grossed out by the idea. I hadn't realized how long I spent staring at him until he
held the little piece of paper up, waving it in front of my face urgently. I
shrugged, snatching it from him and putting it back in it's rightful place.

"Well, someone has to."

"But that's disgusting. It's one thing cleaning your own, but imagine all the
strangers that-"

"You're gross, just take your junk and go." I interrupted, not wanting to hear
where this conversation was going. He sighed, reluctantly taking the bag from my
outstretched hand. I couldn't help but notice how upset he seemed about leaving as
he turned around. Though he only made it about a step before spinning around and
walking back to me. Except this time, he walked behind the counter and plopped
himself down in my usual seat with a cheeky grin.

"Actually, I think I might take my junk and stay, if it's all the same to you. I'm
hoping to see the one and only Tyler Oakley in action cleaning toilets." He teased,
taking his first bite of chocolate. He let out a satisfied hum, his eyes falling
shut as he savored the taste. I scoffed loudly, leaning back against the counter.
He could actually be an annoying little shit when he wanted, but in an undeniably
cute way. Actually, I was pretty sure anything he did could be considered
undeniably cute. As if how adorable he looked wasn't repayment enough, the feeling
of satisfaction knowing we'd gotten to a place where he felt comfortable acting
like this around me was definitely enough to make up for anything annoying he did.

"That's considered loitering, sir, I'm going to have to ask you to vacate the
building." I boomed, using my deepest voice I had. He started laughing at this, the
obvious contrast to my usual voice seemingly too much for him. He was clutching at
his stomach and trying desperately not to drop his chocolate during his giggle fit.
"What if I had of been serious and you just laughed at me? I work here, I'm in a
position of authority over you, you know."

"I wouldn't be here if I knew you were serious, Tyler. You want me here just as
much as I want to stay."

"And is that a lot or something?" I asked, suddenly very interested in the

conversation. He blushed, running a hand through his hair.

"I mean, I don't really have anything better to do..." He mumbled sheepishly, the
familiar shy Troye coming back. I didn't want that, this loud and sassy Troye was
really beginning to grow on me.

"Well, I'm glad, you're pretty decent company." I said warmly, setting a hand on
his shoulder. A bubbly little smile grew on his face and he leaned his head onto my
hand, looking up at me.

"I know I am." He purred, straightening up to eat more chocolate. Meanwhile I was
left trying to tame the butterflies thrashing around in my stomach and keep the
goofy lovesick grin from breaking out across my face as I fell back into the spare
chair. "So, what do you do while you're sitting here?"

"Sometimes I clean up the shelves or mop the floor, but mostly that's just it; sit
here."

"Boring." He yawned, shifting around in the small swivel chair.

"Very. So you can see why I'm glad you're here." I retorted, reaching over and
snatching an unopened chocolate bar from his lap.

"Hey!" He shouted, glaring at me as I started eating it. It was our shared

favorite, so I guess it made sense he got annoyed with me, but I also wasn't about
to take no shitty chocolate bar solely for his sake. We ate in silence for a while
then, both of us content with just the other's company. It wasn't until we ran out
of junk food that he acknowledged my existence at all.

"Do you like, ever get customers?"

"A couple a day, it's definitely slow paced."

"How does he manage to stay open?" I shrugged, not sure of the answer. He seemed to
think about this longer for a minute, his eyes glazed over as he zoned out. I tried
to distract myself with my phone so I didn't get caught up in staring at him again,
but it was a futile effort. My eyes flickered back up to his face, watching as he
absentmindedly bit his lip, obviously deep in thought. Without thinking I opened up
the camera, holding my breath as I silently snapped a picture of him. My heart
started to beat again when he didn't look up, still entranced in his thoughts. I
leaned back in my chair, making sure he couldn't see my screen, and looked at the
photo. It was off-centered and a bad angle, but it was also absolutely perfect;
because it was him. I was vaguely aware of how stalker-status this was of me, but I
couldn't help it. I grinned at my phone screen happily, feeling a blush creep
across my cheeks.

"Are you on your top-secret Tumblr again?" I immediately shoved the phone into my
pocket, realizing Troye was sitting up in his chair and trying to look at the
screen.

"Top-secret?"

"Did you really think I didn't notice how worked up you got over the topic before?
It's fine though, don't worry about it, I probably wouldn't want you to see my
Tumblr either." That's what he said, but I couldn't hep but notice the slightly
hurt look in his eyes before he looked away. I wonder what his blog's like. I
sighed, wishing I could show him mine. I adored my Tumblr, the idea of showing it
off and bragging about my notes was definitely appealing, except then he'd have to
actually see the content I posted. My content varied, of course, but post reflected
some side of my personality or interests. Considering none of my friends had
Tumblr, I was completely honest on there. So yes, there were a hell of a lot of
pictures of hot guys and me obsessing over them. That wasn't even mentioning all
the sappy dreamer stuff or the endless posts about gay rights. If he even glanced
at my Tumblr my sexuality would be pretty freaking clear, and I didn't know if I
was ready for him to know yet.

"Yeah, it's kind of personal." I mumbled guiltily, looking away the second he
looked up from the floor.

"Personal, but public to the entire world. Interesting concept, Tyler." I rolled my
eyes at this, deciding to get to my feet and try and evade the passive aggressive
mood. I shuffled past him, heading into the back office. I sighed, furrowing my
brow when the mop bucket wasn't in the usual place. I opened up the closet, glaring
at the mess inside. How was I supposed to find anything in here! I began trifling
through, my lips in a tight unimpressed line. When I came up empty handed after
about ten minutes I decided to venture back out and see if Troye was an happier. I
strolled out of the tiny room, stopping in my tracks when I found the space behind
the counter empty.

"Troye?" I called out, a frown spreading across my face as I walked over. There
wasn't even a note! Had I made him that upset over the Tumblr thing? I pouted,
sinking down into my chair. Deep down I knew I had no reason to be that mad, it's
not like he'd promised to stay or anything. Why would he stay if I was being
annoying? Still, I found myself slipping further and further into a sulky mood. I
felt bad for the next customer we got, because my service was definitely going to
be below standards. I slumped over the counter, burying my face in my arms. How
quiet and boring the job was had never really bothered my before, not until I'd
known what it was like to spend the time with Troye by my side. I sighed loudly,
wondering if I was going to have to get him to forgive me all over again. Not that
I'd ever let it get to me, but it really was like he went out of his way to push me
away.

"Hey, Tyler, where do you- What's wrong?" I jolted upright, surprised to see a
confused looking Troye in one of the aisles, the missing mop in his right hand.

"N-Nothing. What are you doing here?" I blurted, still a little surprised to see
him. He seemed very confused by this question, knitting his eyebrows together. He
looked hurt for a split second, like he'd taken offense to what I'd said.

"Spending time with you?" It wasn't meant to be a question, but the tone he used
definitely made it seem like one. I blushed then, realizing how my question could
have been taken as rude out of context.

"Sorry, I just automatically assumed you left when I came back and didn't see you
here." I mumbled quietly, shifting around nervously in my seat. His lips turned up
into a smile now, any sign of doubt vanishing from his face as he walked over and
leaned against the counter.

"Aw, no, I just got bored of waiting for you to come back out so I decided to find
something to pass the time. I noticed the mop and figured you'd appreciate the
helping hand." I blushed even harder at his explanation, realizing how dumb I'd
been to jump to conclusions so fast. He was doing a favor for me and I'd expected
so little out of him. I felt downright guilty, sinking my face back down into my
arms with a defeated huff. It seemed like only a couple seconds later that I felt
his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Besides, who would drive you home if
I left?"

"I could have walked." I offered, though there was no hiding how red my cheeks were
getting in a blush at his obvious sentiment. He was worried about me, making sure I
got home safe. I smiled into my arms, but only for a second before I felt something
hit me in the side. It wasn't painful, but it was soaked and had likely left a big
print on my shirt. I straightened up, glowering over at Troye. He was laughing to
himself, my expression only pushing him further over the edge. I glanced down at
the floor, not surprised to see the used swiffer pad.

"You're the worst."

"I tried to warn you before you got involved with me, but you weren't hearing it."

"Earlier, were you asking where we kept the refills?" I asked, gesturing toward the
discarded trash. He nodded eagerly, bounding over to my side. I rolled my eyes at
his childish enthusiasm, knowing he'd get bored of mopping soon, likely before he'd
even finished the full job. That didn't stop me from leading him into the crammed
office area though, gesturing grandly to the disaster closet from earlier.

"This is what took me so long earlier. Good luck." I clapped him on the back with a
sheepish grin, leaving him alone in the room and walking back to the counter. I was
surprised to see a group of teenage girls had wandered in, chatting about something
obnoxiously loud. I sighed, ignoring them and instead letting my eyes fall back
onto my phone. They were loud, but they didn't look the type to get into any
trouble if I wasn't watching them. I was in the very middle of an interesting text-
post, when someone cleared their throat above me. I guiltily looked up, locking
eyes with one of the girls. The rest of them were still off getting stuff
somewhere. I jumped up, taking the junk food and rental movie and scanning them
hastily. I was just handing her the bag when the three others ran over, squealing
and being generally annoying. I plastered on a fake smile as they approached and
two of them returned it, the other one staring at me with her mouth hanging agape.

"Wait, you work here?" She asked, staring at me curiously. I ran a hand through my
hair nervously, confused by how invested in this conversation she was. Please tell
me she didn't have a crush on me or something, she was way too young for that.
"Uh, obviously." I replied gruffly, hoping to discourage her. It didn't work
though, considering she was giggling like mad a moment later. I waited patiently
for her to pull herself together and put her items up, knowing better than to get
snappy with the customers.

Even if the customers were extremely annoying.

"That definitely explains why Troye insists on going to this store instead of the
ones in town." She said it casually, dropping her items then and turning to strike
up a conversation with her friends again. I wasn't having that though, clearing my
throat loudly.

"How do you know Troye?" I asked, flickering my eyes between hers and the things I
was checking out. She narrowed her eyes at me, like she was deciding whether she
wanted to tell me or not. Or maybe she was just wondering why I was so intent on
finding out.

"I'm his sister, Sage." She said, her tone slightly cautious. This made it clear to
me that she hadn't been deciding if she wanted to tell me or not, but rather, how
much trouble she'd get in for telling me. I smiled cheekily, taking extra time to
get her change sorted out.

"I didn't know Troye had a sister." I drawled, actually taking time to take in her
appearance. I could see it now, their resemblance. They both had those deep blue
eyes and the same lips. I swear, they were a family of gods and goddesses. I
wouldn't be surprised if I walk into his house on Saturday and he introduces me to
his dad, Zeus.

"Up until last night I didn't know Troye had a boyfriend." I came back to Earth at
her sudden quip, my eyes going wide and my jaw unhinging slightly. Boyfriend?

"W-What?" I spluttered out, taking in her mischievous smirk and sparkling eyes. I
could feel my heart racing in my chest, my palms getting uncomfortably sweaty.

"I'm kidding. It was a joke, no need to have a heart attack on me." She laughed,
her giggle unmistakably familiar to Troye's. This calmed me down reasonably and my
breathing slowly evened back out. I could only imagine of red my cheeks were right
now. She reached out then, gracefully dropping some spare change into my tip jar
with a smile. She turned on her heel to leave then, her friends having already
wandered out on their own accord. She made it about a step before a familiar voice
cursing filled the building.

"Fuck! Tyler, I can't find it anywhere, are you even sure they're in here?" There
was no mistaking the frustration in Troye's voice, or the bubbly smile that Sage
had on when she turned back around. Troye stomped out of the room only a couple
seconds later, his fists balled and his eyes narrowed. He actually made it a good
portion of the way to the counter staring at the floor, before he inevitably looked
up and noticed who was standing beside the counter. I couldn't help but snicker
along with Sage when his eyes went impossibly wide, nearly popping out of his head.

"Sage! What are you doing here?" He snapped, not hesitating a second to walk over
to her and grab her arm. They didn't speak, just making an array of faces at the
other and apparently understanding it fine. Sage let out a final whine as Troye
started to drag her out the door with him, struggling against his arm
halfheartedly.

"But Troye! I was having a lovely conversation with your boyfriend!" She shouted,
making sure that he realized I could hear her. I watched him pinch her side then,
steering her out the door with a scowl and muttering what sounded like, "How many
times do I have to tell you? He is not my boyfriend"

So they'd had this conversation before? We'd only known each other a couple days
and they'd already had this conversation? Was Troye gushing to his family about me?
I pushed those thoughts out of my head, taking a deep breath. If that was the case,
that was positively adorable, but I couldn't afford to be let down if it wasn't.

a/N: Heyheyheyheyheyheyhey. Is that enough hey for you guys? Also if all the
backtracking from Tyler's POV was boring and seemed choppy, I apologize, but I felt
you needed more insight into his head. Ugh, this was a long chapter so I think I'll
keep the author's note short. I love you all a sHIT TON and would love you even
more if you COMMENT or VOTE <#<#<#<#<#<##

Chapter Nineteen
*Troye's POV*

I watched Tyler get out of the car with half-closed eyes, still a little drowsy
from just waking up. I knew I'd been the one to hurry him out of the car, but that
had been when I was half asleep and wasn't thinking straight. I kind of regretted
it now, a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach nagging at me over it. I managed
to fight it another three seconds before I inevitably reached over and opened the
door, bounding toward him. It wasn't until I nearly tripped over his heel that I
realized how fast I'd been moving. I struggled to keep myself from falling on my
face, not allowing myself to hold onto him for support. That would just be clingy.
He spun around just as I managed to weeble back into good footing, awkwardly
darting my eyes down to the pavement when I seen his obviously strained smile.
Maybe I shouldn't have came after him, maybe just this was already too clingy.

"Miss me already?" I was swamped with a wave of relief at his teasing tone, but
there was something new too, something different. It felt like my stomach was doing
flip-flops, and not in a necessarily bad way. I tried to shove it away into the
back of my mind like any other emotion I felt, but it just didn't work, only making
me get even more flustered when I finally looked up at him. He was grinning at me
cockily, making it clear I was wearing my thoughts on my face. Great, he wasn't
going to let me live this blush down, I can already tell. I decided to try and
brush it off anyway, hurrying to come up with an excuse.

"No, I just didn't eat much at lunch and was thinking maybe-" I was cut-off
suddenly, his pointer finger suddenly pressed to my lips as he shushed me loudly.
The feeling from earlier returned full-force, to the point I suddenly found it
difficult to even draw breaths.

"Shh, there's no need for excuses. We both know they aren't true." He winked at me
then, and I'm not even going to try to explain the amount of feelings that gave me.
He turned abruptly, flicking his 'hair' over his shoulder and marching into the
store confidently. I was left standing there awestruck for a moment, watching as he
walked away. Please tell me this isn't happening. I don't want these kind of
feelings, especially not for him. He's the first friend I've made in such a long
time, I don't need anything more working against us than we already have. I closed
my eyes for just a second, mentally reminding myself all the reasons this was
completely and utterly not okay, before hurrying into the store after him.

I walked up beside him, following his gaze to the familiar store owner. He walked
out of one of the aisles looking a little bit frazzled, his arms full of boxes. I
wasn't actually that interested in their interaction, and was about to go gather my
food, when I heard the man mention me.

"Look who decided to show up today! Oh, and you brought a friend?" I tensed at
Tyler's side, watching as he turned to look at me painfully slow. He looked a
little surprised when his eyes fell on me and for a fleeting moment I was worried
he was annoyed by how closely I stuck by him. That was, until he took a step back
and moved to wrap an arm around my waist. I froze, going completely rigid when I
felt his thumb brush against my waist where my shirt had rode up. He probably
didn't even notice, but it would have been impossible for me not to. Partly because
of the natural butterflies I got, but also the electric spark that always
accompanied random mind intrusions.

Aw, look at how nervous he is. I've never seen anyone's cheeks get that red before.

"This is Troye! With an e." Tyler shouted suddenly, squeezing me into his side even
tighter, my knees buckling at the sudden movement just slightly, so I was standing
shorter than him for once. My face collided with his chest but I wasn't really
complaining, the initial pain from hitting my nose subsiding the second I smelled
his cologne.

And he had the nerve to think I smell good.

I cautiously looked up at him through my eyelashes, checking his features for any
sign of uncomfortableness. When I didn't find any I didn't make any immediate move
to shrug his embrace off, instead keeping my face buried in his chest for just a
bit longer, deespite how much effort it took to keep my knees bent at the angle to
stay that short. There was definitely no denying these foreign feelings now, I'd
been coaxed into watching enough romantic comedies in my lifetime to recognize
them, I just never thought I would. I got lost in the bubbly feeling for a minute,
before the sound of the bell ringing as the door closed brought me back to life. I
immediately shoved him off, stalking off to the back of the store.

Now that I wasn't near him the bubbly feeling had passed, I had time to actually
consider what was going on, sadly. Getting a crush on anyone was stupid for me, I
knew all too well it'd only lead to disappointment in the long run. But getting a
crush on Tyler Oakley? That was beyond idiotic. For one thing, he was
unquestionably straight, but even if he wasn't, he was a thousand years out of my
league. Have you seen the guy? I'm still shocked he lets himself be seen in public
with me. No, in all of my years, this was most definitely the stupidest thing I'd
ever felt. So why was it the thing that made me the most happy?

Maybe it was because I'd given up on falling in love at all a long time ago, so
even the idea of knowing it was possible sounded nice. It sounded nice, but that
didn't mean it was going to be. Really all it did was give me even more potential
to be hurt, and that was the last thing I needed. I groaned helplessly, sinking my
head into my hands for a moment. I didn't let myself mope long though, knowing
Tyler would come looking for me soon. I snatched up a ton of food, making it look
like choosing my selection had been what took me so long, and hurried off toward
the front.

I turned into an aisle, surprised to see Tyler standing there instead of behind the
counter. I noticed he'd shrugged on the little apron he had to wear while working,
smirking to myself at how cute it looked on him. I took a silent step closer,
observing what exactly it was he was doing. I watched as he continued to line up
the boxes like some sort of perfectionist, all of them in perfect place. I couldn't
help the goofy smile invading my face, watching his concentrated face as he tucked
his lips in. I sighed inaudibly, weighing my options as he continued to work.
Obviously I wouldn't be acting on my newly discovered affections, but it had
already been proven impossible to ignore them. So what options did that leave?
Distancing myself from him and hoping they faded away? I couldn't do that. I
couldn't do that to Tyler, just cutting him out of my life without explanation, but
I also couldn't do it to myself. Completely disregarding any of these romantic
feelings, the time I spent with Tyler was unlike anything else I'd ever
experienced. I mean, granted my social experiences were pretty limited, but I had a
feeling it wasn't something you found easily. When I was with him I didn't mind
being myself, I might even say I'd began to like myself. I couldn't let some stupid
childish crush compromise that, even if it was the only thing remotely romantic I'd
ever felt in my life.

That left one option; continue on like we had been, keeping all these emotions
bottled up. I wouldn't be ignoring them, but I definitely wouldn't be embracing
them either.

I came to this conclusion just as Tyler set up the final box, smiling happily to
himself as he adjusted it to perfection. I rolled my eyes at his perfectionist
behavior, deciding to get him back for teasing me around Bruce. I silently crept up
behind him, reaching over his shoulder to ping a single box. He shrugged
indifferently at first, before it fell on the others and started a chain reaction.

"Troye Sivan!" He hissed, turning around to glare at me. His nostrils flared as he
crossed his arms, turning on his heel and stomping off to the cash register without
another word. I rolled my eyes at his sassy behavior, following after him. He was
already behind the counter when I got there so I approached slowly, before letting
all of my stuff drop to the counter carelessly. It wasn't like any of it was
valuable. Besides, something else had caught my attention. My eyes fell on a little
piece of paper sitting on the counter beside the cash register. I bent over and
leaned on my elbows, trying to subtly inspect what was on the note. It was a list
of his responsibilities, which you wouldn't think would be that interesting, but it
was. Maybe it was just because it was Tyler's writing or because I'd never had a
job of my own, but I couldn't stop reading it until I'd finished now that I'd
started. My eyes fell on the last line not long after and I noticeably cringed,
wrinkling my nose up in distaste.

"Gross, you have to clean toilets?" I asked, looking up at him. He was staring
back, but he definitely didn't make any immediate moves to reply. Instead he just
continued staring, the faintest of smiles on his lips. I suddenly felt embarrassed
under his gaze, shifting uncomfortably and grabbing the paper, waving it around in
his face to remind him that I'd spoken. He snatched it out of my hand and went to
put it back where I'd found it.

"Well, someone has to." I cringed, just the thought of it grossing me out beyond
belief.

"But that's disgusting. It's one thing cleaning your own, but imagine all the
strangers that-"

"You're gross, just take your junk and go." He interrupted, though his voice was
still teasing. I sighed loudly, taking the bag of food and turning toward the door.
I wasn't really looking forward to this, going home and sitting alone in my room,
thinking. I really didn't want to think right now, I craved the sweet distraction
that came whenever I was around Tyler. The bliss of not caring about anything else
but the moment we were in. I bit my lip, wondering just how far was too far
clinginess wise. He hadn't seemed bothered by it so far. I spun around and forced a
cheeky smile on my face, trying my best to look sure of myself as I marched behind
the counter and sat in his seat.

"Actually, I think I might take my junk and stay, if it's all the same to you. I'm
hoping to see the one and only Tyler Oakley in action cleaning toilets." I purred,
glad when my voice didn't crack or stutter. I grabbed a chocolate bar then, hoping
this enforced the fact that I was here to stay. I closed my eyes as I took my first
bite, glad I'd chosen my food randomly if it meant trying new chocolate bars like
this. When I opened my eyes again I caught Tyler staring, though he didn't even
bother to look away nervously, he just kept his eyes on me, a thoughtful expression
on his face.

"That's considered loitering, sir, I'm going to have to ask you to vacate the
building." He boomed suddenly, causing me to jump at the sudden change in his
voice. After the initial shock I couldn't help but burst out laughing, and couldn't
stop after I'd started no matter how hard I tried. "What if I had of been serious
and you just laughed at me? I work here, I'm in a position of authority over you,
you know."

"I wouldn't be here if I knew you were serious, Tyler. You want me here just as
much as I want to stay." I sighed, sinking back into my chair (well, his chair). In
truth I wasn't completely sure of myself, despite how cocky I was acting all the
sudden. What if he really had wanted me to leave?

"And is that a lot or something?" I blushed immediately, suddenly really self-

conscious. Way to seem overly attached and clingy, Troye.

"I mean, I don't really have anything better to do..."

"Well, I'm glad, you're pretty decent company." The corner of my lips quirked up
into a smile at his words, though it only grew into a full-fledged grin when he put
a hand on my shoulder. I didn't hear his thoughts, but I didn't mind, the words had
been more than enough to reassure me. I leaned my head on his hand then, my cheek
falling on the back of his hand as I snuggled into it.

"I know I am." I chirped, reluctantly straightening up and shrugging off his hand.
I went back to eating the chocolate, though now it was more nibbling than anything
else considering the butterflies in my stomach were to insane to eat much right
now. He sat in the chair next to me then, leaning back and stretching. Now that I'd
come to terms with my feelings a little bit I didn't even have to question it when
I studiously watched the muscles flex in his arms. "So, what do you do while you're
sitting here?"

This sparked an insanely boring conversation about the store, though I also
realized how it'd be important to know these things if I ever went to work with him
again. When I go to work with him next, I mean. I was lost in my thoughts about
what this meant to my unconfirmed sexuality then, wondering if I was gay or bi. I
mean, I'd never been attracted to a girl, but before today I hadn't been to a guy
either. I sighed, deciding I could sort out the specifics some other time, right
now I should just enjoy my time with Tyler. I turned to face him, rolling my eyes
when I seen his eyes fixed on his phone screen, a dorky smile on his face.

"Are you on your top-secret Tumblr again?" I asked, craning my neck in an effort to
see the screen. It didn't work, as he immediately pulled it back and shoved it in
his pocket, his lips in a tight line. He was so insanely secretive about his Tumblr
and it beyond intrigued me. What could he possibly have to blog about he wasn't
okay with me seeing? I thought he was an open book around me? Though it'd be
hypocritical of me to get mad at him for keeping secrets, so I tried to hide my
obvious disappointment.

"Top-secret?" He questioned, raising a single eyebrow.

"Did you really think I didn't notice how worked up you got over the topic before?
It's fine though, don't worry about it, I probably wouldn't want you to see my
Tumblr either." I laughed nervously, looking across the store at one of the
displays to avoid his questioning eyes. Truthfully, I probably would have given him
my Tumblr. It was mostly just random funny posts and the occasional sad one,
nothing really secretive.

"Yeah, it's kind of personal." I looked up when he spoke, only to watch him look
away. I bit my lip, a little annoyed with the fact he couldn't even look me in the
eye. It was stupid to get this worked up, but I was insanely curious at this point.

"Personal, but public to the entire world. Interesting concept, Tyler." I regretted
the sassy comment the second I said it, but I wasn't about to take it back even if
I could. I wanted him to know it irked me, maybe I could weasel my way into getting
him to tell me eventually. I began to seriously doubt that when he abruptly got up,
walking off into some little room a few feet away. I sighed, sinking down in my
chair and tapping my foot against it impatiently. When he still wasn't back two
minutes later I jumped up from my seat, my attention span officially gone. I
decided to walk through every single aisle and examine the wares, in case there was
anything I'd missed with my straight-to-the-junk-food path. I didn't find anything,
other than a mop bucket in the middle of one of them. I picked it up, intending to
just move it out of the way, but once I got back to the counter and Tyler still
wasn't there I decided it'd be a decent way to pass the time. Besides, it'd make
Tyler's workload easier on him anyway.

Fuck, now I've started doing chores for him, what's next?

Still, I grabbed the mop again and marched back to the other side of the store,
deciding to start from the back corner. I had swabbed the floor about three times
before realizing the mop was making it dirtier more-so than cleaner. I sighed,
flipping it over to look at the insanely dirty swiffer pad. It looked like it had
been accumulating for years. Tyler really needs to learn how to change these
things. I sighed, draining the mop before carrying it with me toward the front.
Before I even seen Tyler I started to speak, clearing my throat and walking
forward.

"Hey, Tyler, where do you- What's wrong?" My eyes fell on the slumped over Tyler,
looking completely exhausted. It wasn't until he jumped up straight that I realized
it wasn't exhaustion, he was sad. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the need to
comfort him, but instead I held my ground. I needed to find out what was wrong
before I could help him any.

"N-Nothing. What are you doing here?" I furrowed my brows at this, wracking my
brain in hopes of realizing what he meant. What was I doing here? Hanging out with
him? Did he not want me here or something?

"Spending time with you?" I said tentatively, studying his face closely to try and
read what he was really thinking. I didn't want to stay if I was annoying him, even
though leaving thing was the last thing I wanted to do right now. He blushed
suddenly, the familiar embarrassed expression of 'I'm an idiot' crossing his
features.

"Sorry, I just automatically assumed you left when I came back and didn't see you
here." His voice was barely anything more than a whisper, but in the completely
silent room of course I heard it. Everything made a bit more sense now and I
couldn't help but smile at the situation. He'd been upset because he thought I
left. He didn't want me to leave to the point he got genuinely sad over it.
Suddenly I didn't feel so bad about being clingy, knowing he felt the exact same
way. I walked over then, the smile still etched across my lips.

"Aw, no, I just got bored of waiting for you to come back out so I decided to find
something to pass the time. I noticed the mop and figured you'd appreciate the
helping hand." I said honestly, leaning all my weight on the counter across from
him. He was blushing even more now, and I suddenly understood why he liked it when
I did so much. There was nothing as cute as when he blushed, and I made it a
personal goal to see it as many times as I possibly could. He sunk back down into
his arms again, probably trying to hide his blush, but I'd already seen everything
I needed to. I walked around behind the counter then, reaching over to squeeze his
shoulder. "Besides, who would drive you home if I left?"

"I could have walked." He mumbled sheepishly, making it clear he definitely liked
this idea better than walking. I sighed, annoyed that he wouldn't straighten up. He
was keeping me from seeing how cute his blush was! I suddenly remembered why I'd
come over here to begin with and flipped the mop, peeling the used piece off and
chucking it at him. I couldn't help but smirk when he flinched, his shoulders
squaring and back straightening. Now that his face was out of his arms he glared at
me, scrunching his features together in what looked more like an irked puppy than
threatening. I started to giggle at this, remembering how intimidated by him I used
to be. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at him as threatening again.

"You're the worst." He mumbled, staring down at the floor.

"I tried to warn you before you got involved with me, but you weren't hearing it."

"Earlier, were you asking where we kept the refills?" He asked, gesturing down to
the floor where it had fallen. I nodded quickly, hurrying over to his side so I
wouldn't miss wherever it was he kept them. Who knows, I might need to refer back
to it in future visits. He got up though, proving it wasn't behind the counter he
kept them, and led me toward the same room he'd been in earlier. The second I
walked in I noticed the open closet, overflowing with junk.

"This is what took me so long earlier. Good luck." He laughed, clapping a hand on
my back unintentionally hard. I gasped, the wind knocked out of me a bit, and
watched him leave the room casually. I groaned out loud, but hurried to start
trifling through all the junk. The sooner I found this the sooner I could get back
to hanging out with Tyler.

Ten minutes later and I still hadn't found anything, and I was certain I'd seen
every stupid thing in this closet. Was Tyler even sure they were in here? I decided
to ask him, partly because I actually cared, but mostly because I just wanted an
excuse to talk to him again.

"Fuck! Tyler, I can't find it anywhere, are you even sure they're in here?" I
shouted, running a hand through my hair before marching out of the room and
straight to the counter. I swear, if Tyler sent me on a wild goose chase I was
going to be really upset. Digging through messy closets was far from my favorite
pastime. I looked up then, knowing he cocky expression would give it away if he had
purposely pranked me. It wasn't his face that caught my attention for once though,
instead a familiar one standing behind the counter. What was Sage doing here? What
had she been saying to Tyler!?

"Sage! What are you doing here?" I hissed, hurrying over to her side and grabbing
her by the wrist. She looked up at me, a painfully familiar mischievous glint in
her eyes, telling me she'd been up to no good. I glared back, silently telling her
not to fight me as I inevitably pulled her out of the store for questioning. I
didn't want to make a scene in front of Tyler, but I certainly wasn't letting her
stay here and embarrass me any further. Her challenging glare began to falter and
she let out a pathetic whine, letting her arm go limp in my grasp. I took this as
permission to drag her away, starting toward the door with a determined expression.
She was being unusually good about all of this, so I really should have seen her
next words coming.

"But Troye! I was having a lovely conversation with your boyfriend!" She whined
loudly, looking over her shoulder at Tyler. My eyes went wide and I immediately
pinched her, a look of pure hatred painted on my face. Please tell me she wasn't
doing this. Tyler may not be homophobic but I doubt he's going to take me having a
gay crush on him lightly. Besides, she doesn't even know about that yet, I barely
know about that yet, she has no room to say these things for me.

"How many times do I have to tell you? He is not my boyfriend." I said strictly,
hauling her the last step out of the door, letting it fall shut behind us with a
loud crash. The second it had closed my eyes went wide and I shoved her, only
feeling a little bit bad when she had to struggle to keep her footing and not fall
on her ass.

"Fuck, Troye, no need to get abusive." She mumbled, straightening up her shirt. I
rolled my eyes, knowing she was completely sarcastic. At the same time she must
know this meant a lot, seeing as I never touched people in any context.

"Why did you do that? Do you have to mess up every relationship I have?" I growled,
balling my hands into fists at my sides. She seemed to think her response through
for a second, likely trying to decide just what level of angry I was.

"And by every you mean the only one, right?"

"Yes, Sage, I do. Which, if anything, should make it more important that you don't
sabotage it, because he's the only one I've got. Do you not like me being social or
something? Did you like it when I shut myself up in my room every single day or-"

"Troye! I get it, okay? I'm sorry, I didn't realize you'd get this upset." My
breathing began to steady, hearing how honest she sounded. I sighed, realizing how
harsh I'd been.

"I'm sorry too. He just, he means a lot to me and I don't want to mess this one
up." I ran a hand through my hair awkwardly, refusing to meet her gaze.

"That sounds an awful lot like how someone would talk about a crush, Troye Sivan."
She said finally, after a long pause. I rolled my eyes, turning to go back into the
store.

"Get out of here, your friends are waiting for you." I said, reaching for the door
handle. Just before I reached it she squealed, grabbing my arm.

"Wait a minute! Did you just not deny that?" She asked cautiously, staring into my
eyes like they held all the answers. I met her gaze for awhile, before it started
to get awkward and I looked away, taking a deep breath.

"Sage." I said through clenched teeth, wishing she'd just drop it and go away.

"Oh my god, you do! I can not wait to tell Mom." She beamed, turning to bounce
away. I caught her arm this time though, gripping it tightly.

"You are not telling anyone."

"Oh, I don't know... It depends, are you admitting you have feelings for him?" I
sighed, expecting this from her. If there was one thing she did better than annoy,
it was blackmail. I shifted uncomfortably, knowing exactly how this conversation
was going to play out. It always went this way when I kept any sort of secret,
somehow she just knew, and there was nothing I could do but admit to it. This
wasn't like my normal secrets though, like when I'd 'borrowed' twenty dollars from
Mom's purse or when I'd broken the television and blamed it on young Tyde. This was
big, probably the second biggest secret I had, and she obviously knew that judging
by her excited expression.

"You are such a fucking nuisance."

"I'm just gonna call Mom to keep her updated..." She mumbled, pulling out her phone
and beginning to type in the familiar number. The closer she got to finishing the
more my heart raced, to the point my hands had started to shake. I groaned,
slapping a hand to my forehead.

"Fine, I might like him a tiny bit but I swear to God, Sage, if you tell a single
living soul I will not hesitate to post hideous baby pictures of you on all of your
friends and love interests walls for the rest of your life." I threatened, exhaling
loudly through my nose. She seemed to freeze, her eyes wide and her jaw unhinged.
After a few seconds of this she blinked suddenly, launching herself at me and
clinging to me like a little child.

"Awh! Troye!" She squealed, squeezing the air right out of my lungs. I gasped
loudly, squirming in an attempt to get her off. She eventually took the hint and
backed off a step, though her smile hadn't dimmed at all. "I'm so happy for you."

"I'm serious, Sage, tell a single soul and you're ruined." I cautioned, holding a
finger up. She rolled her eyes at this, swatting my hand back down.

"Do you really think I'd even try to get in the way of this? Believe it or not I do
want what's best for you." She said, her tone suddenly so serious it worried me. I
blushed under the sentimental words, staring down at the pavement. As annoying as
she and the rest of my family were, I did know they only wanted what was best for
me. We didn't always see eye-to-eye about what exactly that was, but that wasn't
important. The sentiment was there and that's all that mattered.

"Whatever, get out of here." I mumbled, not wanting her to see how much her sappy
words had affected me. She sighed, nodding, but instead of leaving she reached into
her purse and pulled out a ten dollar bill. She handed it to me then, with a wide
smile. "What's this for?"

"In case you need to buy some condoms! I'm always looking out for you, brother."
She said sweetly, though the situation kind of ruined her caring tone. I groaned,
snatching the money from her with a glare. Of course I wasn't actually going to buy
condoms, but I wasn't about to throw away free money.

"Fuck off." I said, quickly heading back into the store before she got the chance
to embarrass me any further. In truth, I hadn't even thought of that aspect of
liking someone yet. I hadn't even had my first kiss, so sex was kind of a big leap.
Still, that didn't stop how red my cheeks were as I marched into the store. My
blush only got worse when I seen Tyler's smirk, biting his lip as he watched me
walk back inside. Oh fuck, I'm not nearly done with this being embarrassed shit
yet, am I?

A/n: HEY Y'ALL, WHAT'S HAPPENIN? I've noticed a lot of people are kinda in a panic
because they don't want them to get together yet and I promisepromisepromise they
will not be getting together yet, though they are obviously going to start
questioning their feelings and possibly even flirting beforehand? yannnnnnnnno.
Okay, COMMENT AND VOTE AND BE AWESOME
One last thing, I posted my new Troyler story 'Stolen' so you should all go check
it out. It's the one I mentioned with the smut ;) ;) ;) ;)

Chapter Twenty
*Tyler's POV*
It felt like ages waiting for Troye to return, but I refused to give in to the
temptation to go and eavesdrop on their conversation. Sure, they could be saying
exactly what I wanted to hear and it could work out lovely, but what if Troye was
just out there listing all the reasons he'd never date me? I wasn't ready for that
yet, I wanted to keep clinging to this hope, even if it was false.

I sighed, deciding I was going to go out of my mind if I just sat there any longer.
I decided to go find Troye's stupid mop things, knowing they were somewhere in that
closet. I found them nearly as soon as I started looking and snickered to myself,
wondering how Troye had found it so difficult. I was definitely going to rub that
one in. I carried them back with me to the counter and sat them down. I was about
to go off and find something else to occupy my time when the door opened, the
familiar chime of the bell echoing throughout the room. The first thing I noticed
about Troye was how deeply red his cheeks were, making it very clear that for
whatever reason, Sage's teasing had really gotten to him. I bit my lip, trying to
convince myself that that could have been for a wide array of reasons and that it
didn't necessarily mean he liked me. He trailed over to the counter then, still
blushing and refusing to meet my gaze.

"So, boyfriend, how did that go?" I teased, raising my eyebrows inquisitively. He
still didn't look up from the floor, though his cheeks got impossibly darker.

"I am so sorry about Sage, I'm pretty sure she was dropped on her head on a daily
basis as a child." He said awkwardly, his tone making it sound like he couldn't
decide if it was supposed to be a serious apology or a bad joke. I rolled my eyes,
reaching over the counter to squeeze his shoulder.

"I like her, she's a lot like you." I said honestly, letting my hand linger on his
shoulder for a while longer. He seemed to think about this for a moment, his blush
slowly fading.

"Are you indirectly calling me obnoxious and annoying?" He asked, though his
sarcastic tone made it clear he was only kidding. I decided not to reply
sarcastically though, hoping to see him blush again.

"No, I'm indirectly calling you funny and cute, it's a compliment." I said
honestly, watching for his reaction. He rolled his eyes at first as if he just
brushed my words off, though his returning blush made it very clear he hadn't. He
didn't reply, instead snatching the swiffer pads off the counter and wandering over
to the mop. I sat back down in my chair and took my phone out, claiming to myself
that I was 'scrolling through Tumblr' when in reality I spent the majority of the
time watching Troye attempt mopping over the top of the screen. It was very clear
this was his first time doing chores of any type, his face growing more and more
frustrated the longer he worked on trying to keep the mop from leaving streaks on
the floor. I didn't offer to help though, looking forward to the moment he got so
frustrated he gave up and had to ask me to do it for him.

I had to give him credit when five minutes later he'd barely covered a square foot
of the floor without leaving ugly streaks. He groaned loudly suddenly, bashing the
mop onto the floor repeatedly. I giggled, clearing my throat.

"Troye, I don't think that's how you're supposed to mop."

"Oh, my bad, obviously I wouldn't freaking know anyway." He grumbled, coming over
and falling into the seat beside me. I sighed loudly, ruffling his hair up
annoyingly as I walked over to the mop.

"I'll do it." I said simply, starting to work. It took me no time at all compared
to Troye, seeing as I knew exactly what he was doing wrong; forgetting to wring out
the mop after dunking it in the water. I was finishing up the back corner a little
quicker than I should, mostly because this was the only part of the store I
couldn't see Troye from. It was a little sad how much I craved him near, but I
wasn't about to try and fight it. Instead I gave in and sauntered off to find him
the very second the floor seemed passable. He was exactly where I'd left him,
sitting behind the counter with his feet propped up happily. I shoved them down so
I could get to my own chair, letting out a long sigh as I enjoyed the rest.

"How was mopping?"

"Boring. How was sitting here doing nothing?"

"Boring." He replied, letting out a long sigh.

"I told you, you can leave whenever you want." I mumbled, though my heart wasn't in
the words at all. I'd be extremely disappointed if he left right now. I wouldn't
blame him though, this was a pretty boring way to spend your night, especially when
you weren't the one getting paid for it.

"And I told you, I'm staying to drive you home." He said strictly, looking over at
me with a determined expression, daring me to challenge him. I wasn't about to
though, because I wanted him to drive me home probably even more than he did. I did
want to make this more fun for him though, wracking my brain to think of something
to pass the time. The options were pretty limited but when I seen a piece of paper
I couldn't help but remember how I'd spent ninety-percent of my time in middle
school when things were boring. I grabbed a piece of paper off the counter and
scooted closer to him, drawing the familiar Tic Tac Toe grid. I held the pencil out
to him when I'd finished, smiling widely at him.

"You go first."

"You are such a five year old." He sighed, rolling his eyes. He didn't hesitate to
choose 'X' and mark in the middle though, making me roll my eyes.

"And you are so painfully predictable." I said, snatching the pencil back for my
turn. I actually thought for a second before marking mine, though the fact Troye's
eyes were on my the whole time made it a lot harder to think. I didn't question it
though, or even dare to let him know that I'd noticed he was staring, I had the
sneaky suspicion I wasn't supposed to know.

By the time it was time to close shop we'd played every on-paper game you could
think of. From Tic Tac Toe to Hangman, and I always seemed to beat him at all of
them. He was getting pretty frustrated near the end of it so I decided to suggest
one that didn't really have a winner.

"Alright, let's play Mash."

"I don't know what that is." He stated blandly. I just rolled my eyes and set the
game up. A little bit of awkwardness ensued when I tried to decide what names to
put under the spouse category, seeing as I wasn't entirely sure of his sexuality,
but I ended up just putting a bunch of hot celebrities that would be marriage
material to absolutely anyone. Once I'd set it all up I turned to him with a smile,
starting to draw a spiral on the back of the paper.

"Tell me when to stop." I said in a singsong voice, flickering my eyes up to his

for a split second.
"Tyler, what the hell kind of game is this?" He asked, sounding completely done
with my shit. I ignored him though, continuing drawing the spiral indefinitely
until he played by the rules. "Stop."

"Okay, your number is eight!" I then started the long process of tallying through
whatever options came up every eight ticks, well aware of how confused and excited
he looked as I went. I let out a sigh of relief when I finally finished and there
was only one option uncovered per category.

"Alright, your future house will be a shed." I giggled, looking up to see his
reaction. His lips were set in a tight line, still trying to feign annoyed, though
every couple seconds you'd see them twitch as he fought off the smile threatening
to break free. "You're married to Channing Tatum, you'll adopt seven lovely
children, and you will have a pet tarantula-"

"Hell no I won't. I hate spiders." He interrupted, cringing noticeably at just the

thought of owning the pet. I grinned, happy to see he was actually enjoying the
game now. I was about to continue his stats when I realized he hadn't brought up
anything wrong with the rest of his life.

"But you'd marry Channing Tatum?" I asked, my tone slightly teasing in case he felt
uncomfortable with the question and didn't want to answer. He only blushed though,
running his hand through his hair and shrugging.

"Well... I mean, in all fairness, who wouldn't?"

"Touché" I replied, though I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed that his
answer hadn't given away anymore insight into his sexuality. I bit my lip, my eyes
falling back on the piece of paper. "You will drive a scooter, your job will be a
stripper, and you'll live in Narnia."

"Narnia? Did you seriously add that as an option? You are such a nerd." He groaned,
sinking his face into his hands. I picked up the paper then, with intentions to
crumple it up and toss it into the recycling bin, but instead he snatched it out of
my hands and started scanning through it happily, mumbling something about wanting
to see what the other options had been.

After he'd finished he reached for another piece of paper and started to draw the
set-up all over again. I felt a little bad when I reached over and caught his hand,
shaking my head.

"Why? I want to make one for you!" I smiled softly at how determined he was, but I
pointed to the clock. His eyes lit up with understanding when he seen the time,
though he still sighed loudly as he dropped the pencil. "Fine, let's get going."

"I just have to count the money and lock up, then I'll be out." I said simply,
waving him off. He furrowed his brow at this, leaning against the counter and
watching me instead of heading out to the car like I'd expected. I was halfway
through the stack of money when he yawned loudly and my eyes automatically
flickered up to watch him stretch out like a cat. He'd made me lose count yet
again, but I didn't really have the heart to be mad when he looked so adorable.

"Are you almost done?" He whined, crossing his arms. I shoved him gently.

"Go wait in the car, it's easier for me to concentrate when you aren't looking over
my shoulder watching everything I do."

"I am pretty distracting, huh?" He teased, wiggling his eyebrows before heading
toward the door. I bit my lip, watching him leave. He really had no idea how true
those words were.

Now that he wasn't there I found myself counting a lot faster, finishing up in
about two minutes as opposed to the ten it would have taken with him there. I
shoved the money back in the register and left a note for Bruce about how much
there was, taking off to lock both the back door and the front. The shipments came
in in the mornings most days while I was at school so the back door was always
unlocked by the time I got here. I shrugged off my apron on the way out the door,
which I then locked behind me. I had just finished locking it when a familiar car
horn startled me and I cursed loudly.

"I swear, Sivan, if you ever pull that on me again I will show up in your drive at
night and lay on the horn for an hour." I threatened, turning around to see he'd
pulled the car up next to me and had the window rolled down. He was giggling at my
threat, knowing very well I'd never act on it. I shot him a glare before going
across to the passenger's seat, enjoying the air conditioning he'd turned on. He
rolled his window up and turned to me with a cheeky smile.

"You don't know where I live, how do you intend to do that?"

"I will know after this weekend." I reminded him, leaning ahead to mess with the
radio. I turned it to a familiar pop station and settled back in my seat, looking
to him now to see his reaction. He seemed to be deep in thought, staring out the
windshield.

"Remind me to make sure Sage is out when you come over." He mumbled suddenly,
causing me to giggle. In all honesty I hoped she was home, I wanted to meet his
entire family. In truth, I wanted to get to a point where I could just show up at
his house unannounced to hangout. I smiled when a particularly sappy song came on
the radio, waiting for Troye to turn it off grumpily. He didn't though, instead
just pulling out of the parking lot and heading down the familiar road. The song
was almost over as we reached pulled into my drive, and I glanced over at him to
see what he thought of it. I wasn't expecting to see him mouthing the words to the
song in silence, making my heart flutter in my chest at the thought of him actually
singing it. He looked over at me as the car pulled to a stop, his eyes going wide
as he realized I'd been watching him. I smiled even wider, watching him nervously
scratch the back of his neck.

"What? It's a good song."

"Not too sappy for you?" I teased, licking my lips as I eagerly awaited what kind
of excuse he'd spit this time.

"I mean, it could stand to be a little less sappy I guess, but John Legend's voice
is nice enough to make up for the overly mushy lyrics."

"It's the overly mushy lyrics that make the song, idiot." I sighed, rolling my eyes
at how ignorant he was. He scoffed at this, leaning across the seats to shove me.

"Is not."

"Is too." I said strictly, sticking my tongue out at him as I grabbed my bag. He
opened his mouth to retort his usual response, but I'd already hopped out of the
car and closed the door behind me. I was halfway to my door when I realized he'd
followed me again, his feet purposely stepping on the back of my heels now. I spun
around, intending to scold him, but before I got the chance his chest collided with
my face. I guess I probably should have warned him I was going to stop. I flailed
my arms out, gripping onto his hips as he simultaneously grabbed onto my shoulders
to support me. I got my footing a moment later and was about to step away from the
awkward almost-hug when a familiar giggle behind me made me groan out loud.

"Sorry Ty! Didn't mean to interrupt!" My mother called, obviously on the porch and
obviously meaning to interrupt. I groaned even louder, letting my forehead fall
back to rest against his chest.

"Go back inside then." I muttered, just loud enough for her to hear. Her response
took a few seconds, an over-the-top whine preceding it.

"Do I have to? I want to meet him! You never let me meet your friends." I let out a
breath of relief when she used the word 'friend' instead of something even more
embarrassing like love interest. I wouldn't put it above her to purposely try and
embarrass me like that. I sighed, standing up on my tippy-toes to whisper in
Troye's ear.

"Do you want to meet my mom? She's annoying and a complete nuisance, I won't blame
you if you say no."

"No, I want to. You met Sage, it's only fair." I exhaled loudly through my nose,
finally untangling our limbs and stepping away from him.

"Fine." I pouted, turning to face my mother. She was in her pajamas with the
biggest smile I'd ever seen plastered on her face, nearly bouncing with excitement.
I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't help but smile back at how enthralled she was
to meet him. I'd always felt bad for leaving her out of my social life so much, I
just never realized how much she wanted to be included. Or maybe it was just
because she knew how I felt about Troye. Still, I grabbed his wrist and hauled him
toward him, mumbling under my breath, "Remember, you asked for this."

We stopped beside the porch and I took a deep breath, gesturing to both of them
dramatically.

"Mom, this is Troye. Troye this is my mother, Jackie." I said blandly, waiting for
the inevitable moment when she spoke up and embarrassed me even further. Except she
didn't, instead making things even more awkward by just smiling fondly at Troye.

"Mom, this is the part where you introduce yourself or something." I grumbled,
blushing when Troye chuckled quietly beside me.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about how right you were about him." She said warmly,
making me furrow my brows. What was she talking about? I tried to think back to
what I'd said about him that could have been proven true in just these few seconds,
my eyes going wide when it clicked that she was talking about when I'd called him
insanely cute.

"Mom." I cautioned, locking eyes with her and giving the death glare. If she even
hinted that I'd said something like that I would kill her. She seemed to understand
this, just giggling before turning back toward the house.

"You can come in for supper if you want, Troye. We're having TV dinners and
watching Hoarders." She called over her shoulder, disappearing into the house but
leaving the door open. The sun was just beginning to set and I would have spent
some time staring up at the pretty sky if it wasn't for the curious blue eyes
boring a hole into the side of my head. I knew exactly what he was about to say
before his mouth even moved.

"You've talked to your mother about me?" He asked, his tone obviously laced with
teasing. I shrugged noncommittally, leaning against the side of the house.
"You may have come up in our conversations once or twice."

"What was she talking about? What'd you tell her about me?" He asked, his eyes wide
with curiosity as he stared into mine. I blushed, trying to imagine what his
reaction would be if I actually told him all the mushy stuff I'd said about wanting
to get to know him and how cute he was. He called that song too mushy, I really
doubt he'd take knowing how much I gushed about him to my mother as a good thing.

"I'm not telling you." I said firmly, turning to head up the steps. I reached the
first step before he grabbed my arm, tugging me back down and whining.

"Tyler! You have to!" He pleaded, pouting his lip out adorably. As irresistible as
his puppy-dog face was there was absolutely no way I was telling him anything. I
shrugged his hand off and jumped up the steps quickly, looking back down at him and
shaking my head.

"No, I don't have to tell you anything. You never told me what you said to Sage
about me, and I didn't press the issue like you are. If you want to know what I
said, tell me what you said." His eyes went wide and he snapped his mouth shut
quickly, though he still crossed his arms and pouted in silence. I took this as the
cue I'd won the argument and smiled cheekily at him. "I'm going inside. Goodnight,
Troye."

I walked into the house then, smiling at him before closing the door in his face
and heading into the kitchen. I walked in on my mother in a whirlwind, cleaning up
the counters at the speed of light while managing the microwave as our food cooked.

"Uh, Mom? What are you doing?" She spun around to face me with wide eyes, her
expression relaxing a moment later when she realized I was alone.

"I'm cleaning up for Troye, I don't want him to think we are slob people!" She said
in a hushed tone, throwing a hand over her heart dramatically. I rolled my eyes,
sitting down at the table and shaking my head.

"He's not coming inside, Mom." I said flatly, picking up the newspaper she'd left
open on the other side of the table and flipping through it.

"Why not?" She asked, sounding genuinely concerned like she thought she'd done
something wrong. I felt a little bad as I looked up at her and gave a weak smile.

"He said he has something else to do. I'm sure he'll come over some other time
though."

"Oh..." She said quietly, my heart breaking as I watched her excited expression
drop and leave behind a slightly disappointed one. I bit my lip, trying to think of
something I could say to brighten the mood again.

"It's fine, Mom, we've still got each other and the first season of Hoarders on
DVD!" I cheered, pumping my fist lamely. She chuckled quietly, though it obviously
wasn't heartfelt, turning back to the microwave. I frowned, looking back at the
paper because I couldn't stand to see her so disappointed. Who knew she wanted to
be included in my life so badly? I was just about ready to try and break the
awkward silence again when the doorbell chimed throughout the house. My eyes went
wide, knowing very well who that could be. Mom spun around, her big smile already
returning.

"Tyler! Why'd you lie to me? It's not funny! Go let him in." I sighed, getting to
my feet and dragging them as I walked toward the front door. I swung it open
without even bothering to check who was on the other side, not surprised to see a
cheeky looking smile at my eye-level. What did surprise me though, was the small
bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Where on Earth did you get those in the last five minutes?" I asked, my shock
showing in my voice. He smiled wider, obviously happy with my surprised reaction.

"Your neighbors actually, I offered them twenty bucks for a handful of their fancy
flowers." He sounded very proud of himself, though I had to admit the idea of
paying twenty bucks for them sounded a little stupid. I didn't say that out loud
though, not wanting to burst his bubble. Instead I just sighed, reaching my hand
out for them. If he wanted to apologize with flowers then let him. "They're not for
you!" He blurted, snatching them backward to his chest. My eyes went wide in shock
before narrowing into a glare, covering up my hurt.

"Oh, well fucking excuse me, it's just kind of the assumed thing when people show
up at your door with flowers." I complained, looking out across the yard and
refusing to meet his gaze. His bubbly giggle killed the silence only seconds later,
his free arm snaking around my waist and hugging me to his side.

"Aw, no need to get upset, I'll get you some next time you big baby, these ones are
for your mother." He laughed, his chest vibrating against mine. My cheeks felt hot
and I knew they were probably as red as tomatoes, so I buried my face into his
chest to hide it.

"Why?" I asked, my voice only slightly muffled by his t-shirt.

"Well, she invited me for dinner, it'd be rude not to give her something in return.
That, and I'm pretty sure sucking up to her will come in handy seeing as you so
rudely refuse to tell me what you said." I groaned, shoving out of the hug and
glaring up at him. He really wasn't going to just let this one go, was he? He still
had that cocky smile on, obviously proud of himself.

"I liked you better when you were shy and nervous around me." I lied, pulling him
all the way into the house and closing the door behind him. He rolled his eyes at
this, obviously knowing I wasn't serious.

"Oh, come on, stop pouting, I'm supposed to be the cynical grumpy one." He cooed,
nodding his head toward the door and silently asking me to lead him inside. I
glared at him a moment longer before heading in ahead of him, taking the turn into
the kitchen before he really had time to study any of his surroundings. He
followed, walking into the room after me and standing in the corner awkwardly as I
sat back down at the table. My mother had her back turned, probably working on the
third meal for Troye. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to see her reaction
to the flowers though, as much as I'd pouted over it. She was going to be
absolutely in love with Troye, which was actually a good thing considering how much
her approval meant to me.

Troye himself was taking in every aspect of my house like it was the most
interesting thing he'd ever seen, his eyes flickering around the room at all the
little decorations we paid no attention to. I watched his lips quirk up into a
smile and followed his gaze above my head, blushing when I realized he was looking
at pictures of me as a kid on the wall. His eyes fell down to mine then, giving me
a big smile when he seen me staring. I sighed, knowing I couldn't even pretend to
be angry with him a moment longer, gesturing to the seat across from me.

"Come here." I said breathlessly, watching as he jolted off the door frame and
toward the seat. I watched him sit down, looking down at the flowers in his hand.
His words from earlier sunk in, remembering how he'd said he was going to get me
some next time. I didn't expect him to hold true to it, but the sentiment was still
there. I blinked, just now realizing how tightly he was gripping the stems. That
couldn't be healthy for the flowers at all, or him, considering his knuckles were
going white. I was confused for a moment, before realization smacked me upside the
head and I couldn't help but grin goofily. He was nervous. He was nervous to meet
my mother.

"Hey, Mom, Troye has something for you." I called, enjoying the glare he shot in my
direction, watching it immediately disappear when my mother turned around.

"What do you m- Oh my gosh, Troye! Where did you get those!" She squealed happily,
rushing over to take them from his hands. I watched him unpry his fingers as she
took them, noticing how his hands were shaking ever so slightly as he returned them
to his lap. My mother on the other hand looked like she was about to explode, her
smile invading her entire face to the point she looked like a genuinely crazy
person, grinning down at the flowers like they were her prized possession.

"Mom, you never said thank-you." I teased, her eyes going wide in horror as she
looked back up at him.

"Oh, I am so sorry! I totally forgot! Thanks so much, Troye, you are so sweet! Now
I see why Tyler likes you so much!" It was my turn to have sweaty palms and be
extremely nervous then, my eyes falling to the floor as I silently prayed he didn't
take 'likes you so much' as that kind of 'likes'. My worries only got worse when he
didn't immediately reply, though I still refused to look up and see his expression.
I listened to my mother's slipped click against the kitchen floor as she went to go
find a vase for her beloved flowers, calming down a bit at the familiar sound.

"Ty, honey, can you go set up the television? I'll carry your food in." I nodded
eagerly, jumping to my feet and into the living room in one swift movement. I felt
a little bad ditching Troye with my mother when he was obviously nervous, but I
also needed the moment to myself.

I kneeled beside the television and started the annoying task of plugging all the
cords in and locating which case the stupid Hoarders disc was in. My mother had the
annoying habit of never putting things in their rightful cases, which made it a
challenge every time we wanted to watch a specific movie. I continued opening and
closing cases for what seemed like ages before I froze, realizing that they'd had
more than enough time to finish cooking and come and join me, meaning only one
thing...

I jumped to my feet and rushed out to the kitchen, not surprised to see them both
sitting at the table chatting. I groaned and grabbed Troye's arm, glaring at my
mother.

"If you said anything embarrassing I'm not watching tv with you for a week." I
threatened, pulling Troye's arm and dragging him into the other room. I pushed him
down onto the couch with a glare and went back to looking for the missing disc.

"Tyler, I-"

"No, I don't want to hear it. If she told you the bed wetting story I don't think
I'll ever be able to look you in the eye again." I sighed, knowing how many times
she'd shared that story with people before. Everyone from my relatives to strangers
in supermarkets had heard the tale of me wetting the bed at my first sleepover and
trying to blame it on the kid's cat. Needless to say, they had not invited me back.

"Actually, we were talking about the 'vision boards' you have in your room, though
this story does sound very intriguing. When do I get to hear it?" He laughed, his
laughter fading into a smile.

"Never!" I blurted quickly, turning back to searching for the disc. There was more
silence and I was wondering what on Earth was taking my mother so long when Troye
cleared his throat again.

"Can I see them? The vision boards?" He asked, his voice suddenly much quieter and
almost nervous sounding. I bit my lip, freezing in the spot as I thought of how to
reply. I couldn't show him all of them obviously, the one dedicated to romance was
both way too sappy and way too gay, but the others weren't had nothing that could
give away my sexuality that I could think of. Well, other than the idea of vision
boards itself being a little bit homosexual, but he already knew about them as it
was. There was a bunch of meaningful quotes and cut-outs of excited places to
visit, mixed in with random notes and goals I'd written to myself. They weren't
necessarily embarrassing, but definitely intimate.

"I mean, they're kind of personal-"

"Is everything you do personal?" He sighed loudly, sinking back into the couch the
second I turned to face him. I felt a twinge of pain looking at how hurt he was,
remembering how upset he'd gotten earlier when I called my Tumblr personal and
dismissed him. For how much I cared about him I found myself disappointing him an
awful lot. I ran a hand through my quiff and got to my feet, walking over and
extending a hand to him.

"Come on." I muttered, trying to sound annoyed with him. Any hope of keeping that
act up vanished the second his eyes lit up, the cerulean pools practically
sparkling as he took my hand in his. I hadn't actually meant anything more by it
than making it easier to lead him to my room, but I'd definitely be lying if I said
my heart didn't falter when his fingers snaked between mine. I tried to hide it by
walking a ways ahead of him and hopefully hiding how badly I was blushing, but if
he was really inquisitive my sweaty palms would have been a dead giveaway.

We reached the end of the hall and I kicked my door open with my foot, gesturing
toward the room with my free hand.

"Make yourself at home, mi casa es su casa." I rambled nervously, watching as he

did just that and went to sit on my bed. I hurried to the opposite wall as he was
facing the other way, hurrying to take the vision board titled 'love life' and
shoving it behind my dresser casually. I didn't have time to even try and figure
out how to explain the obviously empty spot on the wall before he let out a little
squeak.

"Is this them?" He asked, his voice full of excitement as he hopped up from the bed
he had just sat down on, bouncing over to peer at them over my shoulder. I turned
my head, blushing at the close proximity of our faces. He didn't seem to notice
though, too enthralled with the wall in front of him. I watched his eyes dart
about, taking it all in. I was beginning to get nervous when he still hadn't spoke
up after five minutes, not sure what his reaction should be considering I'd never
really shown anyone them before. But then, as if he could hear my subtle unease,
his hand found mine again and squeezed it. "Would I be totally intruding if I asked
to make one with you someday?"

"Like what? A best friends vision board?" I laughed, intending for it to sound
totally sarcastic. He didn't seem to take it that way, his eyes finally breaking
away from the wall to stare at me in what looked to be shock.

"Did you just call me your best friend? Like, even more than Marcus?" He asked, his
voice just barely more than a whisper. I rolled my eyes, swinging our entwined
hands.

"Are you kidding me right now? Marcus doesn't even come close." I said honestly,
trying to find somewhere to look other than those huge blue eyes he was staring at
me with. Not because I didn't like staring into them, because there was absolutely
nothing I liked more, but because I knew I couldn't possibly last more than a few
seconds looking at the wonder in his eyes without losing my self-control and
kissing him. I couldn't do that yet, for multiple reasons, but rest assured the day
I finally did it was going to be one hell of a first kiss.

"But you've only known me a week." He whispered, his voice even meeker now. I
scoffed, trying to act tough despite how much the situation was actually affecting
me. He seemed to happy with my choice of words, like it was the best thing he'd
ever heard in his life, how could I not feel overwhelming sappy over it?

"Yeah, and this week has been more fun than my entire school experience with
Marcus." I said, my voice indifferent but the words completely not. He just stared
at me blankly then, his features in a pokerface. I was beginning to wonder if I'd
done something wrong when I seen the tears threatening to escape his eyes.

"Troye! Fuck, I'm sorry. If you don't want to be best friends that's cool too, I
didn't meant to put a label on it if-"

"No, dumbass, I'm happy. In case you didn't clue in, I haven't exactly had many
friends, much less a best one." He laughed, hurrying to wipe his tears off. I
blinked in realization, laughing a little at myself. He glared at me then,
obviously assuming I was laughing at him. My eyes went wide in the sudden need to
assure him that wasn't the case, launching myself into his arms for the hundredth
time today. Not that I minded all the hugging, quite the contrary actually. I also
loved that each hug felt like it was getting more intimate, each of us less tense
as we snuggled into each other.

"This is so fucking cheesy, can I vomit now?" He muttered in my ear, though he

didn't make any immediate move to pull away either. I shook my head into his
shoulder, squeezing him tighter.

"I'd prefer you didn't, it'd kind of ruin the moment." I whispered back, letting my
eyes fall shut as I saturated in the feeling of having him so close. I had no idea
how long we'd been hugging when a loud knock on my door brought me back to reality.
I shifted out of his arms, turning to face it.

"Hey, are you two decent in there?" I blushed, gnawing on my lip as I wondered what
Troye's reaction was behind me. I would have been angry with her over this comment,
though she'd said it so sarcastically it was impossible to tell that she actually
did want to know. I wasn't sure how she knew I wasn't out to Troye yet, but I was
forever grateful she'd clued in and was being careful of what she said. She was
still teasing me though, just making sure Troye couldn't tell.

"Yes, Mom, we're 'decent'." She opened the door, smiling widely at us. She walked
over and smiled up at the wall we were standing by.

"Did you show him the boards? Oh, where's the other-" My eyes went wide the second
I realized what she was asking, subtly stomping on her foot and causing her to
yelp. Thankfully she seemed to understand the gesture, immediately covering up with
a conversation change. "Are you guys still hungry? You ran off before your food
cooled down."

"Are you kidding? When am I not hungry?" I chimed, following her out the door. I
made it into the hallway before I felt the familiar annoying sensation of Troye
stepping on my heels. He leaned in as we walked, his breath hitting my ear and
sending shivers down my spine.

"What was she going to say? Was there one I didn't get to see?" He asked, sounding
slightly hurt. I might have felt bad, had the feeling of his breath on my neck not
left me completely senseless.

"I said they were personal." I choked out, purposely picking up my pace so I'd be
out of his reach. As nice as it felt, I really didn't need that kind of problem
right now. He scoffed behind me, though he didn't rush to catch up with me either.

By the time we walked into the living room my mother was already sitting down, in
the lone chair that we usually left abandoned. I guess she wanted to give us the
couch to share. I bit my lip, collecting my respective dish off the coffee table
and falling onto the couch. The show was already playing so I gratefully dedicated
all my attention to the show in front of me, ignoring the boy who'd sat down next
to me. I could practically hear him trying to think up some sort of scheme so I'd
tell him why I'd hid the last vision board, and it made me uncomfortable because I
knew he was capable of it. I was good at getting my way, demanding it and bugging
them about it indiffinitely. He was great at it though, thinking out some sneaky
strategy that made you give in to him without even realizing, whether it was
pouting or bribery.

The episode was just wrapping up and Troye was starting to get antsy, shifting
around in his seat and constantly yawning. It didn't surprise me, he obviously
hadn't thought through how long this was going to take. I smiled to myself,
wondering what kind of torment from Sage he'd have to face when he got home. My
mother stood up as the credits started to roll, yawning loudly and obviously
fakely, turning off the television.

"I'm going to head to bed, boys. It was a pleasure meeting you, Troye, come over
any time." She beamed, walking off down the hallway. I glared after her, knowing
exactly why she'd left us alone. She was expecting us to share some sort of good-
bye kiss. This angered me for two reasons, because we couldn't actually kiss yet
and because this gave Troye no reason to keep his attempts at getting me to answer
his question at bay. He shifted immediately after her door closed, moving closer to
me.

"So... What was the last vision board about?" He purred, cocking his head to the
side. I shook my head, getting to my feet and starting toward the front door. He
followed, walking close behind me but not stepping on my heels for a change. We
stopped in front of the door and I turned to face him, thankfully not resulting in
us crashing into each other this time. He'd stopped to lean against the wall
opposite to me, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrows.

"I'm not telling you, Troye. Well, not unless you tell me what you told Sage." I
bribed, smiling slyly because I knew how little he wanted to tell me that. There
was no way he would, he hadn't earlier when he wanted to know what I'd told my
mother about him.

"I told her that I'd spent the day with the most popular boy in school and we went
to dinner and the beach together. She said it sounded like a date and that, is why
she called you my boyfriend. Your turn." He said matter-of-factly, pushing off from
the wall to come stand in front of me. As if I wasn't already a flustered mess from
his words the close proximity only made things worse, and I was suddenly very
grateful for the dark room because he wouldn't be able to see how badly I was
blushing. He didn't seem to be dropping it any time soon though, starting to take a
step even closer when I still didn't reply. I nervously retreated backward, bumping
my head off the coatrack. I was too distracted to care though, keeping my eyes on
him to make sure he didn't try to advance again. I took a deep breath, realizing I
had to hold up my end of the deal if I ever wanted him to leave me alone.

"It's the one dedicated to my love life and relationship gunk. Do you see why I
didn't show you it? It'd be embarrassing for both of us." I muttered, sounding
spiteful despite my efforts not to. He smiled happily, turning to look out the
window thoughtfully.

"Nah, I think it'd be mostly embarrassing for you. You should show me it."

"You should go home." I said grumpily, crossing my arms and starting back toward my
room. I figured he could find his own way out from there. I only made it a step
before he grabbed my arm and yanked me back into the small entryway, his eyes full
of curiosity again.

"Is it that bad? Do you have your entire wedding planned out and how many kids you
want? Oh gosh, do you have their names picked out?" He asked excitedly, studying my
face for a reaction.

"Troye." I said flatly, practically begging him to take the hint and leave me
alone.

"You do, don't you? Tell me one name and I'll drop it, never to be mentioned
again." He said, his tone suddenly serious as he draped a hand over his heart. I
thought about it for a second, chewing on my bottom lip. Telling him one of the
names I liked was hardly a big deal, especially if it meant him never bringing up
this awkward topic again.

"Tallie." I mumbled, locking eyes with him. The corner of his lip quirked up in a
little half-smile as he thought over the name.

"Tallie? For a girl?"

"Yes." I said flatly, surprised by how much his opinion meant to me. It was just my
name for my future kid, the only person's opinion I should be worrying about is my
future husband's.

But what if he is your future husband?

My eyes fell to the floor immediately and my heart raced in my chest as I tried
desperately to forget that thought. The last thing I needed right now was to p

Chapter Twenty-One
*Troye's POV*

I hadn't expected Tyler to follow me to my car, definitely not when I'd been such
an asshole. I didn't mean to, it just sort of hurt when he'd been so sarcastic
about my nickname suggestion. I mean, what had I really expected? We weren't five
year olds, we were eighteen year olds and nicknames were hardly a necessary aspect
of friendships anymore. It's just, I'd never really had the chance to experience
that stage where nicknames were cool, you know?

So you can probably imagine my surprise when he suddenly charged into my back,
knocking the breath right out of me. I stumbled forward, grabbing onto the hood of
my car for support subtly. I turned around to glare at him, swallowing hard when I
came face to face with his usual happy grin. It's weird how much it meant to me
knowing that I was the one to make him smile, especially when he was smiling
ninety-percent of the time anyway, but that didn't change the bubbly feeling it
gave me when I managed to make him grin even slightly. I came back to Earth slowly,
feeling completely bashful that I'd managed to get lost in my head yet again. My
embarrassment quickly faded though, noticing Tyler had been too lost in his own
mind to notice my slip-up. He was still staring up at me and smiling, though his
eyes had a faraway look in them. I decided to indulge myself for a second, staring
back into his framed eyes. As overly cheesy as it was to admit, they really did
seem to sparkle in the moonlight. He didn't look away though, and eventually I
forced myself to put an end to the moment before it ended up awkward.

"Can I help you?" I asked, suddenly remembering that I was mad at him, even if his
eyes were sparkly and easy to get lost in. These eyes immediately darted to the
ground at my question, making it very hard to predict what he was about to say.

"I just didn't want to go to bed with you mad at me." He mumbled, sounding very
childish as he pouted down at the ground. I felt my resolve slipping the longer I
looked at his puppy dog face, eventually giving in and shoving my keys into my
pocket. I closed the door then, taking a step closer to him and fighting the urge
to hug him. Of course I wanted to, but I had to have my limits. Sooner or later he
was really going to question how touchy-feely I was around him compared to everyone
else in the world.

"I'm not mad." I said honestly, shoving my hands into my pockets. If I wanted to
get specific I wasn't really sure what I was. I wasn't mad though, how could I be
with him standing in front of me so intent on gaining my forgiveness?

"You're not happy either. I was being serious you know, I really do like the
nickname." His serious tone caught me off guard. He was barely ever serious, making
it all the more important to focus on when he actually was. I eyed him warily, not
finding any hint of sarcasm on his face.

"You do?" I asked quietly, watching him bob his head eagerly and look up at me with
those same sparkly eyes.

"Yeah, it's special, something only you can call me." He elaborated, his voice just
short of a whisper. I felt my lips twitch up, threatening to break out into the
huge smile I knew was coming with his sweet words. It definitely sounded a lot
cooler when he explained it like that. It was almost like it was a privelage for me
to be able to call him that, something that only I was allowed to do. I took a deep
breath, reaching forward to squeeze his shoulder seeing as a hug was out of the
question still. I was actually surprised when I felt the familiar buzz, mostly
because the mind-reading had been really on the fritz the entire night. I'd barely
heard anything he was thinking, much less important things.

I wonder where he got Tilly? It's so cute and innocent! It's also really close to
Tallie, which only makes it even cuter.

I blushed at how bubbly his thoughts were, wondering how he found ways to use the
word 'cute' so often and still make it work. Didn't he have any other words in his
mental vocabulary? As much as I could silently bash him for not having more
creativity, there was no denying his thoughts had made me considerably more happy.
If I hadn't been reassured earlier that he genuinely liked it, I was now.

"Fine, we'll see if it sticks or not. Goodnight though, for real this time, my
parents are going to interrogate me the second I walk through the door." I knew it
was going to 'stick' even as I said this, I was going to force it to 'stick' if I
had to, now that I knew he liked it too. I watched him nod knowingly, though I
didn't miss the slight pout because I had to leave. I didn't dwindle on it though,
knowing I'd give in to him in less than a second if he asked me to stay longer. As
much as I wanted to, this was going to be hard enough to explain to my parents as
it was. Hanging out with friends at all was weird for me, but I couldn't remember a
time I'd been out this late ever. That sounded pretty lame actually, considering it
was only 10pm, but this was crazy late for me. Like, parents-are-going-to-be-
worried-I've-been-murdered late.

I drove home quickly, my mind a complete jumbled mess of thoughts. Okay, to be fair
it wasn't a complete mess, they all had the same theme. They were all about a boy
who I may or may not have recently realized my feelings for. Of course I never
planned to act on them, I couldn't afford that kind of rejection. I could however,
spend hours on end gushing over how it had felt to hold his hand or that one hug
after he'd called me his best friend.

His best friend.

I am Tyler Oakley's best friend.

An absolutely giddy feeling had fallen over me with these thoughts, smiling to
myself like an idiot all alone in my car. I didn't even think once about changing
the station when a familiar Lady Gaga anthem started blasting through the speakers.
In fact, I found myself singing along. It wasn't until the song ended and my car
came to a stop in my familiar driveway, that the depth of this really sunk in. A
week ago I would have hissed at the song like it was death, jumping to turn off the
sound. Something had changed in this past week, something seemingly light but in
reality much more intricate. It wasn't just the fact I listened to a song I hadn't
liked before, or that I actually found myself enjoying time spent with another
human, but that I was enjoying myself at all. There were no dark broody thoughts
looming in the back of my mind or wishes to just sink into the walls and be
invisible. I was visible, and I liked it, I was actually embracing it. I liked
liking it. I liked myself, for once.

I laid back in my seat at the new realization, trying desperately to pinpoint

exactly when this had happened. I didn't just like one thing about myself, I liked
all of it. Even the mindreading, especially when it gave me insight into Tyler's
thoughts. After another hopeless ten minutes of thinking I came to the simple
conclusion that it hadn't been just one moment. It had been a compilation of a
whole bunch, some as important as Tyler saying I was his best friend and some as
seemingly pointless as him pointing out that stupid dead fish. It was like I could
tell how much he cared about me through each and every one of his actions. And hey,
if Tyler Oakley cared about me that much then I must be something worth caring
about, right?

I sighed and got out of the car a moment later, realizing how long I'd been sitting
there lost in thoughts of Tyler. He was definitely a healthy alternative to my
usual train of thought, but now really wasn't the time to be daydreaming about
anything, much less cute boys. Right now was the time to act guilty as I let myself
into the house, keeping my head hung low as I walked toward the lounge. I wasn't
surprised at all to find my dad stretched across the entire couched with our dog
collapsed on top of him, or to hear my mother singing in the kitchen just across
the hall. Of course they were waiting up for me, whether they tried to act subtle
about it or not.

"Hi, Troye!" My mother beamed, rushing into the room and shoving a bowl of cookie
dough at me. Okay, this was new, she never willingly let me eat cookie dough. I
decided to play along though, grabbing the bowl and sitting down on the free couch.
I stuffed some into my mouth and hummed at the taste, though I couldn't shake the
uneasy feeling with how fixed their eyes were on me.

"Guys, I can't read minds, you're going to have to tell me what you're thinking." I
laughed nervously, smirking inwardly. The correct statement would have been that I
can't read minds well. They both exchanged glances, Dad sitting up and Mom sitting
down next to him all in one swift movement.

"Look, I really don't want to pry but I gave you that cookie dough so really it's
fair ground, right?" I just raised my eyebrows in response, not sure if I wanted to
go along with her or not. She took a deep breath, exchanging a glance with my
father that I'd never be able to decode. They both turned to me with eager smiles
then, practically bouncing with excitement. "Is it true you have your first crush?
What's he like? When do we get to meet him?"

"Sage!" I yelled, not surprised when she walked out from behind the corner. Someone
had definitely been listening in, that little shit. I scooted over on the couch and
patted the spot for her to sit down. She at least had the decency to look guilty as
she came and sat down to the left of me. I was about to start my lecture to her
when another two people wandered into the room, trying and failing to look casual.
Why is my family so annoying?

"So?" My mom urged after my brothers had sat down, looking at me expectantly.

"If this is how you're going to act about it you are never meeting him." I scoffed,
crossing my arms and tucking my chin against my chest. I was expecting them to be
at least a tiny bit phased by this, but they didn't hesitate a second between it
and their next question.

"So you're admitting to it?" I glanced up and locked eyes with my father, narrowing
them into a glare.

"No." I said strictly, sitting up tall. I could feel all of my siblings staring at
me, just as interested in the topic as my parents. Was me getting a crush really
that interesting? Maybe they were just surprised to see me standing up to my dad,
at all. Usually I would have stormed away by now and refused to answer any of his
questions.

"Alright, fine, we'll have a subject change." He said finally, letting out a small
sigh of defeat.

"Thank-you!" I laughed in exasperation, leaning back against the couch. I was just
getting comfortable when he spoke up again, his mischievous smirk telling me I
wasn't going to like this topic either.

"Where were you tonight?"

"You fucking suck, you know exactly where I was." I groaned, slapping my hands to
my face. He'd purposely done that to draw the conversation back to Tyler again.

"With him?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows annoyingly. I glared at his bald head
for a minute before deciding I wasn't getting out of this without giving them at
least a tidbit of information.

"If by him you mean Tyler, then yes." I said strictly, getting to my feet. Everyone
looked disappointed in me as I started to leave the room, but only my mother spoke
up.

"Troye, this isn't fair! Is it really such a bad thing that we want to be included
in your life? We care, Troye." I bit my lip and stopped in the doorway, pondering
her words. Normally I would continue on to my room without a second thought, but I
actually felt guilty tonight. Damn you, Tyler, infecting me with your family-
oriented personality.

"Yes, I like him. What's he like? Loud, funny, obnoxiously cheery, outgoing, smart,
straight. You know, basically everything I'm not." I answered, turning around to
face them. Their faces looked like they were going to snap with all the pressure
from those huge smiles, though with my finishing statement their expressions all
fell.

"Troye-"

"No, it's okay! I'm not bothered by it or anything, it's not like I expect us to
work out. I'm happy just being friends with him, which is exactly why none of you
are to mention a word of this to anyone ever. If you ruin my first real friendship
over some stupid crush I will never forgive you." I said, emphasizing the 'never'.
They didn't seem that convinced, exchanging unreadable expressions with each other
before looking back to me.

"We won't." They all said in perfect unison, which was actually pretty creepy. I
nodded in response, leaning against the door frame.

"Okay, can I go to bed now? Is the interrogation over?" I asked, moving from one
foot to the other. I really just wanted to get out of here. I loved them, but I
really wasn't in the mood for all these questions right now.

"I suppose we could save the safe sex talk for another time." My dad said,
smirking. I groaned, running a hand through my hair roughly in exasperation.

"Dad! That's not funny!" I yelled, feeling the familiar blush creeping across my
neck. They seemed to think it was quite funny though, the entire room in a fit of
giggles. I decided this was my cue to leave, before my face got any redder or they
came up with anything else to add to his statement.

I jogged up to my room and closed the door behind me with my foot, breathing
heavily from all the effort of the stairs. I locked the door, scowling when I heard
more laughter downstairs. I really hope they weren't on the topic of Tyler and I
still. I walked across the room and collapsed onto my bed, clumsily squirming out
of my pants. I was too lazy to bother with my shirt, instead just burying my face
in the pillows and sighing contently. I closed my eyes and was begging sleep to
take me when my phone vibrated from wherever it had ended up on the floor when I
threw my pants. I groaned, trying to stretch across my room without actually
getting out of bed. I snatched up the pants and recoiled back into my bed, grabbing
the phone eagerly. I wasn't surprised to see Tyler's name lighting up the screen,
mostly because no one else ever called or texted me. I waited to catch my breath
for a couple seconds before eagerly answering, nuzzling down into the pillows.

"Did you miss me already? Is this going to be a nightly thing now? Bedtime phone
calls?" I teased immediately, picturing his usual corresponding blush.

"I couldn't think of a better way to fall asleep." Instead my cheeks lit up red,
not expecting him to tease me back. I also wasn't expecting that deep sleepy voice,
or how much I was going to love it. I let my eyes fall shut as I concentrated on my
breathing for a few seconds, not wanting to alert him there was anything wrong.

"What do you want?" I said finally, trying to sound irritated but the uncanny
amount of adoration I normally had pooling into my voice anyway.

"What? I can't call just because I miss you?" He asked, gasping dramatically. I
chuckled nervously, waiting for him to backtrack on his flirty words. He didn't
though, an almost awkward silence falling over us. I chewed nervously on my bottom
lip, my heart beginning to speed up in my chest. I knew it was beyond stupid to
even dare to hope, but that didn't stop the butterflies in my stomach. I had a
feeling there was very little that could stop those pests at this point.
"I, uh, I mean you can-"

"I'm kidding, doofus." He cut me off, the smirk very evident in his voice. I held
my hand over the speaker, sighing. For someone who knew we wouldn't work out I sure
got pretty disappointed when I was reminded of it.

"So why did you call then?" I asked finally, forgetting my disappointment as
curiosity sparked.

"I just realized we kind of abandoned my piece of shit car at school and I really
don't want to take the bus tomorrow so I was wondering if, uh...
Canyoumaybedriveme?" The frown completely vanished now, the goofy lovesick smile I
was getting used to spreading back across my features. The way he'd rushed the
question made it even cuter, how it sounded like he was so nervous to ask. What did
he really expect me to say? Did he think there was even a chance of me saying no to
anything he wanted at this point?

"Of course!" I blurted, sounding way too excited over the casual question. He
immediately started to giggle, obviously trying to stay quiet considering how late
it was. I groaned in response, blushing again despite myself. I really had a knack
for embarrassing myself when it came to him. As his laughter slowly faded out
silence enveloped us again. It wasn't necessarily awkward, though I'd much rather
be conversing with him. I was about to come up with some completely random
conversation topic when he cleared his throat, alerting me he had something to say.

"Thanks, Troye, it means a lot to me. You have no idea how much I hate the bus."

"I doubt it's anymore than I do." I scoffed, thinking about the last time I'd had
to go on the bus. It was a couple years ago, but it had been mortifying.

"Are you kidding? I get nauseous just thinking of all the rancid smells,
obnoxiously loud idiots, and the judgmental glares from people as you walk past
their seat. Ugh, I do not do well packed into a giant tin can with a bunch of
immature kids like some type of sardine." I was speechless at this, surprised
someone on such a different part of the spectrum from me felt so similar. I mean,
obviously it was normal not to like the bus, but the way he said explained it it
wasn't really a matter of just not liking it. Not being able to stand it, getting
sick over the thought of it, avoiding it at all costs, that sounded like the
familiar crowd anxiety I knew so well.

"The ever popular Tyler Oakley isn't a fan of crowds?" I asked, trying to sound
teasing and casual despite how much the topic interested me.

"I don't dislike them, I'd just rather not be in them if I can help it. I don't
like having all those eyes on me at once and not knowing what they're all
thinking." He elaborated, making an over-the-top cringe noise at the thought. I
smirked a little at the irony of his statement, not even thinking before muttering
my next words.

"Trust me, it'd probably be worse to know what they were thinking." My eyes went
wide as I realized what I said. Sure, it wasn't like the statement would
automatically make him jump to some crazy conclusion, but it was still a very big
deal. I'd never said anything even slightly about mind-reading, the topic way too
close to home. That, and every time it came up in any form at all I felt like all
eyes would turn to me at random and they'd just know. It was unrealistic, but I
still found myself constantly worrying that someone would find out somehow, that
they'd tell everyone. What if my family found out and completely disowned me? What
if they thought I was nothing more than a freak as well? They were the only
constant thing I'd had in my life, the only thing that hadn't abandoned me or left
me disappointed to the point I couldn't stand to be around them. They were annoying
and clingy, but they really did love me, and that was more than I could say for
anyone else in the world.

"I'm not keeping you up, am I?" Tyler's tone was obviously worried, making it clear
I'd managed to miss his last response while I was lost in the clouds. He probably
thought I'd drifted off to sleep for a moment or something.

"No! No, of course not." I said, my voice evening out much more after the initial
panicked 'No!'. I just didn't want him to get the wrong idea, I was far from
finished with this conversation. He giggled in response and I couldn't help but
grin at the bubbly noise. A second later he let out a long annoyed sigh though,
making my smile immediately vanish as I started to worry about what I'd done wrong.

"Well, you're keeping me up." He said, his voice completely void of it's usual
sarcasm. It was so blunt and unexpected I couldn't help but wince a little. How
could I not have realized? He asked if he was keeping me up in hopes of ending the
conversation. I am so stupid!

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even realize, I'll let you get to sleep then-"

"Nah, you're better than sleep anyway." He mumbled, his words slightly slurred as
it trailed off into a long yawn. I listened to him smack his lips after he'd
finished, smiling to myself.

"Are you sure? Sleep's pretty great." I asked, giving him a last chance to back out
of the conversation if he wanted to. Of course I didn't want him to though. I was
overtired and sleepy myself, but there was nothing that mattered more than talking
to Tyler. It was a feeling unlike any other knowing he felt the same.

"Whether you believe it or not, you're pretty great too." He whispered, making my
heart flutter. I was blushing again and silently cursing him for being so damn good
at making me. It was like he purposely tried to make me blush with all these flirty
one-liners. I tried to remind myself he was known as being flirty and that he
probably did this with everyone, but my mind was far beyond the point of listening
to rational thought.

I realized I hadn't replied to him in all my silent fangirling, struggling to come

up with a response that wouldn't seem attention-seeking or conceited. I ended up
just scoffing, my obvious disbelief of his words coming through.

"You don't believe me though, do you?"

"I mean, I wouldn't call myself great. I'm decent-"

"No, you are definitely great. In fact, I might even go so far as to say you're
incredible." He purred, making me roll my eyes.

"You are such a-"

"You want to know why you're incredible? I could spend all night listing reasons,
easily, but for both of our sake's I am going to summarize the list. You are so
good at keeping a conversation interesting, there is never a dull moment while
talking to you. You are hilarious, to the point you can make me laugh when I want
nothing more than to scream and give up on everything. You're so freaking strong,
obviously I don't know what happened in your past to make you hate people so much,
but the fact you were willing to move past it to get to know me is substantial,
Troye, it really is. And you are so sweet, I swear I am going to get cavities from
hanging around you so much! I mean, you brought my mother flowers, Troye, fucking
flowers! That's not even mentioning how absolutely-"

"Tyler, stop!" I interrupted, scrambling to sit up and lean back against the
headboard of my bed. I closed my eyes lightly, trying to even out my heavy
breathing as I listened to him begin to ramble.

"Did I say something wrong? Shit, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought up the whole
hating people thing, it was too soon wasn't it? I'm so sorry, Troye, it's late at
night and I got caught up and I wasn't thinking and-"

"No, quite the contrary actually, you said too many things right. I can only handle
so many compliments at once, you're going to fucking smother me at this rate." I
explained, trying to make it sound lighthearted with a fake chuckle at the end. In
reality, I was very much serious. I wasn't sure how much more of this I could take
without exploding, or worse. What might be worse than exploding you may ask? Well,
I wasn't certain of it, but I had a feeling if he kept rambling off compliments at
me I was likely going to end up saying something I'd really regret. Something
that'd most definitely steer our relationship in a whole new direction, for better
or for much worse.

"True, I am definitely glad I went with the summarized list then." He said
smoothly, his tone completely casual like he hadn't just listed off a book of sappy
compliments to me. Fuck, how was he so good at this conversation thing? It was like
absolutely nothing phased him.

"Why are you so perfect?" I mumbled, running my free hand through my hair. His
response was instantaneous, reminding me yet again how there was nothing I could
say off guard.

There was nothing I could say because he'd probably heard it all before, a million
times.

"I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way!" He sang, his voice slightly
strained as he was obviously tired. I smiled warmly, biting my lip as I continued
to grin.

"When did this conversation get so sappy?" I laughed, not really complaining. I
looked up at the ceiling as I awaited his response, studying the glow-in-the-dark
wall stickers that had been stuck up there years before. Totally nerdy, I know, but
I was definitely one of those kids that went through the outer-space phase.

"You answered the call with the classic 'Did you miss me already?', I'm pretty sure
it was sappy from the beginning." He responded finally, happily blaming it all on
me despite him being the real mushy one here. I didn't call him out on it though,
instead deciding a change of topic was necessary.

"Who's your favorite musician?" I asked, crawling back under the blankets finally.
He didn't even hesitate a second before replying.

"You."

"Tyler, I swear to God, I am going to punch you if you say one more sappy thing
during this conversation. I've blushed enough for one lifetime." I growled, though
my tone made it very clear I wasn't that serious. He giggled then, actually taking
time to think of his response.

"Have you heard of Ed Sheeran?" He asked tentatively, sounding almost nervous of my

reply. Little did he know I was a total fangirl of Ed to the point I had folders on
my laptop saved of just his videos and photos.

"Are you kidding me? Have I heard of him? Hell yes, I have heard of him!" I said
eagerly, trying to completely obliterate his nervousness.

"Ugh, there you go, another thing to add to the list of reasons you are incredible;
you also have amazing music taste."

"Tyler. I'm making a fist right now, I will not hesitate to punch."

"Alright, fine, I'll force myself to stop for you, though rest assured I am still
thinking all of these sappy things. Who's your favorite musician?" And thus started
the longest and most in-depth conversation about music I'd ever had in my life, and
I'd never been happier. I was so in my element, listing off good bands and
listening to Tyler's live reactions as he looked them up on Youtube. It was one
thing gushing about my passion in private, but with Tyler it was a thousand times
better. Come to think of it, was there anything that wasn't a thousand times better
with Tyler?

A/n: HOLY, THIS WHOLE CHAPTER WAS MOSTLY DIALOGUE AND I AM VERY INSANELY SORRY. BUT
AT THE SAME TIME IT WAS CUTE DIALOGUE, RIGHT? RIGHT? EHHHHHH? RIGHT? *Eye twitches*
TELL ME I'M PRETTY!!!@! Ugh, I am a mess. Okay, basically there were so many votes
and comments last chapter I am dead for all of eternity. WE.HIT.20K!!!!!!!
ILOVEYOUSHITSSOMUCHYOUDONOTEVENUNDERSTAND!!!! In other news, some angel sent from
heaven above made a tumblr post about this story and it got TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY
NOTES.TYERSDIFJNHRMTD. I am just, I will never cease to be amazed at what a
positive reaction I have gotten to, not only this story, but all of my stories. I
never dreamt of this and I don't mean to be sappy but ugh, I just, it's so insane.
Hmmm, what else, what else...... I am very sorry about this update being kinda late
but with the romantic aspects kicking in I want to take more time to consider that
their relationship is moving at the right pace for their characters and all that
bullshit. Also, the lateness might have had something to do with the hurricane that
put my power out for 24 hours or my brand new Wii U I am literally addicted to. I
JUST LOVE LUIGI SO MUCH, HE IS MY SOULMATE. SCREW MARIO.
Did I really just ramble in an Author's Note for that long? Sorry bout it, I am
talkative today. FINALLY, the 'wet dream' idea has been very widely recieved and I
have taken it into SERIOUS consideration. There were a few people skeptical about
it fitting in with their relationship or clashing with how special their real first
time is going to be, but trust, I am going to find a way to pull it off considering
all the overthinking I've done on the topic. ALRIGHT, LOVE YOU NUGGETS, SO MUCH,
COMMENT AND VOTE AND SHIT, LET ME KNOW IF THIS WAS TOO MUCH DIALOGUE SO I NEVER DO
IT AGAIN

Chapter Twenty-Two
*Tyler's POV*

I awoke to the unmistakable feeling of drool on my pillow, my nose twitching up in

distaste. Gross. I hoisted myself up into a push-up position, wincing as I listened
to my bones crack. I felt like a zombie, my eyes heavy as I tried to open them. I
was slightly disoriented at first, staring down at the puddle of drool with a lost
expression. Then, I noticed my phone wedged half under the pillow and my
explanation came to me in the form of Troye's name, still lighting up the screen.
Had we both fallen asleep on the phone? Thank God I have unlimited calling or my
phone bill would be through the roof by now. I grabbed the cellphone and smirked,
trying to remember when exactly I'd fallen asleep. I remembered seeing 4am at one
point and whining to Troye about how late it was, but he simply continued our
conversation like I hadn't spoken at all. I didn't mind though, talking to Troye
was definitely more important than a reasonable amount of sleep. I wasn't sure if
that was so true now though, considering how my entire body was aching and I had
both school and football practice today. I held the phone to my ear, not surprised
to hear silence on the other end. I smiled warmly, rolling my eyes to myself as I
ended the call.

I spent the majority of the time in the shower thinking back over our conversation
from last night. I actually found myself cringing at a few of the particularly
flirty things I'd said, wondering how he'd really reacted. I'd been thirsty as hell
last night, my mind too muddled with sleep to differ between what was appropriate
to say and what wasn't. He was surprisingly good about it though, definitely a lot
less weirded out than he should have been. I was once again left hopefully
wondering if this had something to do with his sexuality or feelings toward me,
though I decided I'd worry about that later. If I got caught up in it now I'd be in
the shower until I was as wrinkly as a raisin.

I stepped out of the water stream a moment later, only managing to slip twice in
the process. I draped a towel loosely around my waist in a hurry, knowing Troye was
picking me up soon. I wanted to be ready when he got here. The last thing I needed
was having him interact with Queen Jackie any more than he had to. I got dressed
way too quickly, not even taking time to really focus on what I was throwing on
before grabbing my phone and heading down the hall. I jogged around the corner into
the kitchen, staring at my screen and checking for texts as I called out to my
mother.

"Are there any eggs left?" I yelled, walking toward the fridge without looking up.
The uncanny silence in place of the usual pop music should have been my first clue
something was out of place, but I still hadn't even looked up when a bubbly pair of
giggles filled the room. My head immediately snapped up, surprised to see Troye
seated at the table with my mother. They each had mugs in front of them, making it
clear he'd been here for a while. "Trying to steal my friends again, Mom?"

"Yeah, she's doing a pretty good job too, between the hot chocolate and hilarious
childhood stories about you." Troye chirped, beaming a smile up at me. He looked so
at home sat down in the single spare chair that we never used, the exact same one
he'd sat in yesterday. He was absentmindedly running his fingers along the cup of
hot cocoa, turning back to my mother to spark up their conversation again. It was
the happiest I ever remembered seeing him, making me silently wonder how anyone
could enjoy being up this early. I wouldn't dare question it though, instead
deciding to just bask in it while it lasted. Besides, it was a lot better than the
awkwardness I'd expected to follow-up our sappy conversation last night.

"We should probably get going, Troye boy." I interrupted, watching my mother shoot
me a glare, obviously not impressed with me for ruining their conversation. Troye
didn't seem upset though, immediately jumping up next to me with a smile.

"See ya, Jackie!" He said, following me out of the room. I grabbed my bag on the
way out of the door, not bothering to look back at Troye until we'd made it
outside. He sped up then, wanting to walk beside me.

"How long have you been here?" I asked, eyeing him out of the corner of my vision.

"Twenty minutes-ish." I groaned, shoving him in frustration. If anyone can ruin my

chance with Troye, it's my mother. She knows everything about me, every
embarrassing detail. Well, minus the whole at-school life thing, but Troye already
knows about all that anyway. I was glad they were getting along, but I definitely
didn't want them to become friends, not yet anyway. "Hey, is someone getting
jealous? I promise I like you better than your mother, Ty."

I didn't reply to this comment, thankful we'd reached the car and I could use
getting into it as an excuse. The real reason I hadn't replied had something to do
with the teasing tone in his voice, something that could have been easily mistaken
as flirty. Maybe he just had a naturally flirty personality and had been too shy to
show it off before now, or maybe I'd just read more into it than necessary-

Or maybe he likes you.

I tried to shake that thought out of my head, though it seemed permanently

engraved. I glanced over nervously and watched Troye slide into the driver's seat
beside me, looking over to lock eyes with me. He gave a warm comforting smile,
likely noticing how unnerved I was, and then turned to focus on starting the car. I
quickly flitted my eyes toward the window, watching the familiar scenery start to
roll by. I was doing a pretty good job distracting myself until I caught sight of
Troye's reflection in the glass. He was smiling to himself as his eyes remained
fixed on the road in front of us, his eyes sparkling with what looked to be
excitement. I felt the corner of my own lips turn up and actually looked directly
at him.

"Why are you so happy? Did you forget where we're going? School is hardly something
to get excited over." I scoffed, watching him intently. He gave a thoughtful smile,
eventually just shrugging his shoulders.

"Do I need to have a reason? I guess I just woke up on the right side of the bed
today." He laughed, making the sharp right turn into the school parking lot. We
were still early, only a few cars scattered across the parking lot, including my
piece of junk. It'd probably work today, usually it did after a bit of a break. I
blinked, realizing I'd forgotten to reply to his statement. A thought popped into
my head and before I could help myself I was blurting it out loud.

"Or maybe it had something to do with falling asleep to the sound of my voice." My
cheeks flamed upon realizing what I'd just said, my eyes darting back to the
parking lot. It was one thing to flirt over the phone, it was a completely
different level to do it in person. I could see his real reaction, and when the
time came that he finally rejected my advances, it'd hurt much worse in person.

"Doubt it." He giggled, his voice thick with the same teasing tone from earlier. I
just rolled my eyes at him, crossing my arms in a mock pout as I waited for him to
park the car. I was the first one out of it when he did, hopping over to my own car
to make sure no one had messed with it. I doubted anyone could screw it up worse
than it was, but it was better safe than sorry. I was only half way through my
inspection when I felt a hand wrap around my forearm, tugging me off toward the
school.

"Hey! I wasn't done there!" I complained, glaring up at Troye through my eyelashes.

He just stuck his tongue out at me, wagging it annoyingly.

"We have Math together first thing and I refuse to be the first one to class. Do
you have any idea how awkward it'd be to sit alone with Mr. Graham?" I gave loud
sigh of complaint, though I didn't find myself struggling against his embrace. In
fact, I didn't even try to shrug it off when we walked into the school, ignoring
all the questioning glances I got in response. Instead I picked up another
conversation with Troye, teasing him about his math skills animatedly as we walked
through the halls together, him still leading me by the grip on my arm. It wasn't
like I had to worry about Caspar or anyone seeing us together, they were never this
early to school. And even if they did it'd be easy to play Troye's grip off as a
violent one and that we were 'fighting', so I wasn't going to dwell on it.

We stumbled into the empty classroom together a moment later, casting nervous
glances in the direction of the teacher at the front. He was sitting at his desk
and eating what was likely his breakfast, though the fact it was meatballs made me
seriously question his healthy food choices. Troye and I exchanged a look before
both stifling giggles and walking over to our seats from yesterday. He got his book
out immediately, seemingly reviewing as his eyes scanned over the work we'd done
yesterday. He put way too much effort into this.
I put up with another three minutes of this before deciding it was simply too
boring. I reached over and plucked the pencil out of his hand, holding it as far
away from him as I could manage.

"Tilly!" He hissed, his voice hushed as he obviously tried not to alert the
teacher. I gave him a huge smile in response, trying to ward off the butterflies
his adorable nickname caused. He pouted his lip out in an adorable puppy dog face,
holding his hands out like he expected me to just give it back to him. That'd be
way too easy. Instead I dropped some eraser shavings into his hand, earning a glare
and a shove. He jolted forward suddenly, stretching over me in an attempt to grab
it. His fingertips were just barely touching it when an ungodly screech filled the
room. I knew immediately his chair had slipped out from underneath him considering
all the weight he was putting to one side, watching helplessly as he collapsed
draped across my legs. He scrambled up immediately, snatching his pencil from me
easily considering how awestruck I still was over the situation. His cheeks were
flushed and his eyebrows furrowed as he turned back to his work, looking genuinely
unimpressed with the entire world. I felt a little bad knowing I'd managed to kill
his good mood, but that didn't stop the giggles that wracked my body a moment
later. This only made him blush even harder, watching as the teacher lifted his
head for the first time and stared at us questioningly. I couldn't stop laughing
even if I wanted to though, clutching my sides as they both continued to stare me
down. Eventually Troye slapped my leg in an effort to quiet me down but it didn't
help, only making me laugh harder at his exasperated expression. The teacher
cleared his throat pointedly then and I tried to get myself under control, though I
only stopped for a second before starting all over again. Troye groaned at this,
leaning toward me and clapping a hand over my mouth.

"Shut-up, it wasn't even that funny." He growled, his voice laced with both
embarrassment and annoyance. I stopped laughing though, so he'd accomplished his
goal. But I'd be lying if I said it was because of the annoyance in his voice, it
had a lot more to do with how sexy his voice sounded in that deep growl combined
with his soft palm pressed up against my lips. I pulled his hand off my face not
even a second later, shoving it away and turning to my work with a determined
expression. I never did work I didn't have to in class, and I didn't actually
intend to, but the excuse not to look at him was definitely necessary right now. I
could feel his eyes on me as he wondered what had reversed my teasing mood so
quickly, though I refused to look up and call him out on the staring. I skimmed
through the pages of my math book quickly, only paying any attention to the tiny
pictures throughout it. We didn't interact at all after that, an almost eery
silence enveloping the room.

The bell rang about ten minutes later, alerting people it was time for normal
people to go to class. I was still holding a slight grudge toward Troye for making
me come to class so early, but I didn't really have reason considering I'd been the
one to drag him out of the house. I was actually thankful when the other students
filed in and the tense mood evaporated, finally sitting up in my chair. I hadn't
been expecting Troye's eyes to still be on me though, suddenly nervous all over
again under his curious gaze. I could feel him trying to figure out what was going
on with me, and I didn't like it at all. I decided to cover up my nerves though,
flashing a fake confident smile I'd perfected over years.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." I said smoothly, winking at him. Of course I
found myself wondering why the hell I said something so flirty not even a second
later, but it was too late to take it back. Besides, he was probably getting used
to it by now. He definitely didn't seem too bothered by it, either brushing it off
as normal Tyler Oakley behaviour or just completely indifferent to it either way.
Looking back the words were completely laced with irony, considering I had taken a
picture of him for the sole purpose of looking at how beautiful he was. Wow, this
is really reaching obsession level.

"Nah, might break my camera." He replied, equally as smoothly. I gave him the
stink-eye in response, though it didn't last long considering I couldn't fight off
the smile when he started to giggle quietly. A couple of the students sitting
nearby turned to look at us with curious eyes but they all turned back to the front
when the teacher began listing off today's work load. I didn't turn to the front
though, instead keeping my eyes fixed on Troye as he reacted to the teacher's
words.

"-page twelve through to twenty. There's a lot of questions but what you don't
finish in class can be done at home. Alright, you may begin." I bit my lip to fight
off the grin as I watched Troye's face fall, looking utterly defeated with the
amount of work he was going to have to do. He sighed quietly, his eyes flickering
down to the book as he started the dreaded work. I watched him start the first
question, surprised by how angelic he could look even when annoyed. It really made
me wonder how he'd managed to go under the radar all these years. He mus thave had
an invisibility cloak or something, because there is no other way that he wouldn't
turn heads. He was hands down the most attractive thing in the school, out of both
boys and girls. I was still lost staring at him when I felt someone kick my foot
roughly. I furrowed my brow in anger for a second, before blinking and noticing the
smirk on his face, making it clear he'd been the culprit.

"Are you back to Earth yet? I've been asking you to help me with this question for
three minutes now." I blushed, wondering if he'd noticed just what I'd zoned out
staring at, but hurriedly shifted my chair closer to his to help him out.

"What don't you get about it?" I asked calmly, noticing how frustrated his ragged
breathing was.

"Everything." He replied, crossing his arms grumpily. I rolled my eyes, studying

the question more intently. I checked to make sure the teacher wasn't looking
before doing the question for him, making sure to move slowly so he caught the
entire process. Once I'd finished he gave me an appreciative smile, going back to
his work without another word. I reluctantly decided I'd better get at my own then,
knowing I was going to have trouble in this class myself if I kept letting myself
get distracted by him.

I let out a breathy sigh of relief when Troye finished his final question, with
five minutes to spare. He seemed very proud of himself, despite the fact he would
never have accomplished it without my help. He leaned back in his seat with a smug
grin, before inspiration dawned on his face and he lurched back forward. I was
confused for a second before he showed me the paper he'd been writing on, rolling
my eyes at the childish note he'd written instead of just talking to me. Scrawled
across the paper in his fancy signature were the words 'Look at the teacher'. I
furrowed a brow before looking to the front, my eyes going wide when I seen him
eating a slice of pizza. How much food did this guy keep in storage at his desk? I
gave a bubbly smile before settling back in my seat like Troye had, both of us
turning to look at each other. Thus started an ugly face war, which lasted us until
the bell rang and we were dismissed. For once I wasn't the first out of the door,
gathering up my stuff at a normal pace alongside Troye. Even after I'd collected it
all in my arms I stayed standing there, wordlessly waiting for him to finish. He
seemed a little surprised to see me still there when he straightened up, though his
initial shock was immediately replaced with a smile as he led the way out of the
classroom.
After we'd successfully made it out of the classroom is when awkwardness ensued. We
both stood beside the door, looking at each other with weak smiles. At first I was
confused why this moment was so awkward, before it set in that this was the last
time I'd see him today. Sure, I might see him in the halls, but I wouldn't have a
chance the rest of the day to talk to him without my 'friends' crowded around.
Worse yet it wasn't like last night where our goodbye could be sappy, it had to be
quick and rushed, making leaving him even less desirable.

"I, uh, I should probably get to my next class." He said, breaking the silence. He
looked tentative, like he wasn't sure what I was going to say. I gave a breathless
laugh, despite the situation not even being remotely funny. I had a weird knot in
the pit of my stomach, enforcing my belief that this was reaching obsession status.
We'd see enough of each other to make up for it tomorrow, considering I was going
to be at his house all day, but still my tongue felt heavy in my mouth as I drawled
the next words.

"Yeah, definitely. I'll text you." I said in a rush, he nodded and turned to leave,
but before he even got a full step I threw my arms around his back and nuzzled my
face between his shoulders. It was about ten seconds later after the initial bubbly
feeling wore off, that I realized what I'd just done. I took a step back quickly
and looked around the hallway, relieved to see it was empty aside from three stray
students that I didn't recognize. My eyes went back to Troye then, nervously
waiting for him to turn around or to even say anything in reaction. He didn't
though, instead just continuing on like he had been before and walking off down the
hall. This worried me for multiple reasons, my mind instantly jumping to the
conclusion that I'd done something wrong. Maybe it wasn't just me that was worried
about being seen at school, maybe he didn't want people to know he hung-out with me
either. I couldn't be sure, but there was definitely something off about how he'd
hurried away so quickly.

My questions were all left unanswered and nagging in the back of my mind the entire
day, constantly popping up at the wrong time and ruining my mood. I was terrified,
what if he was mad at me? I couldn't handle that again, not after how close we'd
gotten last night. That was exactly why I never ended up texting him, worried he
wouldn't reply or even worse, he'd reply with something I didn't want to hear. I
tried to avoid human interaction as much as I could throughout the rest of the day,
outright ignoring Marcus when he tried to strike up a conversation at the lunch
table. Maybe I should have talked to him though, maybe a distraction was just what
I needed, especially when I'd caught sight of a familiar chocolate brown quiff
floating above the heads of shorter students. I was forced to keep my cool though,
considering Caspar had likely already picked up that something was off about me
today. He wouldn't hesitate a second to use it to his advantage if he found out any
new information.

Somehow I'd managed to get through the rest of lunch without being questioned
though, even after my eyes spent a good thirty seconds lingering on Troye as he
stood in line. The classes after that had been more hands-on thankfully, and I'd
actually managed to push the thoughts of him to the back of my mind and concentrate
on the tasks at hand. Between dodge-ball in P.E class and paper mache in art, they
were both pretty attention-keeping. I actually got so caught up in my paper
sculpture that I jumped when the bell went off, alerting as it was officially the
end of the day. I would have been more relieved if it weren't for the fact I still
had an hour long practice to attend, making me wish I'd never joined the team in
the first place. I couldn't skip it though, our first game of the season was coming
up very soon and being the quarterback, it was kind of important I knew what we
were doing.

After the hour of streinous and boring activity, I was jogging toward the showers
with the rest of the boys. They were all talking obnoxiously loud about things like
sex and parties, and I was very grateful they took notice of my bad mood at lunch
and didn't ask me for opinions on the topics now. I was the first into the shower,
completely zoning out the rest of them after they started whooping the words 'Get
some' repeatedly. I was nearly finished when a particularly loud shout brought me
back down to Earth. I grimaced as I turned, watching Caspar smack some newbie's
back with a wet towel, earning a loud squeal that echoed throughout the room.

"Why were you staring at me in the shower? You're not a fag, are ya?" He crooned,
staring at the guy with a challenging grin. He shook his head immediately, holding
his hands up in defense.

"No, 'course not. And I wasn't staring, it was an accident." He said sternly, the
disgust in his voice making it very clear our team had gained yet another
homophobic douchebag. Yay! Congratulations! I decided to ignore any further
conversations, heading toward the locker and slipping on my outfit. I really hoped
my car started, because the last thing I wanted was to be stuck in a car with bigot
and bigoter. I trotted out of the building before they had the chance to finish
getting dressed and strike up a conversation with me, slowly wandering out into the
parking lot.

I thanked the gods of every single religion when my car purred to life, slamming my
foot on the gas before it had the chance to stall again. The drive home didn't feel
nearly as quick as usual, likely because my mind was anxiously worrying about Troye
yet again. It was about half way home when a familiar ringtone filled the car,
effectively making my heart stop. I quickly pulled the car over, despite knowing
how much this increased the chances of it not starting next time, and launched
myself into the backseat. I dug around in my duffel bag before retrieving the
cellphone, clicking on the text eagerly.

"Try to be here for noon tomorrow, okay? My family is going to be going out for
lunch so it's basically the only time we'll have to ourselves." I spluttered out a
sigh of relief upon reading the text, all my worries vanishing from reading two
carefully composed sentences. If he was mad he wouldn't be encouraging me about
tomorrow, he'd be trying to avoid the topic. I didn't even think before clicking
his name, listening to the phone ring a moment later.

"What's your excuse for calling me this time, Oakley?" I blushed under his
obviously teasing tone, realizing I hadn't even thought of one. It was worth it
though, considering I was now sure he wasn't mad at me.

"Hmm... I was calling to let you know I got your text?" It wasn't supposed to be a
question, but my tentative tone definitely made it seem like one. Troye chuckled
then, the sound immediately making my heartbeat speed up.

"Could you not have just replied to the text to inform me of that?" He asked,
cockiness seeping into his voice at having caught my lie red handed. I bit my lip
in thought for a moment, trying to come up with any kind of excuse that could get
me out of this without looking like the obsessed weirdo I was. I didn't find any.

"Yeah, I guess." I mumbled, playing with the hem of my shirt nervously. He just
giggled though, the sound banishing my anxiety once again.

"Look, can I call you back later? The only reason I didn't call you in the first
place was because I'm literally just about to get into the shower." I blinked,
suddenly noticing the water obviously running in the background. It was only a
matter of seconds before the obvious thoughts came into my mind, realizing it was a
very likely possibility that Troye was naked right now, while talking to me. I bit
down hard on my lip for a few seconds, trying very hard to plan out exactly what I
was going to say next. I knew if I didn't pre-plan my word choice I'd let some
sexual one-liner slip that'd probably be taking it too far.

"Oh, uh, yeah, that's fine." I physically slapped a hand to my face at the
stuttering mess I'd just made, the fact my voice cracked on the word 'fine' making
it impossibly worse. So much for planning out my response, but at least it wasn't
sexual. He snickered again, though I noticed how bashful this one was compared to
the one's before it.

"I'll call you later, don't fall asleep on me." Oh, Troye, you have absolutely no
idea how much I would love to fall asleep on you.

"Of course not, I'll be staring at the screen until your name lights it up again."
I cooed, picturing exactly how he'd roll his eyes in response.

"Bye, Ty." He muttered quietly, ending the call before I got a chance to reply. I
didn't mind though, still quite caught up with my thoughts of him in the shower.
This whole moving slow with him thing had seemed easy enough at first, but it was
getting increasingly more difficult the more I wanted to jump his bones.

A/n: UJDKMGFCIOKF IDK ITS A BIG FILLER AND I'M SORRY BUT IF YOU LIKE IT YOU LIKE
IT, AN UPDATE IS AN UPDATE YADDA YADDA. Also the Saturday you've all been waiting
for is approaching v fast, likely next chapter unless I come up with some necessary
thing that needs to happen between then and now. Okay, I'd also like to point out
this story has officially passed my other story in votes and comments DESPITE
HAVING A QUARTER OF THE READS IT DOES. THATS INSLAYNE, YOU GUYS ARE LOVING THIS.
UGh, I am loving you all <3
Okay, now I'd just like to use this little corner of the internet to give a
shoutout to my wife, my lover, my best friend, my consultant, my other half; Chloe.
(aka @GurlYouAFiiiineApple) She has started a new story and if you haven't read it
OR her other teacherxstudent one, you're basically nothing to me. I'm kidding, but
please go read them and spam her with comments so she'll UPDATE <3 Her new story is
an AU where Tyler is best friends with Steele and him and Troye have a kind of
running flirtationship and it's uh, basically the best thing ever. It's called
Holidays and just ugh, go read it, her writing style is so unique and perfect and
she uses big words and i love her to death.

Oh and finally I'd just like to mention that there has been a lot of drama going on
in the Troyler wattpad community as of late and it's honestly the worst. I just
want everyone to be happy so please don't take part in it if you can avoid it. I
mean, we're all here to read fanfiction and ship gay men religiously, can we not
come to a mutual agreement to do that as a big happy group? Alright, that's it for
rambling with Kali today, tune in next update for more not-exciting-at-all
ramblings. Love you all, stay gold ponyboys. Live long and prosper. Hakuna Matata.
also also, it feels mandatory to make a reference to a popular pop song considering
what chapter this is. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I'M FEELING TWENTY-TWO

Chapter Twenty-Three
*Troye's POV*

You know in movies where the characters just snap their eyes open and jump out of
bed in the morning, completely ready for the day and happiness radiating off of
them? That never happens in real life, ever. I'd like to be able to say there were
exceptions to that rule, but there aren't. Even today, when I woke up with a goofy
grin on my face and an instant good mood, I did not find myself jumping out of bed
and full of energy. I was crazy happy though, grinning up at my roof for no reason
for nearly five minutes before realizing what I was doing. I wiped the sleep out of
my eyes then, groggily rolling out of the bed and onto my floor. I nearly screamed
when I realized I'd fallen on my phone, which must have fallen out of the bed while
I slept. I noticed the call with Tyler was still going on, though I was still a
little too tired to think coherently enough to end it. Instead I peeled myself off
the floor and stumbled into the bathroom, grabbing my toothbrush.

As I ran it over my teeth I slowly began to wake up, like really wake up. My
thoughts slowly began to come back to me, at first simple things like 'I used way
too much toothpaste' but eventually evolving to the point I realized how high my
phone bill was going to be if I didn't get my ass out there and end the call. I
hurriedly spat the toothpaste out, cursing as it dribbled down my chin. I wiped it
off carelessly before scrambling back to the bed, reaching down and grabbing it
quickly. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Tyler had already ended the call,
wordlessly alerting me he'd woke up already. As if I hadn't been excited to get out
of the door already I definitely was now, getting dressed as I walked. I was still
shoving my shirt on as I started down the stairs, pausing halfway to keep from
falling down them. Just as I poked my head through the neck hole someone brushed
past me. I knew it was Steele without looking, knowing he was the only one who
wouldn't bother to strike up a conversation. I bounded down the steps after him,
grabbing my bag off the couch and heading straight past the kitchen he'd went into,
instead making a beeline straight for the front door. I wasn't necessarily
surprised when I heard my name called in an angry voice a moment later, a familiar
pattern we'd worked out every time I tried to sneak off without breakfast.

"Fine." I grumbled quietly, slumping back into the kitchen and falling into my
usual seat at the table. Our table was huge, obviously considering the family it
had to accommodate, so naturally my seat was the furthest from everyone else I
could manage. A plate was placed in front of me promptly, though the usual 'good
morning' or 'try to catch the bus today' didn't follow, alerting me something had
changed in our never ending pattern. I cautiously looked over my shoulder, taking
in my mother's emotionless expression.

"Mom? Something wrong?" She just narrowed her eyes at me, letting out a loud huff
of air.

"You kept me up until 4am, Troye Sivan, something is definitely wrong." My eyes
went wide with realization, remembering that I hadn't exactly been quiet while on
the phone with Tyler. It wasn't my fault he was so funny, how was I supposed to
hold back laughter? That, and it was the early hours of the morning, I didn't
exactly have the coherent thought to stay quiet. I could only guess how much my
face had paled, guilt washing over me.

"I am so sorry, Mom, it won't happen again." I promised, my voice coming out in a
rush. In truth, the idea of putting an end to Tyler and I's late night
conversations was enough to make my joyful mood die in the blink of an eye.

"It's fine, Troye, do you know how many sleepovers I've had to put up with for your
other siblings? One late night phone call isn't going to kill me, but just try to
keep it quieter next time." I nodded, grimacing when she annoyingly messed up my
hair before sauntering off. I decided I could worry about that in the car though,
stuffing the first bite of hash-browns into my mouth. I was chewing loudly when my
eyes fell on Sage and Tyde across the table, leaned in and whispering to each
other, both obviously stifling back giggles. My eyes drifted to Dad and Steele to
see if they were in on it, but they were once again caught up in a sports
conversation. I then looked back to Sage and Tyde, raising my eyebrows in question.
They both burst out laughing then, gripping the table for support. I immediately
regretted wondering when their laughter faded and they both looked at me with
matching devious smirks.

"Yeah, Troye, try to keep it quieter next time, you and Tyler were keeping the
whole house up last night." Sage spluttered out, another fit of giggles wracking
the both of them. I groaned at the obvious sexual innuendo, sinking my face into my
hands to hide the corresponding blush. The rest of my family were no help, just
chuckling quietly. At least they hadn't broken down like Sage and Tyde, who were
still cackling. I decided to cut the family time short then, stuffing as much food
as I could into my mouth and turning to my mother.

"May I be excused?" I asked through the mouthful of food, smiling at her grossed
out expression.

"Get out of here, loverboy." She sad finally, swatting at my back as I jogged for
the door. Normally I would have made a comment about the 'loverboy' thing, but I
was just in too much of a rush to care right now. What if Tyler was all ready and
waiting for me? I wanted to take advantage of every possible second I could spend
with Tyler, partly because we wouldn't have much time together today, and partly
because I wasn't sure how much time we'd have together as a whole. It's not like
he'd slipped up in the slightest yet, quite the opposite actually, but I could
never be too safe. I was past the point of getting out of this without getting hurt
if something did go wrong, so subconsciously I'd decided to just throw caution to
the wind completely. I had him right now and I was damned well going to enjoy it.

I kept that mindset as I pulled into his driveway, biting my lip as I stared at his
closed front door. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to text him I was here or if
he'd see me, so I decided to do both. I turned off the car and began to search for
my phone, and nearly jumped out of my skin when there was a knock on the window. I
whipped my head up, a smile spreading across my features as I recognized Jackie
through the tinted glass. I rolled the window down and continued to smile, happy to
see hers was mirroring mine.

"Hi, Troye! Wanna come in for a tea?" She asked excitedly, a hint of mischief in
her eyes as she obviously knew how annoyed Tyler would get over this. I wasn't
particularly fond of tea, but I did love to see Tyler frustrated.

"That'd be lovely." I said cheekily, watching her turn and head back toward the
house. I hurriedly got out and followed her, practically bouncing with excitement
to see Tyler again. I stopped in my tracks when I realized just how much I was
swinging my arms, probably looking like some over-excited five year old. This was
really getting bad, how bubbly I got over this idiot. I hurried to catch up to
Jackie, who'd already made it to the kitchen. She'd also already occupied herself
with putting the kettle on so I just slid into my seat at the table. I wasn't sure
where I got off calling it my seat, considering it was very possible it belonged to
someone else more than me. I remembered hearing around the school when we were
younger that Tyler's dad had walked out on them, but it was possible she'd found
someone else since then and that was the reason for the third chair. Or maybe it
was just for company in general, I wasn't entirely sure. I'd find out though, I
intended to find out everything about Tyler.

"So, Troye, do you have any siblings?" I perked up at the question, sitting up
straighter in my seat as I addressed her, despite the fact she was still turned
away.

"Three."

"Ah, so a big family then?" She asked, a knowing tone in her voice. I laughed
quietly, nodding as she turned around to face me. She leaned back against the
counter, the kettle bubbling behind her.

"Annoyingly so." I said honestly, remembering the scene from earlier. My family
seemed so crazy compared to Tyler's, it must be nice to have it so calm all the
time.

"Aw, I'm sure they aren't that bad. You should consider it a blessing, at least
you'll always have someone to turn to." She beamed, that knowing parent undertone
seeping in. I knew she was right, but there was also no denying the fact that they
were annoying as all hell most of the time.

"I guess." I mumbled weakly, not sounding completely convinced. She didn't press it
though, turning to start rummaging in one of the many cupboards.

"Tyler has an older sister on his father's side, but their relationship is kind of
strained." She said, not bothering to look at me as she continued her search. My
lips quirked up at the new piece of information, smiling despite the information
not being that positive. Tyler would be an awesome sibling. Not for me, of course!
I'm pretty sure the way I see him is far from brotherly.

"Oh." I replied simply, a little embarrassed by how my thoughts were wandering

while talking to his mother. She triumphantly straightened up then, holding a box
of teabags and making it clear she didn't actually have tea often.

"He always wanted a younger sibling though, I'm sure he's going to love how big
your family is." She blurted suddenly, turning back to look at me. I grinned
happily, surprised to find I actually liked the idea of Tyler meeting my family. I
mean, obviously it was going to be a horrendously embarrassing experience for me,
but I still found myself looking forward to it. Do you know how many of Sage's
friends I'd been introduced to? Or how many brutish guys I've watched hang around
the house with Steele? It felt nice to know it was finally my turn to take a friend
home. Plus I'd obviously get bragging rights for bringing home the best friend the
family has ever met, because let's face it, there is no way anyone can not love
Tyler. Trust me, I've tried.

"We'll see about that." I said, smirking slightly as I pictured the unbearable
teasing my dad would undoubtedly put him through. He was a nuisance when it came to
anyone's friends coming over, but seeing as this was the first time for me he was
definitely going to take it up a notch on the teasing scale.

Jackie just smiled knowingly in response, making me take note again of how insanely
wise she was for her age. She definitely didn't look any older than my parents, but
she acted a thousand eons more mature. Maybe that was just around me though, I had
a feeling Tyler got his teasing mischievous streak from somewhere, and if his
father had left early on, I had my money on her. I hoped someday she'd get used to
me enough to act herself.

"What kind of tea do you want? I have some herbal ones around and-"

"Actually, do you have hot chocolate?" I could feel the blush rising in my cheeks
as soon as I said it, realizing how childish I probably sounding. She just smiled
though, a big toothy one as she tried to keep from laughing.

"I like you, I should have known Tyler wouldn't bring home someone boring enough to
choose tea over chocolate." I smiled warmly, saturating in the compliments. "I
assume you want marshmallows?"

"Of course!" I said dramatically, earning another smirk from her as she turned back
to the counter. She started to prepare it then, the only sound in the room the
radio turned down low in the corner. I found my eyes wandering around the room
looking for something to entertain myself, smiling when they fell on the pictures
of Tyler yet again. There were the obviously professionally-taken pictures from
when he was younger, framed and much bigger than the rest, but those weren't my
favorites. My favorite ones were the smaller ones without frames, just pictures
tacked onto the wall. They were from an arrangement of different ages, and all in
different situations. My personal favorites were the younger one of him playing
with bubbles, a close-up of his face covered in ice cream, an adorable photo of him
in a soccer jersey with the biggest smile he had plastered on his face, and a more
recent one of him and Jackie standing by a Christmas tree. I guess what made me
like them so much was that they were just so Tyler. No, not the shitty Tyler from
school, but the one I knew and adored. It was almost reassuring to see this was
what he was usually like, that it wasn't just some sort of nice guy act he put on
around me.

"He was a cute kid, huh?" I jumped upon hearing Jackie's voice so close all the
sudden, awkwardly looking over my shoulder and seeing her staring at me intently. I
just nodded my head nervously, gratefully accepting the hot chocolate on the table
as an excuse not to reply aloud. I was more than certain if I opened my mouth I'd
reply with something along the lines of "He still is", and I couldn't see that
working out well.

"Did you know you're the first friend he's ever brought home? I mean, when he was a
kid he had playmates over and stuff, but none since he was around twelve." She
explained it casually like it wasn't a huge piece of information to me, keeping her
eyes on the pictures above my head. I tried desperately to come up with a response
equally as casual, though I knew I'd failed before I even tried.

"Really?" I blurted, all of my disbelief and surprise pouring into my voice. This
brought her back to Earth quick, her eyes sparkling as she looked back down at me
and nodded eagerly, almost like she was happy with my awestruck reaction.

"Oh yes, he never tells me about his social life at all. I was beginning to worry
he was caught up in some sort of crime ring before he brought you home. I'm not
nearly as worried now. I mean, if his other friends are even a shred like you I'm
sure he's got a pretty good handle on things." I didn't have the heart to tell her
his other friends were absolutely nothing like me, instead just nodding and trying
to hide how happy her compliments made me. When I didn't reply she slid into the
seat across from me, leaving a seat between us for Tyler. We drank in silence then,
but not an uncomfortable one. I was actually about to start up another conversation
when I heard the sound of footsteps hammering against the floor. Not even ten
seconds later Tyler turned the corner into the kitchen, his sock-clothed feet
slipping slightly as he turned while jogging. He probably thought I was outside
waiting for him or something, which would explain the rush.

His eyes were fixed on the cellphone in his hands, completely disregarding us as he
marched straight to the fridge. I watched him walk across the kitchen, an obvious
swing in his hips as he opened up the fridge and bent down to inspect it's
contents. My eyes suddenly drifted lower, silently cursing the world that those
pants had to fit him so well. It was like he had it out to get me since my newly
realized feelings. Well, that, or he was always this incredibly attractive and I'd
never noticed before. A sudden shout made me jump, my eyes darting away in a hurry.

"Are there any eggs left?" He yelled, still scanning the fridge. I let out a breath
of relief when I realized that was all he wanted, looking to Jackie then to see how
she'd answer him. My eyes went wide when I seen all the mirth in hers, fear washing
over me that she might have seen me checking out his ass. Upon seeing my reaction
she burst out giggling and I nervously joined her, despite being completely unsure
of what it was we were laughing at. Other than our laughter the room remained
silent for another minute, Tyler likely observing the situation, before his loud
sigh filled the room. "Trying to steal my friends again, Mom?"

"Yeah, she's doing a pretty good job too, between the hot chocolate and hilarious
childhood stories about you." I quipped excitedly, without even giving it a second
thought. She hadn't actually told me anything embarrassing, but I knew it'd drive
Tyler crazy thinking she had. I turned quickly with a smile already on my face,
thankful for it afterward seeing as I lost the ability to do much of anything at
all when my eyes locked with his. I stayed lost like this for a few seconds later,
before suddenly becoming aware of how long my eyes had been lingering and snapping
my attention back to Jackie before I got carried away all over again.

"So, do you guys have any pets?" I asked, giving a big smile. It had been the first
conversational topic to pop into my head but I actually was kind of curious. Tyler
definitely seemed like the pet-type of person. She hurried to explain to me that
their landlord had a 'no pets' policy, worried that they'd 'ruin his house'. She
didn't hesitate to add all the reasons why the house was already ruined, giving me
more insight into their money situation unknowingly. I don't think Tyler was even
listening, though his eyes had stayed fixed on me indifferently the entire
conversation.

"We should probably get going, Troye boy." He said suddenly, the way he
interrupted his mother mid-sentence making it clear he hadn't been listening at
all. I jumped up eagerly all the same though, bounding over toward his side. He
turned to leave before I got there though, heading out the door without another
word to his mother. I noticed she was watching us leave and felt a little bad for
her seeing as he hadn't apologized, immediately taking the responsibility onto my
own shoulders.

"See ya, Jackie!" I beamed, giving her a small wave before following Tyler out the
door. Now that we were out of her sight I was less shy, immediately speed-walking
to catch up to Tyler. After only a second of us being at the same pace, he spoke
up.

"How long have you been here?"

"Twenty minutes-ish." I said cheerily, surprised when his reaction was a loud
groan. I was even more surprised when I felt a pair of hands on my hips, shoving
me. Did he not like me talking to Jackie or something? I leaned over to study his
face, trying to get a grip on what he was thinking. He face was expressionless and
I grunted in frustration, deciding to take matters into my own hands, literally. I
took my hand and brushed it lightly against his, not surprised when he was too lost
in thought to reply. I didn't feel the spark that normally accompanied thoughts so
I tried again, cursing myself for how curious I was as I let our hands brush
together as we walked yet again. This time I felt it, smiling happily to myself.

She knows everything about me, every embarrassing detail. Well, minus the whole at-
school life thing, but Troye already knows about all that anyway.

So he was just worried about his mother embarrassing him? I smiled to myself,
almost cocky at realizing how much my opinion mattered to him. I looked back to him
now, worried when I seen him still looking slightly off. Without even thinking I
jumped to say the first thing I thought of to cheer him up. "Hey, is someone
getting jealous? I promise I like you better than your mother, Ty."

My mouth immediately snapped shut afterward, annoyed with both the words I said and
the way I said them. I sounded so- flirty. I crinkled my nose up at myself, not
impressed with my ability to keep it together around him. It hadn't even been a
full twenty-four hours since realizing my feelings and I was already acting like
some sort of seducer-wannabe around him. That was not okay. As much as I wanted
that kind of relationship, I didn't want to compromise the one we had now in a
thoughtless attempt to get it. If this was going to work, I had to be subtle and I
had to take things slow, and even then there was a minimal chance of it working
out. Of the endless stories about Tyler hooking up with people, never once had one
been about a guy. Then again, he'd never actually dated a girl before either. And
no one had ever really seen him hook-up with them either, from what I heard. It
usually happened at parties where people were too drunk to know if the story was
true or not the next day when Tyler presumably recited it to the school. Maybe he's
just shy about PDA, or maybe he's only looking for fun and that's why he hasn't had
a girlfriend, or maybe-

Or maybe he's a closeted gay.

It was stupid and it was unlikely, but it didn't stop a smile from spreading across
my face as I looked toward him. I was a little surprised to find him already
looking at me, though not unnerved by it. I dimmed my smile slightly, not wanting
him to see how ridiculously excited for nothing I probably looked. I couldn't keep
the act up for long though, my bigger smile threatening to break out any second.
Instead I turned and directed my attention to starting the car, gnawing on my lip
distractedly. I let out a silent breath of relief when he turned his head to look
out the window, giving me a moment to myself to process the thought from earlier.

I guess it wasn't that stupid, his seemingly non-existent romance life could be
easily mistaken as a clue. I mean, he could have anyone in the school and yet he
hasn't had a single relationship? Either this boy has some serious commitment
issues or he's insanely picky. That wasn't even mentioning how flirty he had been
toward me lately. I mean, I'd brushed it off as just his normal behaviour and that
he acted like that with absolutely anyone, but what if he didn't? I wasn't around
him and other people enough to know how he normally acted, so I couldn't really say
that. Suddenly I found my heart racing in my chest, something that had started
happening a lot since I started hanging around Tyler Oakley. What if it did mean
something? When he called me babe or all of those sappy compliments from the phone
last night?

I felt like I was on cloud nine as I drove down the road, somehow managing to keep
my eyes on the road and my mind up in the clouds at the same time.

"Why are you so happy? Did you forget where we're going? School is hardly something
to get excited over." I was a little surprised by Tyler speaking up all of the
sudden, though I didn't let that show as I thought over my response. I smiled to
myself as I imagined how horribly awkward this situation would be right now if I
told him exactly what was on my mind. Instead I ended up just shrugging my
shoulders and using an excuse, knowing that was a much safer route.

"Do I need to have a reason? I guess I just woke up on the right side of the bed
today." I laughed, knowing that was actually partially true. I'd been this insanely
happy since I woke up, but it had a lot more to do with the boy sitting next to me
than what side of the furniture I woke up on.

"Or maybe it had something to do with falling asleep to the sound of my voice." He
purred smoothly, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up at the tone he
used. I gave myself a couple seconds to calm down before flickering my eyes to him
questioningly. He was staring out his window though, making it hard to figure out
what he'd meant by the words. I just wanted him to face me so I could read his
expression, but that didn't seem to be happening any time soon. I eventually
realized I had absolutely no patience to wait for him to look at me, instead
deciding to find my own way to earn his attention.

"Doubt it." I giggled teasingly, watching him break his eyes away from the window
to mine. They only locked for a second before he broke the contact to roll them,
crossing his arms and trying to act hurt over my comment. His face held no emotions
other than those fake ones though, making me sigh in defeat. I guess I should have
tried to read his mind if it mattered so much to me. I parked the car a second
later, a little confused when he immediately jumped out of the car. My temporary
confusion vanished when I watched him bend over, evaluating the condition of his
car to make sure nothing had happened to it. I doubted anyone would touch Tyler
Oakley's car, but I wasn't about to voice that opinion out loud. Instead I slid out
of the car myself, trotting over to where he had his face pressed up against the
glass window. I gave him a few seconds longer before the boredom began to eat away
with me, paired with the fact we were wasting our time alone together. It was only
a matter of minutes before the buses pulled into the parking lot and we were
surrounded by peers all over again, forced to sweep our friendship under the rug.
Without thinking I reached out and grabbed his arm, wrapping my long fingers around
it gracefully and tugging him off in the direction of the school. I was vaguely
aware of the fact he complained about it, but I didn't care enough to let him go.

Math class seemed to fly by in a whir of teasing and actually getting work done for
once. I'd never been able to get work done in class before. Then again, I'd never
had help either and was always too shy to ask teachers for it. I'd ended up with
homework nearly every night of the school year, hauling it home so Steele or Mom
could help me with it. I had to admit, the concept of not having homework to worry
about when I got home was really beginning to grow on me. I only really used the
spare time for Tumblr and watching television, but it was still nice to have on the
odd chance someone ever invited me out. And by that I mean, if Tyler ever invited
me out, let's be real here.

When the bell finally rang to alert us that class had ended I realized what a mess
I'd manage to make of my folders. I had the annoying mindset where I always needed
folders to be completely clean and organized, no doodles on papers, file
separators, page protectors, the whole thing. I never really understood it,
especially considering my room could look like a hurricane had just rolled through
and it wouldn't get on my nerves in the slightest. I smiled happily after I'd
finished, knowing the rest of the room had likely already cleared out. I stood up
with my stuff in my arms, freezing when I realized someone was standing next to me.
It took me a matter of milliseconds to realize it was Tyler, waiting for me. I felt
my heart flutter yet again at the simple caring gesture, immediately covering it up
with a big smile and heading toward the door.

It wasn't until we were both standing in the hallway, surrounded by people rushing
about to get to their next class, that I realized how stupid him waiting for me
actually was. Of course I still appreciated it, it was hella considerate and cute,
but there was no denying the stupidity. Caspar could walk by any second, and then
our little facade of 'enemies' would be pretty hard to explain. I sighed, deciding
it was no use worrying about it now, while we were already in the situation. I'd be
better off just hurrying the goodbye along so neither of us ended up getting hurt.

"I, uh, I should probably get to my next class." I said awkwardly, worried for how
he'd react. I had a feeling this wasn't exactly the goodbye he'd been hoping for,
but he couldn't expect me to pull him in for a hug or something in front of all
these people. Imagine the thoughts I'd hear, people planning out what kind of
rumors they were going to stem from it. He laughed in response, though it didn't
sound like his usual laugh at all. It was strained and forced, making me feel even
worse about the emotionless goodbye.

"Yeah, definitely. I'll text you." He said in a rush, his voice the quietest I'd
ever heard it. I was both curious and worried about him, but I'd also memorized the
routes Caspar liked to take around school long ago out of fear, and this was one of
the more likely hallways. Sure, most people were in class by now, but he was always
late anyway. He could come straggling along any second now, the fact we were almost
completely alone in the hallway now making it even more suspicious. I just nodded
in a response, my lips in a tight line as I reluctantly turned to leave. The second
I lifted my foot to take a step I froze, a pair of arms flying around my torso and
pulling me backward. I stumbled backward a bit, further into his embrace. The first
few seconds were torture as my eyes nervously flitted around the hall to make sure
no one was watching, but then I felt his face nuzzle between my shoulder blades,
and I found myself subconsciously relaxing into the hug just a little bit more. I
forced my eyes closed to keep from letting my mind wander to absolutely anything
else, instead focusing solely on what it felt like to have him so close. I could
feel his breath through my t-shirt, hot little bursts of air that sent welcome
shivers down my spine. He'd also knotted his fingers into the front of my shirt,
though I doubted he even noticed. He seemed to be pretty far gone, not even
reacting to himself when an elated hum escaped his lips. I didn't dare budge,
completely unsure of the situation. I wasn't expecting it at all when a sudden
thought pierced into my mind.

I wish I could just stay like this forever.

Forever? My eyes snapped back open, my breathing picking up to an unsettling pace

as I tried to make sense of the thought. There were lots of reasons he could have
thought that, right? Maybe he just really liked hugging people, maybe he was like
addicted to it- I paused my train of thought as he hurriedly removed his arms,
putting a full step between us hastily and making it clear he hadn't even meant to
hug me to begin with. That only made things worse, the realization dawning on me
that he hadn't been able to resist hugging me, considering he regretted it
afterward. Fuck, I was either over-thinking this really badly, or-

Or Tyler Oakley likes me.

You don't think things like that during friendly hugs, do you? I mean, it's not
like I'm very experienced in friendly hugs either, but I'm pretty sure that isn't a
friendly hug thing, you know? I sighed breathlessly, overwhelmed with all the
thoughts bouncing around in my head all of the sudden and frustrated my questions
didn't have straight-up answers. Besides, what if he did like me? Obviously it
wouldn't be some romantic movie moment where we both confess and everything works
out perfectly. He had a homophobic reputation and I had a- well, I didn't even have
a reputation. I wasn't even sure what his plans for after school were, and I wasn't
interested in a relationship if it wasn't for the long-term. Come to think of it,
since when was I interested in a relationship of at all? I shouldn't be, it'd only
end badly. People kept secrets in relationships for a reason, it was quite possibly
the only thing that made them work. Say what you want, but no one could love
someone completely unconditionally. If you knew what they were really thinking all
the time, you'd get very tired of them very fast. You'd know when they checked
another person out, or what they really thought of your gifts you buy them, how
much they actually liked your mother, their honest opinion on your outfits. It all
seemed like simple stuff, but it'd add up to be a lot if they were constantly
disappointing you.

I wasn't even sure what to feel, but I knew Tyler was expecting some kind of
follow-up reaction from me. I wanted to give him one, I really did, but suddenly I
felt unbearably sad. I guess that was a side-effect of listing every possible
reason you could never find love or something. He'd realize how I was feeling in a
minute if he saw my face, something I both loved and hated about him. So, at the
time, the logical thing to do was just walk away without looking back. Good idea,
am I right? No, I'm not. I knew that even as I walked down the hallway and could
literally feel his eyes boring into the back of my head needily, but yet I still
didn't turn around.

Now, sitting on my bed staring at my phone with a lost feeling, I really regretted
not giving him a proper goodbye. It was like the day had been put on fast forward
after that short interaction, classes and lunch hour flying by at an insane speed.
I was thankful for it though, I don't know if I could have handled classes dragging
on with my thoughts so muddled. But now, that I was home alone with absolutely
nothing and no one to distract me, it was like the fates had taken their revenge
and put time on slow-motion. All I could do was think, and it fucking sucked. At
first it had been useless lovesick jabber about Tyler, moving on to more dark stuff
about how my feelings for him would ultimately prove pointless, and now it had
somehow ended up on trying to make a 'plan' of what move to make next. It sounded a
lot more intelligent than it really was, really all I was doing was repeatedly
asking myself if I should go along with my feelings or try and erase them from my
mind.

I didn't find my conclusion easily. Minutes turned into hours, my family came home,
and the sun had set, and I still didn't know what to do. I definitely knew I was
over-thinking it all now, but how could I not? Whether it was or not, this felt
like one of the most significant decisions I'd ever had to make. I mean, it's not
like my life had involved that many decisions before this. My family were just
heading up to bed now and I was both thankful and annoyed that I'd hear nothing but
silence in the house again. I waited patiently for the sound of footsteps to die
down, though they only got louder. I realized whoever it was was walking towards my
door just seconds before they opened it. The door swung open to reveal a tired
looking Steele, my eyebrows immediately raising inquisitively as he sauntered over
to my bed. He sat down politely on the very edge, giving me lots of space to stay
sprawled out like I had been when he walked in. We sat in silence for a few seconds
longer, my eyes staring at the side of his head pointedly. Eventually he sighed
loudly and turned to me with a weak smile, holding up his phone. I raised an
eyebrow, sitting up to look at the screen. There was a photo of a girl on the
screen. She was pretty, blonde hair drawn up into a ponytail and bright green eyes.
I looked up at him with a confused expression, relaxing slightly when he chuckled
in response.

"This is Amy, my girlfriend. I feel like I should probably tell you before she
shows up here for dinner tomorrow." He laughed then, sounding almost nervous. I
smiled happily, taking a bit more time to actually study her features. She looked
nice enough.

"What about the rest of the family, aren't you going to tell them?" I asked,
looking up at him confused. Why had I been the only one he told?

"Oh, no, I told them forever ago, we've been dating for ten months now." He
explained cheerily, tucking the phone back into his pocket. Obviously he hadn't
meant anything by it, but his words actually hurt me a lot. He'd told them 'forever
ago' and was just getting around to telling me? Of course I'd had my suspicions I
wasn't anyone's favorite sibling, but this was a little too blunt for me.

"Oh, wow, thanks, glad to know I'm such a priority." I mumbled sarcastically,
sinking back down into a laying position. He seemed confused by my words for a
moment, creasing his eyebrows together in thought. A figurative lightbulb went off
and his eyes went wide, his mouth immediately opening to stutter an explanation.

"No, Troye! The only reason I didn't tell you sooner was because you never showed
even a smidget of interest in knowing. I love you, bro, but you're kind of wrapped
up in your own world most of the time. Not that I have a problem with that! I've
just kind of learned to go along with it, you know? If you don't care, then why
tell you?" He explained, playing with his hands nervously as he stared down at the
floorboards. I bit my lip, staring at his nervous expression. I don't think I can
remember another time when I'd seen Steele nervous, he was just that, steel. He
never got upset or emotional, he was like a big rock that no one could mess with.
I, on the other hand, was the measly thing who was ruled by his own emotions
ninety-percent of the time. Like now, I felt unbearably guilty. How was I supposed
to know he felt like this? He'd never shown it. I didn't think he even cared about
me caring.

"I do care." I said quickly, earning an interested sideways glance from him. I took
a deep breath before adding my next words. "I'm just very bad at showing it."

"Well, at least you can admit to it." He said, his mood obviously slightly
brighter. Silence followed that, but only for a few seconds before he cleared his
throat and spoke up all over again. "Anyway, she's going to be arriving on the
train in the city tomorrow at noon. I've convinced the entire family to come with
me in the mini-van to go get her and show her around. I just wanted to let you know
so you can kind of coordinate that with when Tyler comes over."

"Coordinate?" I asked dumbly, blinking as I stared over at him. He chuckled

awkwardly then, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, you do want to be alone with him for at least some of the time, don't you?"
At first I thought this was just general brotherly niceness, before noticing the
unfamiliar tint to his cheeks and realizing exactly how he thought I was going to
utilize said 'alone time'.

"Ew, Steele! We are just friends right now!" I shouted, groaning in exasperation as
I shoved my face into the pillows. Sometimes I had to wonder what it was like to
have a normal family that were wary of the love interests you brought home, instead
of practically shoving you at them and just saying 'be safe'.

"Right now, yes, but I've been eighteen before, Troye, things can change fast when
you're-"

"Out of my room right now, I don't even want to hear the ending of that sentence."
I growled into the pillow, earning a genuine laugh from him.

"Fair enough, I didn't really want to say it either." He was still laughing
slightly when I felt the bed shift, an obvious result of him getting to his feet.
That was followed by footsteps, and eventually the creak of my door closing. It
didn't shut though, and I perked my ears knowing he was about tos ay something
else. "I'm excited to meet him, by the way, he sounds pretty cool."

"He likes to think he is anyway." I scoffed, wondering if Steele would still think
that after meeting him. He just chuckled once more before the sound of the door
clicking into the frame told me he'd officially left. I slowly sat back up then,
rubbing my eyes sleepily before yawning. Steele was right though, I was definitely
appreciative of the gained alone time, but not for the reasons he thought,
obviously. I grabbed my phone and wandered toward the bathroom, knowing it was
either shower now or get up relatively early on a Saturday and shower before Tyler
got here. That was simply not an option. I hope he's not mad at me for just walking
off earlier, it was a pretty assholish thing to do, looking back. I paused by the
sink and hurriedly typed in a quick text for him, leaving it setting there as I
stripped my shirt over my head. I wandered over to the shower then, fumbling with
the temperature with one hand while wrestling with the button on my jeans with the
other. I somehow managed to figure out both, just as a loud ringtone filled the
room. I smiled to myself, considering I was almost expecting this reaction. I
hurried over to the counter, picking it up promptly.

"What's your excuse for calling me this time, Oakley?" I asked quietly, a smirk on
my lips. I hadn't actually expected these phone calls to become a nightly thing,
but it was definitely beginning to look like they were.
"Hmm... I was calling to let you know I got your text?" His voice sounded so unsure
it was obviously a made-up excuse, making me chuckle lightly. On the inside this
actually caused me to worry the slightest bit, my subconscious adding it to the
list of reasons to suspect he liked me. I mean, why else would he call without any
good reason only to make an adorable spluttering idiot of himself?

"Could you not have just replied to the text to inform me of that?" I asked,
knowing the answe

Chapter Twenty-Three and a Half

*Troye's POV*

Smut warning (it feels so good to be able to say that, you don't even know.)

Yet another shiver wracked my body and I snuggled deeper into Tyler's sweater,
playing absentmindedly with the fraying strings on the hem. After forever pleading
he'd managed to drag me along to one of his football games, even forcing me to
stand at the very bottom of the bleachers so I could be close to him when he was on
the bench. He was a very demanding thing, though I never even thought twice before
going along with any and all of his commands. I still couldn't believe I had him, I
was willing to do anything to make sure it stayed that way. Besides, there was
absolutely nothing I loved more than that cheeky little smile but meaningful
'thank-you' he'd give every time I caved and gave him what he wanted.

Currently I was trying to spot him in the mass of sweaty people lumbering around
the field. It was the most boring thing I'd ever attended, the highlight of my
night so far being when Tyler came back to the bench and took his helmet off. His
hair had been all sweaty and messy, making my mind ultimately wander to other
situations where his hair might look like that. Then, as if he was totally aware of
the thoughts going on in my head, he'd grabbed his water bottle and chugged it
carelessly, sending a stream dribbling down his chin. He wiped it off sluggishly,
proving he was completely unaware of my gaze as he simply plopped back down onto
the bench. I whimpered almost inaudibly, dipping my face into my hands. This was
new to me, the whole 'thoughts wandering to dirty places and getting flustered in
public' sorta thing. I'd barely thought myself capable of thinking sexual things up
until a couple of months ago, and then Tyler- Well, he made it adamantly clear I
was more than capable. It was to the point I struggled to keep myself together
around him, resisting the urge to drag him off to the nearest closet or alley and
have my way with him wherever. He knew it too, he freaking prided himself in it. He
knew what he could do to me with a sideways wink or lick of his lips, and he used
every oppurtunity to tease me he got. But that's all he ever let it get to;
teasing. The closest he'd ever come to living up to his flirthy flirting was the
heated make-out session the other day, complete with stripping my shirt off and
littering my body with hickeys, successfully marking me as 'his'. I didn't
complain, not even when I'd gotten a thousand questions on why my body was covered
in purple. I liked being his, in fact, I couldn't think of a single person I'd
rather belong to.

I jumped in my seat when the loud buzzer blasted through the speakers surrounding
the entire stadium, announcing that it was officially half-time. I squirmed
nervously to regain a balance on my seat. I mean, I guess it might have also had
something to do with trying to readjust the growing bulge in my pants, but I wasn't
about to admit to that, especially not when I caught sight of a sweaty Tyler
lumbering in my direction. Oh boy, he'd never let me live it down if he caught me
with a hard-on at his football game. I closed my eyes instead of focusing on the
gorgeous boy I so badly wanted to right now, instead thinking of the least sexually
stimulating things I could.
Dying puppies.
Casproaches.
Mrs. Smith naked.
The smell of rotten eggs-

"Hey, would you like to buy a hot dog? All proceeds go to the choir group-" I just
held up a single hand, glaring at the girl standing in front of me with the tray of
food slung around her neck. Not that hot dogs are sexually stimulating or anything
but, well, they were one of those things that just automatically made your mind
wander to other... things. The girl didn't seem that fazed, trotting off the way
she'd approached. I let out a shaky sigh of relief, one that was quickly cut short
when I felt a pair of hands snake around my waist quickly, pulling me backward and
right off of the bright orange bleacher bench. I squealed, squirming as Tyler spun
me around to face him. He had a huge smile on, his eyes sparkling as he cupped my
face in his hands. I grimaced, the smell of the football and sweat all over his
hands. He didn't notice or he didn't care though, instead just leaning in and
quickly pressing a light peck to my lips. PDA wasn't really our thing, given the
community we lived in, but I guess tonight was a special occasion or something.

"Are you having fun?"

"What? Sitting in a crowd of screaming people and sitting alone while watching my
boyfriend run around all sweaty with a bunch of other men? Why wouldn't I be having
fun?" I purred, plastering on an over-the-top fake smile. He just rolled his eyes
at me, letting his hands fall down to my hips.

"Don't you sass me, Troye Sivan, you were the one that agreed to come." He growled,
crowding closer to me as he pulled my hips closer to him. I felt the hairs on the
back of my neck stand up, my breathing becoming erratic the closer he got to me.

"Only because you wouldn't quit bugging me about it." I retorted quickly, trying to
add an unneccessary amount of sass to my tone. It wasn't often that I was ballsy
enough to tease Tyler back to any extent, but it almost felt necessary right now.
It was the only form of revenge I had for him making me sit in the stands horribly
bored this entire time. Surely he knew me well enough to know I wasn't going to
enjoy it. Sports weren't my thing, it's not like it was any big secret.

"So you haven't enjoyed it at all? Surely there's at least one cute football player
that's caught your attention?" He pried, a smirk playing on his lips as he eyed me
expectantly. I knew exactly what I was supposed to say here, but for some reason I
was still feeling particularly rebellious.

"I mean, number twelve on the other team is pretty cute. I've always had a thing
for black hair." I said thoughtfully, tilting my head to the side to represent the
deep 'thought' I was in. I was well aware of Tyler's suddenly dark eyes staring at
my over-exposed neck, though I decided to disregard it. It was kind of nice to be
in charge for a change.

"He has a really nice butt too, like, I know you were busy chasing that stupid ball
the entire time, but did you see that thing?" I whistled under my breath then,
letting my head straighten back up, my eyes flickering back to Tyler's to gauge his
reaction. I knew immediately I'd messed up badly this time, his eyes nearly pitch
black as they glared down at my collarbone. I raised my eyebrows, awkwardly looking
down. My eyes immediately noticed the bruise peeking just above my shirt collar,
it's color fading to the point of barely noticeable now. Tyler noticed though,
considering he likely remembered putting it there. I looked back up tentatively,
trying to think up a plan to get back on his good side. I'd noticed his rivalry
with this player in particular, watching them duke it out in the mud as they fought
for the ball. That's exactly why I'd recited that number, not because he stuck out
to me for any other reason. "But, I mean, I can think of an even nicer butt-"

"Oh no, Troye, you're not sneaking out of this one." He chuckled darkly, his voice
suddenly a few octaves lower. I swallowed roughly, noticing the way his eyes
followed the movement on my neck. I was still trying to come up with my next
desperate quip to regain the carefree happy mood from earlier, but he abruptly
grabbed my hand and started leading me away. I bit my lip nervously, stumbling
along behind him. We walked off the bleachers, only for him to yank my arm a moment
later and lead me under them. I continued to gnaw on my lip at this, anticipation
swirling in the pit of my stomach. Punishment didn't seem like such a bad thing
after all. In fact, if this is going where I think it is, I intend to check out a
lot more cute boy's butts in the near future.

He led me to the back corner, the one farthest from the doors so hardly anyone was
sitting overhead. My heart was pounding in my chest now, any hope of toning down my
'problem' from earlier completely evaporated. He let go of my hand, bringing a
single one of his to rest on my chest. He pushed back lightly, wordlessly telling
me to move back against the wall. I did as I was told, completely okay with being
submissive if it meant getting what I both needed and so desperately wanted right
now. I felt my back hit the brick wall a second later, shivering slightly at the
cold temperature of the autumn night. Where Tyler normally would have fawned over
me and asked if I was warm enough, now he just smirked to himself as he watched me
quiver. He crowded closer to me then, pressing the length of his body against mine.
My breathing was more like panting now, just letting my jaw go slack as he leaned
forward. His lips were dangerously close to my ear, the heat of his breath hitting
me in all the right ways. I honestly didn't have an excuse to be this turned on
already, the tent in my pants noticeable despite the fact he'd barely even touch me
yet. With this realization I was reminded just how badly I needed him to touch me,
my hips immediately lifting away from the wall in their own desperate search for
friction. Much to my dismay they didn't find it, Tyler's much stronger hand pinning
them to the wall while the other hurriedly grabbing both of my wrists, pinning them
above my head. He was so close to me I couldn't really look anywhere else, my eyes
falling on the devilish smirk enveloping his face. My bottom lip was trembling as
he leaned forward again, actually taking my earlobe between his teeth this time and
grinding lightly. He pulled away a moment later, though his mouth remained just
inches from my ear. Suddenly he snapped his hips forward against mine, granting me
the friction I'd wanted only for a second. I moaned loudly before I could help
myself, immediately getting a hand slapped over my mouth in response.

"Shh, not a sound. Got it?" I nodded against his hand eagerly, my length twitching
excitedly at the raspiness in his voice. He started up a steady pattern of the
movement then, grinding against my obvious erection harshly. I bit down on my lip
to keep from making noise, but it was only a matter of time before that wasn't
enough. A needy whimper tumbled out of my throat, and with that the pressure was
gone as quickly as it had started. I struggled against his grasp on my wrists then,
thrashing about and repeatedly whispering the word 'please' like it was the only
thing in my vocabulary. He just clicked his tongue, leaning in to press a light
kiss to the tip of my nose before letting go of my wrists and abandoning me all-
together. My eyes snapped open, watching his receding back as he headed toward the
only exit. I stumbled after him clumsily, wincing slightly at the uncomfortable
pressure in my groin. I caught up to him just before he stepped back out into
people's line of sight, grabbing onto his bicep with both hands and digging my
nails in.

"Tyler." I hissed, trying to pull him back toward the wall forcibly. Obviously this
didn't work, but it didn't stop me from trying and putting all my effort into it.

"No, Troye, I have a game to get back to. Why don't you go ask number twelve from
the other team to help you out?." He spat, shooting me a glare before ducking back
out into the where the light reached. I whimpered, looking down at the obvious tent
in my pants. I couldn't exactly go back out there looking like this, not that the
idea of missing the rest of the game really bothered me. Maybe I should just go
home... I mean, Tyler was already mad, what harm would it do? I peeked around the
corner cautiously, relieved to find the halls had already emptied. I then shuffled
down it awkwardly, heading for the parking lot. I was actually nearly there when a
loud 'Oh! What's happening out there on the field?' screeched through the speakers.
I froze, biting my lip as I tried to debate whether it was worth going back for. I
mean, they could be talking about anything-

"The referee has announced it as a red card, both players will be sent off for the
rest of the game."

Oh, fuck, Tyler, what have you done?

As if hearing my silent question a positively furious Tyler came stomping into the
hall a moment later, red in the face and his breathing so heavy it echoed
throughout the entire room. Behind him trailed a much measlier looking member of
the other team, one who I immediately recognized by the black hair and number
printed onto his jersey. They both went to their respective locker rooms on either
side of the hall, slamming the doors shut behind them dramatically.

I stood in the middle of the hall nervously fitting with the hem of his sweater
like earlier, though it was also completely different now. I could hear the game
continuing outside, the rest of the people already completely over whatever had
gone on betwen Tyler and number twelve just a moment ago. I wasn't sure how I was
supposed to react though. Tyler obviously hadn't seen me in his angry rage into the
lockers, he probably still suspected I'd gone home. I could go after him, but he
was a little bit scary like that. I was still in the process of trying to make up
my mind when one of the doors opened, number twelve walking out and down the hall
toward me. I froze as he approached, giving me a pointed glare before continuing
past me and out to the parking lot. I bit my lip, wondering if Tyler had somehow
managed to explain who I was and to stay away from me. That'd be embarrassing.

I was actually planning on following the other boy's lead and just leaving, though
an angry slam from the room Tyler had entered had my feet hurrying toward the door
without giving me a chance to think. I swung it open and walked inside silently,
tip-toeing through the rows of lockers. The room was eerily silent and I was
beginning to worry when the sound of water running filled the room. My eyes went
wide as I realized he was likely showering, feeling guilty as my immediate thought
was to go peep on him. I mean, it was his fault for leaving my so frustrated and he
was my boyfriend after all. I weighed my options for a bit longer before taking a
deep breath and sneaking around the corner of the last locker row, staying half
hidden behind it as my eyes scanned the showers. All I could feel was guilt and
adrenaline as my eyes fell on the perky butt a few feet away from me. Oh, and not
to mention the lust, because there was an awful lot of that pumping through my
veins right now too. He still looked angrily, reaching up to scrub shampoo into his
hair harshly. That wasn't the movement my eyes fell on though, instead watching the
way his arm muscles flexed as he did so. I had to stifle a moan when he slid his
hands down his toned chest and stomach, spreading the soap over his body. I
squeezed my eyes shut tightly as his hand traveled lower, deciding this was where I
was going to draw the line. I turned to disappear back the way I'd come from,
freezing when a chuckle filled the room.

"You are the worst Peeping Tom I've ever met, Troye." He laughed, the sound putting
me at ease ever so slightly. He didn't sound mad so much as just completely done
with the drama, past the point of caring about anything. I thought about it for a
second before stepping fully out from behind the lockers, confidently strolling
over to lean against the one directly behind him, letting my eyes run over his body
unabashedly.

"How many Peeping Tom's have you met?" I asked, not breaking my eyes away from his
backside even as I said it. He laughed again at this, looking over his shoulder at
me with a smirk. My eyes flickered up to his, my mind repeatedly telling me not to
look at his ass while he was watching. That'd be a whole new level of thirsty.

"Well, I could have met many, but you're the only one who's been stupid enough to
get caught." He said happily reaching over to turn off the water. I was shocked
with myself at the noise of disapproval that slipped out of my mouth, a cross
between a grunt and a whimper. He seemed surprised too, his eyebrows raising
drastically as he grabbed a towel and draped it around his waist. He didn't
question it anymore than that though, instead walking past me and to the locker
three down from the one I was leaning against. He pulled out a bundle of clothes,
making my lips turn down in a frown of frustration. He looked up then, making a
spinning movement with his hand.

"Turn around, I need to get dressed." He said quickly, his hand gestures getting
more intense. I didn't listen though, instead doing the opposite as I closed the
distance between us. I didn't touch him when I got there, instead just standing in
front of him with an almost pleading look in my eyes. I knew better than to try and
make a move if Tyler wasn't having it, it'd likely only result in more of him
teasing me and leaving me to deal with it on my own. "Troye?"

"I don't want you to." I mumbled, sounding almost childish as I shifted my arms up
and crossed them on my chest. He just rolled his eyes at my behaviour, suddenly
dropping the towel unannounced without warning. My eyes fell to the one part of his
body I hadn't seen yet, my own length throbbing harder upon seeing how tall his was
standing. Someone was more affected by his own teasing than he liked to let on. I
was vaguely aware of the fact he was watching me stare at him like this, so full of
uncompromised lust and want, but I also didn't really care. Before it even really
sunk in what I was doing I was reaching forward, grateful when he didn't slap my
hand away. Instead I was gently wrapping my long fingers around his length a moment
later, slowly running my hand up and down just once to test his reaction. He let
out a sharp breath, his eyelids falling shut lightly. I picked up my pace a tiny
bit after that, though I was obviously still too slow considering he was bucking
into my fist only seconds later.

"Please tell me you aren't this gentle when you get yourself off." He chuckled
lowly, though the sentence was interrupted by a moan mid-way. I blushed crimson,
biting my lip determinedly as I picked up speed, flicking my wrist with each
movement. He whimpered suddenly, a new noise for him. He raised an arm then,
bracing himself against the locker for support. I took great pride in noticing how
his knees were trembling, almost like they were threatening to give out under the
pressure of my touch. I could feel him pulsating underneath my touch, the thought
of making him cum clouding my mind until I couldn't think of anything else. Judging
by the now endless whimpers and moans of my name he was spilling, I didn't think
I'd have to wait that long. My eyes were so fixed on the task at hand that I didn't
notice his free arm had snaked forward until it was too late, his hand grabbing my
bulge through my jeans harshly.

"Oh, fuck!" I yelled, my legs actually giving out from underneath me at the simple
touch. Thankfully he was faster to react than I was, grabbing my ass and backing me
into the lockers roughly to hold me up. I let my head fall back against the metal,
past the point of caring if Tyler thought I was acting too desperate as he started
palming me. My eyes fell shut, my goal to make Tyler reach his climax completely
forgotten as I quickly approached my own. I panted harshly, my hips jolting forward
at their own accord, desperate to get more friction.
"Stay still." He growled harshly, removing his hand. I went completely frigid, not
daring to move a muscle in case it made him angry. A second later I felt him
tugging at my sweater harshly, the only sound in the room our uneven breathing. I
was more than happy to meet his request, gripping the fabric and pulling it, and
the underlying tank-top, over my head graciously. His hands were on my hips
immediately afterward, hastily fumbling with my pants button. I continued my
process of encouraging whimpers, biting my lip when his hand brush against my
length through the light fabric of my boxers. I opened my eyes then, blushing
slightly when I seen the way he was eye-fucking my body. His eyes ran up and down
my body repeatedly, eventually coming to a stop at the prominent outline of my
erection.

"Tyleerrr, touch me." I begged, the tension suddenly too much for me to bear,
lifting my hips away from the wall. His eyes flickered up to mine then, his head
shaking firmly.

"I told you not to move."

"I don't care." I replied snappily, glaring into his eyes with a new-found
challenging confidence. Of course I wanted to make him happy and all, but I was
sick of getting nothing in return. He raised his eyebrows at this response,
crossing his arms and scoffing at me.

"Fine then, be that way." He said simply, reaching down to snatch his clothes up
from the floor. He put the shirt on first, eyeing me the entire time as he awaited
my apology. I didn't open my mouth at all though, instead letting my hand wander
down and rest over my bulge. He raised his eyebrows again, though this time he
stayed silent, watching almost eagerly to see what I was going to do next. It
wasn't like I could just head home and take care of this problem on my own like
usual, he'd pushed me way further than ever before and it'd be beyond painful to
shrug back into those tight jeans. I was going to get off here, with or without his
help.

I moved my hand back up slightly, slipping fingers into either side of my

waistband. Tyler's eyes grew impossibly wider as he watched me, his breathing
hitching noticeably when I started to slide them down my legs. His eyes were still
on me when they hit my ankles, but I didn't call him out on it, instead focusing on
the more important matter at hand. My fingers wrapped around my own member,
thumbing my slit and slicking the entire length up with pre-cum. I started up a
quick needy rhythm immediately after that, gasping at the sensation and clenching
both my jaw and eyes shut harshly. The fact that Tyler was watching me somehow made
it impossibly hotter, my entire body shaking with the tremors of pleasure, shooting
up my spine like electric volts. My ears perked up when I heard a pathetic whimper
from Tyler's direction, alerting me he was definitely enjoying the show. I decided
to kick it up a notch, smirking at my own idea.

"Oh, Tyler! Harder!" I cried out, trying my absolute hardest to sound seductive as
I thrusted into my fist harder. Apparently it worked because a second later there
were a pair of hands on either side of my hips, shoving me back against the cool
metal as his lips found my neck. My mouth hung agape, not bothering to close it
between moans considering they were pretty much constant at this point.

"Fuck, Tyler, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you." I whimpered, my mind going blank as

he moved a step closer, pressing the length off his body against mine like earlier.
Except, now it was a lot different, considering we were both stark-naked. Whatever
I was moaning made absolutely no sense, just incoherent, mumbled, sweet nothings as
his hips rotated against mine expertly. My hands that had been hanging by my sides
uselessly a second before had found their way to his back, clawing needy long
streaks from his shoulders to the dip in his lower back, still not quite sure of
myself enough to let them travel any lower.

"You may think that I'm the tease of this relationship, but you have absolutely no
idea what you do to me, Troye Sivan. Every time you bite your lip and roll it
between your teeth, or when you stretch your arms above your head and your shirt
rides up just enough to showcase that adorable little happy trail-" He paused, both
his speech and his hip movements, reaching down to tug at the short hair on my
lower abdomen to emphasize his point. "Fuck, even when you let your eyes wander
over me for just a few seconds too long to be acceptable, it's almost more than I
can take. You're literally sex on legs, you don't even need to try to get people
all hot and bothered."

His voice was low and gravelly, full of lust and the familiar possessive tone I'd
gotten so used to. My member was throbbing between my legs, desperate for him to
pick up his grinding again. He didn't though, instead just reaching both of his
hands up to cup my face, leaning in to place a single kiss to my lips.

"Sorry?" I tried out, not sure of what I was supposed to say in this situation. He
just chuckled darkly at this, leaning into to kiss me deeper, his tongue darting
against my lips needily. I obliged, letting his tongue explore my mouth hotly,
dominating me effortlessly like he always did. He pulled away abruptly though,
shaking his head slightly.

"Don't be sorry, Troye, why would dating sex on legs be a bad thing?"

"I don't know, you just seemed a little, er, frustrated by it?" I mumbled
awkwardly, averting my eyes to the tiled floor nervously. He gave a breathless
chuckle, his hands trailing down from my face, past my neck and chest, and coming
to rest on my hips.

"Oh no, it only frustrates me that I can't push you up against a wall every time
you do these things and fuck you, not just until you're screaming my name, but to
the point that you forget your own." He growled, the downright filthiness of his
words sending a jolt of pure ecstasy straight to my groin.

"What's stopping you?" I replied quietly, still refusing to meet his gaze. He
pressed a kiss to my collarbone then, licking a strip up along it lazily.

"I want to take things slow." He replied levelly, grabbing my chin and tilting it
up so our eyes had to lock. Seeing as I was past the point of being even slightly
embarrassed now I just gestured between the 'space' between our naked bodies,
looking at him pointedly.

"I think you've kind of fucked that one up already." He rolled his eyes at this,
going back to sucking at my collarbone. He moved in a trail now though, leaving an
array of hickeys just like he had the other day. But this time, there were no jeans
keeping him from traveling even further south, something I found myself thinking
the closer and closer he got to my crotch. He paused on my stomach, licking my
navel gently. I wasn't having this though, knotting my fingers in his hair and
forcefully shoving his head down further out of pure desperation. He didn't seem to
mind, a loud moan filling the room in reaction. He leaned forward slowly then,
flicking his tongue across my slit harshly. I groaned, tugging at his hair roughly.

"Tyler, now!" I snapped, before realizing how demanding I'd sounded. "Tyler,
please, I need you now."

"Mmm, I love it when you're dominant." And with that his lips had wrapped around my
length, immediately picking up a quick-paced bobbing pattern. At first I was
confused by why he was so quick after all that teasing, before realizing our time
was probably running out before the football game ended and all the players jogged
into the lockers to shower. All the very homophobic players. But this didn't freak
me out like it should have, only spurring me on further and making me thrust into
Tyler's mouth shallowly. He sputtered a bit, leaving me for a moment to catch his
breath.

"Sorry, babe, you just feel so good." I praised, ruffling up his sweaty hair. His
eyes light up at this, staring into mine intently.

"I don't mind, do what you want with me." He purred, his hands travelling up the
back of my legs to grope at my ass. The corner of my lips quirked up into a dark
smirk, considering what he'd just offered. It wasn't often I got the chance to
assert any form of dominance over Tyler, though the idea of doing it now was more
than appealing. He leaned forward again, licking a single strip up the underside of
my member, using a painfully slow pace as if begging me to take control and speed
things up. I still had the tiniest of inhibitions, which were quickly forgotten
when he swirled his tongue around my head, moaning around the tip of my length.

"You taste so good." He whispered, his voice thick and satiny as he said it. And
that was it for me, not even warning him before thrusting into his mouth roughly.
He didn't seem too surprised though, obviously both anticipating and expecting this
outcome as he quickly let his jaw go slack. I didn't even bother to pick up any
sort of rhythm, just using his mouth however I saw fit. He was far from
complaining, looking up at me with shining eyes as he casually got himself off. I
felt my muscles flex simultaneously throughout my body, knowing it was only a
matter of seconds before my climax found me. I bit down on my tongue, gripping his
hair tighter and thrusting into his mouth as deep as I could. My release hit me
like a train, my entire body shaking as I spilled into his mouth. My eyes locking
with his impossibly dark ones as he found his high as well, moaning around my
length loudly, without breaking eye contact.

End of dream.

My eyes snapped open just as my mouth closed, horror dawning on my features as I

realized I'd been in the midst of moaning out loud. I blinked hazily, looking
around the bright room with pure confusion on my face. I was so disoriented I
didn't even notice how fast my heart was racing or the incredibly sticky patch in
front of my boxers until I tried to shift positions. My eyes widened in horror,
throwing the blankets off and raising the waistband. That was definitely cum- The
events of my dream seemed to come back all at once, an image of Tyler looking up at
me with hooded eyes seemingly branded into my mind.

"Fuck! No, no, no, no, no..." I whispered, scrambling out of bed with my hands
rubbing circles into my temples. I paced for a few seconds before the feeling of
the damp fabric rubbing up against my skin got to be too uncomfortable and I had to
slip them off, jogging over afterward to make sure my door was locked. Upon locking
it I felt a little bit more secure, heading back to my bed and falling onto it,
cautiously avoiding the wet spot in the middle of it.

What the fuck was that? I mean, obviously I know what that was, but since when do
they happen to me? It was likely a side-effect of all the stupid teasing about sex
I'd been exposed to recently. I hadn't even really thought about sex before now,
but apparently my unconscious mind had. Holy hell, am I secretly some sort of sex
fiend? Are they supposed to be that filthy? Should I be concerned?

As if the dream itself and the dirty laundry weren't bad enough, it had to be about
him. I couldn't have dreamt of I don't know... A celebrity? A politician? My
mailman? Caspar? Anyone else at all, really. I mean, it wouldn't have been quite as
enjoyable for obvious reasons, but at least I wouldn't have to put up with these
images seared into my mind, popping up at random times while I'm hanging out with
him. Wait. Shit! I'm supposed to be hanging out with him today!

I felt around my bed frantically, eventually finding my phone shoved under the
pillow and checking the time. I squealed upon seeing it was already 11am, meaning I
had exactly an hour before Tyler got here, if he planned to be on time that is.
What if he came twenty minutes early? I'd be fucked!

I jumped up and ripped the sheets off the bed, snatching up my boxers on my way
toward the door. It wasn't until I reached the door that I realized my bottom half
was still naked. Sure, my family were supposed to be off picking Amy up right now,
but you can never be too safe. I shrugged on some pajama bottoms and continued on
my journey to the laundry room. I shoved them directly into the washer, huffing
loudly before scrambling back to my bathroom. I grabbed my phone, deciding I should
probably text Tyler. We were on the phone for a while last night, but I needed to
make sure he knew our plans hadn't changed.

The only thing that had changed was I had a very nagging picture of him with my
dick in his mouth invading my mind almost constantly.

"Hey, Tyler, just wanted to make sure you're still coming over. See you at noon."
It was too formal, almost suspiciously so, and he'd surely pick up on it, but I
couldn't be casual right now. It worried me that I was already awkward through just
a text, making the upcoming moment when I was going to have to face him in person
all the more intimidating. My phone went off in my hand and I glanced down to check
what he'd replied with.

"Yeah, see you at twelve." My cheeks turned crimson at just the mention of a stupid
number, remembering the person on the opposing team from my dream. Fucking number
twelve, this was all his fault. It could have turned out just a nice fluffy dream
about dating Tyler and going to his football game, instead of fucking his mouth in
a dimly lit locker room. My dick twitched at the thought and I groaned loudly,
slapping a hand to my forehead. This was already getting to be a serious problem.

A/n: HEUEHEUEHEUEHEHUEEHUES HYDIUIJRMDFH HELP. I JUST, HERE YOU GO, TAKE IT AND
LEAVE. ACTUALLY DON'T LEAVE, YOU LITTLE SHITS HAD BETTER LEAVE VOTES AND COMMENTS
AFTER YOU ALL REQUESTED THIS SO BADLY. Okay, first of all I realize dreams aren't
supposed to be so detailed or graphic BUT WHAT IS THE POINT OF WRITING SMUT THAT
ISN'T DETAILED? So, like, idk, pretend you were in Troye's unconscious mind or
something. Secondly, I didn't go with full-on sex, deciding to save that for the
first REAL smut scene. Thirdly, I just feel it necessary to say that the song
'Nana' by Trey Songz was basically my anthem this entire chapter. My inspiration,
truly. Fourthly, I went yardsaling today AND I FOUND A CATDOG TOY. LIKE, IT'S A
STUFFED ANIMAL BUT ELECTRIC AND IT SPEAKS. DID ANY OF YOU WATCH CATDOG BACK WHEN IT
WAS ON? IDK, IT EXCITED ME. Fifthly, I got mario kart 8 today and i am so excited
to play it BUT I DIDNT LET MYSELF UNTIL I FINISHED THIS CHAPPIE SO YOU HAD BETTER
LOVE ME YOU PIECES OF BUTT.
Ughh, I still get so nervous posting smut. Did I do the do good? I feel like I
overkill with details or I just don't make it hot enough, yanno? I dunno, comment
and vote pls pls pls pls pls with cheese. (actually no cheese, that is mine, get
lost scroungers)

Chapter Twenty-Four
*Tyler's POV*

"So, where does this boy live?" My mother asked quietly, watching me as I cooked
breakfast. Normally I just had toast or the quickest thing I could find, but I was
purposely trying to waste time today. Being the overexcited little kid I was, I'd
woken up at 7am, five hours before I had to be at Troye's. I mean, I know I like to
utilize time to get ready, but really there was only so much I had to do before I
was presentable.

"Mom!" I snapped, already slightly irritated from having to wait around so long.
I'd spent an entire hour laying in bed thinking about Troye after waking up. And
no, not even in the dirty way, just the completely sappy lovesick way. I had it
bad, like, to the point it was worrisome.

"Alright, at least tell me when I can expect you home by." My mother spoke up
again, giving me an expectant look and raising her eyebrows demandingly. I just
gave her a skeptical glare, wondering why it mattered. Was she worried about me
spending time around Troye or something? "I need to know whether I should make
supper for both of us or not!"

"Ugh, I don't know! I'll text you as soon as I do." I sighed, sinking down at the
table across from her. I immediately felt bad for being so short with her, but of
course she understood. She was the most understanding person on the planet, of
course she realized I was only acting out because I was nervous. Yes, nervous. I'd
thought it cute and almost laughable when he got all flustered around my mother the
first time he met her, but that was because I knew how absolutely harmless she was.
I knew nothing about his family, other than Sage was a sarcastic little shit. What
if I got there and they were super strict bible-thumpers who were homophobic? Or
maybe I'd get there and they'd be complete idiots, burn-outs doing drugs and not
giving a single fuck about their children. As you can tell, all the extra time to
get ready this morning has given me quite a bit of time to think out every possible
way things could go wrong today.

"While you're at it you should probably text me updates throughout the day, you
know, so I know if you're making any progress." I snapped out of my head then,
rolling my eyes at my over-eager mother. She'd barely shut-up about Troye last
night when we followed our routine and watched television together for hours on
end. She was asking me constant questions about his personal life, about what all
we'd done together so far, what his school life was like. Obviously the questions
got annoying quite fast when I was trying to pay attention to the screen, and a
wave of guilt hit me when I lied about his school life through my teeth. Well, it
wasn't like I could tell her the truth, that he was some invisible kid who no one
cared about and he cared even less back. No one aside from me anyway, and I guess
Shane and Alfie maybe. But when she shifted closer to me and leaned her head on my
shoulder, mumbling simply the words 'I have been waiting for you to bring a boy
home forever, this is so exciting!' it was impossible for me to actually be angry
with her never-ending curiosity. In fact, I kind of liked that talking about Troye
had become part of our routine. I couldn't even really call it an interruption from
routine at this point, considering we did it so much.

"You can wait until I get home, and even then I'm only telling you if you're good
and stop embarrassing me in front of him." I chastised her, narrowing my eyes as I
said the last part. She and Troye had both refused to tell me what they'd talked
about over hot chocolate yesterday morning, which evidently, only made me a hundred
times more curious. She could have told him I liked him for all I know.

"Fine." She sighed loudly, getting to her feet and leaving the room. This wasn't
out of anger, but more-so because her shift was starting soon and she had to leave
for work. I got up to go check on the eggs and bacon I had cooking, not missing the
sound of her walking back into the kitchen. I looked over my shoulder with a small
smile, expecting our usual simple goodbye.

"Have fun today, Ty." She said warmly, her eyes sparkling happily. I just nodded,
knowing very well I was going to have fun, even if his parents did turn out
unbearable. "-but not too much fun if you know what I mean." She added quickly,
giggling and ducking out of the room before I could reply.

"You're a nuisance!" I called after her, hearing the front door close behind her
seconds later. I chuckled to myself, turning back and turning the food off before
it burnt. Just as I turned off the burners the sound I'd been waiting for all day
drifted to my ears, making my heart stop as I scrambled to the table where I'd left
my phone. I opened the text after a few failed attempts, my own fault for trying to
rush and ultimately clicking the wrong thing on the touch screen.

"Hey, Tyler, just wanted to make sure you're still coming over. See you at noon." I
stared at the text with a blank expression for a few seconds, furrowing my brows as
I re-read it. Something's wrong, that text is way too formal. He'd spelled
everything out and used proper grammar, looking more like a middle-aged man just
getting the hang of texting than the casual Troye I was used to. Shit, what had I
done this time?

"Yeah, see you at twelve." I typed in cautiously, not sure if he wanted me to be

formal back or not. I stayed perfectly still waiting for him to reply for another
five minutes, my heart pounding in my chest. It never happened though, and
eventually I scampered back to the counter to gather up my food, which was now
going cold. I had a sneaky suspicion I wouldn't even be able to eat it now, a thick
feeling of unease firmly settled in the pit of my stomach that made even the
thought of eating cringe-worthy. I slumped down into my chair at the table, gnawing
on my lip nervously. One hour. I had one hour until I had to head over to his
house, and now it wasn't just his family I had to be nervous about seeing.

After the short five minute drive around the block I found myself outside of the
address Troye had given me the night before. I had seen the house before,
obviously, considering how close to mine it was. I actually remembered specifically
driving past this house when I was a bit younger and being extremely envious of it.
It was huge, a giant peak window and a gorgeous dark grey with white trim. That
wasn't even mentioning the huge pool you could see in the backyard, or the
perfectly kept gardens. They were definitely rich, no doubt about it. The house was
pretty intimidating, like I wasn't nervous enough already, so you can see why I was
still sitting in my car, parked across the street like some sort of stalker. At
first I thought if I just sat here for a few minutes my anxieties would vanish and
everything would be fine, but it had only gotten worse with time. My heart was
racing now and my palms insanely sweaty, making me feel like a total idiot. It's
not like we're going on a date or anything, I am literally just coming over to
hang-out.

To hang-out with the most gorgeous being you've ever met.

Shut-up, brain, you're not helping.

I took another deep breath, deciding I was going to get out of the car on the count
of three. Troye was probably beginning to wonder what was taking me so long. I
counted to three inside my head, forcing my hand off of my face and to the door
handle. I swung it open, swinging my feet out of the car before I had even a second
to over think it. I froze for only a few seconds, perfecting my confident mask that
I wore at school, and started across the road with my head held high. I can do
this. I've faced way scarier situations. Do you know how many drunken parties I've
been forced to attend? Hanging out with a cute boy is nothing compared to that...
right?
I walked up the cute little rock path with a confident stride, hopping up the steps
and lifting my hand to ring the bell. I was actually very proud of myself when I
didn't even hesitate a second before pressing the button, something I hadn't
expected of myself. See? I've got this-

As if in spite of me the door swung open, revealing a disheveled looking boy that
made me realize I most definitely did not 'have this'. His hair was soaked and
dripping water down his face, the stray droplets clinging to his eyelashes and
making it clear he had only just gotten out of the shower. He was dressed in all
black, from the tight-fitting tank-top to the tight-fitting skinny jeans, it was
like he'd chosen clothes that he knew were going to drive me mad. And let's not
even get started on the adorable nervous shaky smile he was giving me, his bright
red lips trembling ever so slightly as he looked down at me. After a few seconds of
silent staring he brought an arm up to the door frame, leaning all of his weight
against it. He opened his mouth to speak then, but his eyes flickered down from
mine, settling on my lips, and his jaw snapped back shut promptly. I quirked my
eyebrows watching as his eyes snapped back up to follow the movement.

"Howdy!" He drawled suddenly, waving at me excitedly despite the mere foot between
us. I looked at him in disbelief for a moment, before realizing he was actually
serious. He'd legitimately just greeted me with the word 'howdy'. Something is
definitely off about him today, and I fully intend to find out what now that I know
he isn't mad at me.

"Well, howdy to you too, pardner." I cackled, my nerves suddenly forgotten as I let
myself into his house, ducking under the arm he was leaning on. I thought I caught
him swearing under his breath, but I decided to let it slide for now, until I had
more clues as to what was going on. Why was he so flustered? Was he just nervous
about me seeing his house or something? Who in God's name would be embarrassed of
this place?

I walked into the entryway, scanning the room carefully. It wasn't anything like my
house, random paintings and photos strung all over the walls and clutter building
up on the ground and surfaces. Everything was insanely neat, like they'd had a
professional come in and design the whole layout and maids come and clean it up
every day. It wasn't uncomfortably neat though, it still had that homey vibe to it,
just a rich person homey vibe. I was staring at one of the sculptures on a little
table when I heard Troye clear his throat behind me.

"Are we going to stay in the entryway the whole day, or?"

"Or?" I replied, annoyingly calling him out on the unfinished sentence. It was
partly because I was genuinely curious what he had planned for the day, but most of
it had to do with wanting to tease him when he was obviously already flustered. I
heard him groan behind me, eliciting a bubbly giggle from my throat. I guess he
doesn't plan to elaborate.

I spun around with a huge smile on, surprised to see how far away he was standing.
He was on the opposite side of the room, leaning against the wall. I eyed him
warily, closing the distance between us and skipping over to his side.

"So, what do you want to do?" I asked, trying to spare us both the awkwardness of
bringing up the obviously necessary topic. It wasn't like we could just stand
around all day, definitely not with the unexplained tension this high in the room.
Troye shrugged indifferently and I groaned loudly, showing my annoyance clearly.

"Well, do you know what you want to do?" He asked, sounding just as annoyed with
me. I opened my mouth to make a snappy reply, before noticing how he was
distractedly fumbling with the hem of his shirt, tugging it up just enough to
expose the top of his happy trail. I felt my cheeks heat up then, forcing my eyes
off of him before he noticed me staring. I definitely knew what I wanted to do, I
just wasn't so sure he wanted the same.

I walked into the next room ahead of him without even asking for permission,
desperate to get his taut stomach out of my mind before I made a fool of myself.
The next room was the living room by the look of it, two couches surrounding a big
fireplace that wasn't lit. I started toward the couches, intending to suggest we
watch television for a bit, before my eyes fell on an array of framed portraits on
the far wall. There were five of them, and I knew before even getting a good view
they were of each of his siblings and his parents. I trotted over, listening to
Troye's unamused scoff behind me but not addressing it. I came to a halt directly
in front of the portraits, my eyes falling on the furthest over. It was a younger
boy, much tanner than Troye with prominent dimples. Next was the sassmaster
herself, Sage, looking even prettier than she had that day in the store as she'd
obviously spent more time on her appearance. Then, the middle photo, was of Troye.
They were all recent photos by the looks of it, Troye looking no different really
than he did right now. Even overly photo-shopped professional photographers
couldn't make him look any more beautiful than he already was. Next, was an older
boy, looking similar to both Troye and his younger brother. He looked extremely
confident, you could practically feel it radiating out of the picture. He looked
almost familiar too, not that that was surprising considering how small our town
is. And finally, there was a couple photo of his parents. I seen where Troye had
gotten some of his features, but that wasn't the thing that caught my attention
most. They looked so insanely in love, I couldn't even decide if I was disgusted by
how mushy they looked or envious.

I wonder what it's like to have something like that. I'd never really even
witnessed it through someone else, considering my parents had never had that sort
of relationship. Not that I blamed them for it or anything, it wasn't exactly
something you found easily. But it had affected me, I'd be lying if I said it
didn't. It hadn't made me skeptical on love like you'd expect, if anything it made
it so much more important to me. It was completely uncharted territory, of course I
was curious to explore it. But it wasn't just a relationship I wanted, I wanted
love. If it wasn't real then I wasn't interested.

"Are my parents really that captivating? Just wait until you meet them, you'll
change your mind." A smile broke out across my face at this, spinning around to
find Troye still on the other side of the room yet again. He was on the couch now,
looking really small sitting in the very middle of the huge chunk of leather. I
sauntered over, debating only for a split second if I should join him on the couch
or sit on the one opposite him. I fell down beside him, blushing a little when I
quickly realized that he was sitting in the middle for a reason, the cushions sunk
in that way. Not that I was against being smushed up against Troye's side, but he
already looked so uncomfortable I couldn't help but worry it'd make matters worse.
I scrambled to get my bearings, shifting up and putting some space between us,
sitting on the very end of the couch while he remained in the middle.

"What are their names? Your family?" He rolled his eyes in response, making me
worry I was genuinely bothering him. "Sorry, I just wanted to know before I meet
them-"

"Tyler, it's fine, I was kidding. My little brother is Tyde, my sister is Sage, my
older brother is Steele, and my parents are Shaun and Laurelle. They are all
equally annoying, though Steele and my mother are sneaky about it." I giggled at
this, not missing the way he managed to warn me of their annoyingness every chance
he got. I wasn't even sure what to expect at this point, possibly a family of
troublesome gremlins?
"They can't possibly be as bad as you make them out to be." I laugh, looking over
to lock eyes with him. The corner of his lips twitch as he fights off a smile,
glancing back over at the pictures.

"I mean, they're all right I guess, once you get past all the teasing and
smothering they do." I didn't even really need to hear his words, the way his eyes
lit up when he spoke about them gave it away before he even opened his mouth.
Whether he liked to admit it or not, they obviously meant a lot to him. Which was a
good thing, because, on the off chance he does end up my husband, he is going to
need to be family oriented. I had given up on trying to push these husband thoughts
out of my head, deciding to just embrace the full-on obsessive schoolgirl crush I'd
developed. Hell, next thing you know he'll catch me scribbling his name all over my
notebooks.

He jumped up from the couch suddenly, walking past me and toward the bookshelf
covered in dvd and game cases. My eyes drifted toward his hips as he walked, unable
to tear my gaze away despite knowing he could catch me at any time. He didn't
though, instead beginning to search through the cases.

"Do you want to watch a movie or play a game?" He called over his shoulder, not
bothering to look back at me. I bit my lip, debating this for a moment. Movies were
fun, if you were allowed to cuddle up to the person you were watching it with. At
least if I chose game I'd be able to watch him get all frustrated as I undoubtedly
kicked his ass at it. Not to brag, but I'd spent enough time with brainless douches
to know a thing or two about video games. It was basically the only thing I did
with my 'friends' that I even mildly enjoyed.

"Game." I replied simply, deciding to let him worry about the details. He
definitely seemed to have no trouble with this, immediately pulling out a case and
setting up the system. My eyes continued to follow him as he walked around, hooking
it up and gathering the controllers. Then he was bounding back to me, just as the
familiar title lit up the screen.

"Mario kart?" I giggled, eyeing him as he fell into place beside me. He gave me a
confused expression, looking almost hurt with my skeptical tone.

"What were you expecting?" He asked, looking to the screen to set it up. I smiled
to myself, watching how his eyes lit up with excitement. I had not seen this coming
at all, him actually getting this excited over the game, but I had to admit it was
kind of extremely adorable seeing him be the childish one for once.

"I don't know, something manlier? Sports?" I offered, watching as he stopped what
he was doing to turn to me with the most hilarious face I'd ever laid eyes on.

"Sports?" He hissed, crinkling his nose up in obvious disgust. That was about the
second I lost control and fell into one of my common fits of cackling, clutching my
stomach as I doubled over in laughter. I listened to his complaints and pleads for
me to 'just shut-up and choose my character already', but I was too far gone to
reply, even when he reached over and smacked my shoulder.

"I'll choose for you then." He said snappily, snatching the controller out of my
hands. I glanced up, watching him select Princess Peach. He gave a snotty face to
me then, like this was the worst punishment ever. I mean, there was nothing wrong
with being a princess. Well, other than the fact it wasn't a queen.

"Princess Peach and I are going to kick your ass." I purred, sticking my tongue out
at him. He fake gasped at this, throwing a hand over his heart. I giggled, licking
my lips before sliding my tongue back into my mouth. It was a simple movement, but
I didn't miss how wide Troye's eyes went in reaction. I didn't question it out
loud, though my head had absolutely nothing but questions bouncing around. Since
when did Troye get so flustered over stupid things like me licking my lips? Was it
possible- No, I had to stop with this false hope building bullshit, it was only
going to make it hurt worse if I found out he didn't like me. I had him as a
friend, which wasn't enough for me, but it was better than nothing at all.

I was only slightly ashamed when we were still playing the stupid game two hours
later, just as into it as we had been before, if not more. We'd gotten to the
shameful point of yelling out curse words or whooping whenever we passed or fell
behind one another. As it turns out he was actually a decent opponent, even beating
me half of the time. As much as my competitive nature screamed at me for losing, I
was actually kind of glad whenever I did. The first time he'd won, after a solid
losing streak of three, he'd jumped up from the couch and strutted around the room
in a victory dance. That, had meant a hell of a lot more than coming in first in a
video game.

"I win!" I yelled loudly, making sure to lean in toward his ear before shouting. He
groaned loudly in protest, tossing the controller onto the couch between us with a
pout.

"I'm bored of this game." He declared, crossing his arms and sinking back into the
cushions. I smirked, setting my own controller down and reaching over to ruffle up
his hair. I stopped mid-way though, noticing the almost panicked look in his eyes,
letting my hand drop back to my lap without a word. I'd picked up on how
uncomfortable he got when I invaded his personal bubble today, wordlessly accepting
it and trying to put space between us for his sake. I wasn't sure what was going on
with him, but if I ever wanted to get past it I had to respect his decision,
pushing it would only make it worse.

"You're only saying that because you've lost three times in a row again-"

"Shut-up, let's go do something else." He pleaded, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

I couldn't say no to him, obviously, instead just rolling my eyes in defeat. He
beamed a smiled at me and jumped to his feet, walking off toward the hallway. I
followed, actually very excited to be seeing more of his house. It was decorated
insanely well, exactly like my dream house would look, if I could ever afford it.

"Do you want to go outside or go see my room?" He asked suddenly, spinning around
to face me. A sense of deja vu attacked me just as his chest did, remembering when
this exact same thing had happened a couple days ago. He tensed up as my face
collided with his collarbone, my annoyed grunt of displeasure filling the room. I
didn't back away though, staying still for a moment to make sure he wasn't going
to, before snaking my arms around his waist and taking a deep breath against him.
As much as I wanted to appreciate his sudden 'no-touching' rule, this felt way too
nice to give up for anything at all. For a fleeting moment I threw caution to the
wind, nuzzling my face into his neck and sighing contently.

"I'm thinking your room, I want to see where you spend all of your time." I
laughed, feeling him tense up again when my breath hit his neck.

"Alright, come on." He said, his voice cracking halfway through and making my
eyebrows quirk up in question. He either didn't notice or didn't want to notice,
because a second later he was heading toward the stairs in a speedwalk. I followed
behind, quite a bit slower as my thoughts began to wander again.

If I didn't know any better I'd say he really was acting like he liked me. I mean,
obviously my opinion might be biased considering that's exactly what I want him to
act like, which is why I'm wary to come to a definite decision. But whether he
likes me or not, he's definitely not acting normal around me.
He led the way down the hall a little bit, before stopping in front of a closed
door and turning back to me as he turned the knob. He let the door swing open,
revealing a room that looked shockingly similar to how I'd imagined it. Everything
was neat and perfectly arranged, the color coordination and decorations the perfect
mixture of classy and fun. I brushed past him eagerly, taking in everything, my
eyes lingering on the '@ sign' lamp he had. That was freaking cool. I think my
favorite part though, were the fairy lights adorning his bed-frame. Not to jump to
conclusions or anything, but how many straight boys would have that?

I tried not to let my hopeful thoughts get too out of hand as I walked over and sat
down on the edge of the bed, looking over at him eagerly. He was still standing in
the doorway, his face flushed the darkest shade of pink I'd ever seen. I threw my
hands up at this, shrugging my shoulders harshly.

"What?" I asked innocently, keeping my eyes on him as he simply shrugged back in

response. He walked across the room then, sitting at the spinning chair by his desk
instead of beside me on the bed. I groaned at this, falling back on his bed and
staring up at his ceiling. This weird distance that had fallen over us was really
beginning to get on my nerves.

"So, what now? What do you usually do to pass the time in here?" I asked, sitting
up to face him again. He shrugged, thinking for a second.

"Tumblr- But I guess that won't work for us, huh?" He gave a little ironic laugh,
making me feel guilty about the stupid Tumblr thing all over again. I bit my lip as
I tried to come up with a subject change, something we could transition to smoothly
so he wouldn't be mad. That's when my eyes fell on the keyboard in the corner of
his room, immediately widening in interest. I watched him follow my gaze, giving an
annoyed expression when he seen what I was staring at.

"On a scale of one to ten, how mad would you get if I asked you to sing for me
again?" I asked, flickering my eyes to him with a little convincing smile. He was
already shaking his head slowly, but he didn't look mad.

"Zero, but I'm still not singing for you." He said flatly, as if it was just a fact
that wasn't going to change; ever.

"Please?" I begged, getting up to go stand beside his chair and give my best puppy
dog face. He simply averted his eyes, staring down at his lap and shaking his head.

"No."

"What do I have to do to get you to sing?" I sighed, jumping up to sit on his desk,
swinging my short legs over the side cheerily. He simply shrugged in response, but
a second later he looked up with a mischievous glint in his eyes that told me he'd
had an idea, probably one I wasn't going to like.

"Give me your Tumblr url."

"You know I can't do that!" I groaned, sinking my face into my hands.

"And why not? Is it really all that bad? Are you a One Direction fan account?" He
pried, bending over so he could look up at me. I just glared at him, trying to
think of how I could answer his questions, without answering them at all.

"Troye." I said levelly, locking eyes with him.

"Tyler." He said back, not breaking our eye contact. Did he have any idea how hard
it was for me not to give in to him as it was? I sighed loudly, being the first to
look away. I looked over toward his door, crossing my arms grumpily. I was kind of
what you'd call a sore loser, but it wasn't so much getting mad as it was pouting
for hours afterward. We sat like this in silence for a few minutes, and the
rational side of me was actually about to suggest we go outside after all, when he
cleared his throat.

"Look, I'm sorry, I've just never sung in front of anyone before. I don't know if I
could take any form of criticism, even if it's constructive." He sounded so small
and vulnerable, I almost felt bad for bringing it up. But that's the thing, he was
never going to get over it if someone didn't bring it up.

"I'm sure you're perfect, is there any situation where you aren't?" I quipped,
enjoying the blush and eye-roll it got me in return.

"I'm not singing for you, Tyler." My smile dropped at this, though I tried to at
least look a little bit okay with his decision. I had to respect his wishes, and if
he didn't want to sing for me then- "Yet. Maybe if I practice more and-"

"Really?" I beamed, cutting him off. He gave a cute little smirk to answer my
question, making me swoon. Before I knew it I was hopping off the desk and grabbing
his hands without thinking. I hoisted him up, hugging him all over again, except
this time I didn't have the crash as an excuse. Thankfully, he seemed a lot more
okay with it than he had earlier, letting his arms drape over my shoulders as I
squeezed him to me tighter.

"I can, however, play something for you on the keyboard." He whispered suddenly,
making my heart race against his chest. Hopefully he can't feel that. I backed out
of the hug to beam a huge smile of approval up at him, nodding eagerly seeing as I
didn't exactly trust my voice right now. He lumbered over to collect the keyboard
while I situated myself back on his bed, crossing my legs and watching him
expectantly.

A few minutes later he'd gotten all set up, facing me with his keyboard on a stand
between us. He had a little grin on his face the entire time, taking a deep nervous
breath through his mouth before starting. I knew only a couple seconds in that he
was good, like insanely good. I guess while I was wasting my after-school time with
goons and sports he'd been practicing this. But surprisingly, the song wasn't even
the best part, it was watching his face as he played. He was biting his lip in
concentration, his eyes sparkling as they flitted around the keys. He was so in his
element, possibly the most carefree I'd ever seen him.

I sat happily through the entire song, a smile plastered on my face so big it was
probably concerning. It didn't even dim when the song came to an end and he looked
up at me. I realized how awkward the smile probably was, all of my emotions seeping
into it, but I couldn't wipe it off my face even if I wanted to. He didn't seem too
bothered by it, a goofy smile of his own growing across his face.

"So? What did you think?" He chirped, sitting up eagerly and sitting next to me on
the bed. I pretended to be deep in thought, stroking an imaginary beard.

"Oh, pfft, I guess it was alright." I said finally, smirking at him. He gasped,
obviously knowing I was kidding, but shoving me for good measure anyway. "I'm
kidding, douchehat, it was absolutely amazing. Not that I expected anything less
from my favorite musician."

"You are such a sap." He groaned, burying his face in his hands, though I didn't
miss the smile on his lips as he did so.
"You are such a cynical grumpy old man." I retorted, falling back to lay on his
bed. He watched the movement through the cracks of his fingers, waiting until I'd
settled to follow my lead and lay down horizontally across the bed, our legs
dangling over the edge.

"Am not." He said finally, turning his head to face me. I sneered at him, turning
to look back up at the ceiling. I examined the glow-in-the-dark planets and stars
all over his ceiling as I gave the usual response.

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not." He said firmly, actually sounding a little bit frustrated this time. I
turned to face him again, surprised to see his grumpy expression.

"Hey, I was kidding, okay?" I said softly, shifting my entire body in his
direction. He didn't react though, staring at the ceiling so determined it made me
nervous. "Okay, you're a little cynical and grumpy, but it's such a small part of
your personality, it doesn't even really matter."

"No, the thing is you're right, I am cynical and grumpy and it's not even a little
bit, I'm-"

"Shut-up." I interrupted, watching as his eyes went wide in confusion.

"W-what?"

"I told you to shut-up."

"Why?" He croaked, his voice so small it made my heart hurt.

"Because, I don't like listening to people lie. You are so much more than that,
Troye, and if you can't see it, you're also an idiot." I said flatly, watching as
an obvious blush spread across his cheeks in reaction.

"Wow, thanks Ty, means a lot." He said sarcastically, trying to cover up that my
words had affected him at all. I decided to play along with his game, giving a sly
smile.

"You're welcome." I purred, turning to look back up at the ceiling. You could
practically hear the gears in our minds turning as we both tried to come up with
another conversation topic, but it seemed we were both drawing a blank. I mean, the
best idea I'd come up with so far was rolling over and kissing him, which I
couldn't see working out too well.

"Hey, Tyler?" He asked quietly, his tentative tone immediately making me wonder
what he was about to ask.

"Yeah?"

"I-" He was cut off by the sound of a door slamming downstairs, followed by an
immense amount of chatter that could only mean one thing. I couldn't help it when a
smile of anticipation broke out across my face, actually excited to meet his family
now. He rolled his eyes at me, sitting up to stare down at me.

"Are you ready to meet the nuisances?" I just nodded eagerly in response, though I
also didn't make a move to stand up. Seconds later the sound of footsteps hammering
up the stairs alerted me I probably wouldn't have to, considering they were coming
to us. As if on cue, the door burst open, revealing his two younger siblings with
bags in their hands.

"Hi, Troye!" They both beamed in unison, extremely mischievous smiles painted on
both of their faces as they watched me sit up. I gave a nervous smile, waving at
them. They both burst into a fit of laughter at this, running off as quickly as
they'd appeared. I guess my expression must have been pretty dumbstruck because
Troye was in a fit of laughter as well a couple seconds later.

"I warned you!" He managed between adorable giggles, looking up at me with bright
eyes as he laughed. I stared at the empty doorway, still completely confused with
the encounter.

"Were they laughing at me? Is there something on my face?"

"Oh no, they were probably just laughing at the fact we were on the bed together-"
He went silent before finishing the sentence, cutting himself off like he realized
where he was going and didn't see it fit to continue. I eyed the blush spreading
across his cheeks scrutinizingly, almost begging him to explain further. He didn't
though, instead jumping up before I could watch him for any longer and heading
toward the door. I followed, but not before glancing at myself in the mirror to
make sure there wasn't anything laughable about my appearance.

"Anytime now, Ty. You look fine." I froze, watching a blush invade my own face in
reaction. Partly because I was embarrassed he'd been watching me check myself out,
but also because that was the closest to a compliment on my looks he'd ever given
me. I took a deep breath in an attempt to calm myself down before following him out
the door, my heart racing in my chest as I trailed behind him down the stairs.

We walked into the living room a minute later, watching as his entire family buzzed
around the room with arms full of groceries an animated chatter filling the area.
None of them even cast a glance in our direction, only prolonging the uneasy
feeling that had settled over me. Troye seemed to notice though, grabbing my wrist
and hauling me over to the couch. We sat down together, this time disregarding the
way the couch sunk us together and just staying that way. He leaned over and
grabbed the remote, turning on the television to a random show before settling back
beside me. I let out a breath of relief, focusing all my attention on the screen. I
was actually beginning to get pretty into the random show about survivors when
Troye turned it off suddenly. I scoffed angrily, turning to glare at him. My
expression quickly went blank when I realized why he'd turned off the show. His
family was lined up to the right of us, all with the same cheeky smile painted on
their face. I swallowed nervously, subconsciously shifting closer to Troye.

"Oh, come on, introduce yourselves." Troye sighed eventually, doing a dramatic hand
wave. That's when the disaster started, Tyde, Sage, and Shaun all trying to
introduce themselves first. I couldn't help it when a grin spread across my
features, watching them bicker about whether the youngest or the head of the family
had the right to introduce themselves first. They were still fighting in hushed
tones when Laurelle sighed loudly, shoving all of them apart. They all went silent
then and she stepped forward, beaming a huge smile at me.

"Hi Tyler, I'm Laurelle. This is Shaun, Tyde, Sage, and Steele is in the kitchen
putting groceries away." She said calmly, gesturing to each of them as she said
their names. They didn't seem impressed with this plan, all pouting as she turned
and walked into the kitchen. As soon as she was in the other room they all fell
onto the couch across from Troye and I, staring us down blatantly. I got the
feeling I definitely knew who was in charge of this family, and it wasn't Shaun at
all.

"Guys, you're creeping him out." Troye groaned, his embarrassment of them showing
clear in his voice. I broke my eyes away from them cautiously, turning to examine
Troye. I was glad I had, his adorable blush that seemed to cover his entire body
something I did not want to miss. I couldn't help but smile at him, failing to
stifle the giggle clawing it's way up my throat. His eyes flickered away from them
then, glaring at me.

"Don't encourage them." He whispered, holding a hand up so they couldn't read his
lips. I only smiled harder at this, bringing my hands up to try and hide it. It
didn't work though, considering they were all whispering amongst each other when I
looked back. I was a bit worried about what they were saying, but Troye's monotone
expression made it clear it was nothing new and nothing to be worried about. After
a few more seconds of their whispering they looked back at us with their matching
smiles.

"So, what have you two been doing all day?" Shaun asked, his eyes locked on me
despite the question being addressed to both of us.

"We played some video games, I showed him around a bit, talked, nothing all that
interesting." Troye spoke up, glaring at Shaun until his gaze broke away from me.
They locked eyes then, practically having a stare-off. I got the feeling they were
having one of those without-words family conversations or something, but I couldn't
make sense of the challenging glares they had no matter how hard I tried. Instead,
I decided to try and put an end to it by speaking up myself.

"Oh and he played me a song on his keyboard!" I added in happily, looking up at

Troye. I knew the second our eyes met I'd said something wrong.

"You don't say?" Sage purred, exchanging a look with the other two. And just like
that they all got up, walking off to the kitchen to join Laurelle and Steele. I was
pretty sure my jaw was gaping open in confusion at this point, but I made no move
to shut it.

"Oh god, I am never going to hear the end of that." Troye muttered, leaning back
against the couch.

"Sorry, I didn't realize."

"It's nothing, don't feel bad. It's just, I've never really even played anything
for them, so they're going to read a lot more into it than necessary." I nodded in
reply, though my head was in an entirely different spot. He'd played something for
me when he wouldn't even do it for his own family? Why?

"Hey, Tyler, do you like tacos?" I straightened up upon hearing my name called,
looking toward the kitchen door nervously. Troye rolled his eyes at this, shaking
his head slightly.

"Yes, he does." He replied, thankfully answering for me. When no response came from
the kitchen Troye struggled to get to his feet, the task proving pretty difficult
considering the way the couch had sunk in. He held a hand out to me then, obviously
only so it'd be easier for me to get up. That didn't keep my heart from fluttering
when I took it though, enjoying the feel of his soft hands against my rougher ones.
He helped me up, laughing under his breath when I stumbled a bit and he had to help
steady me.

"Come on, doofus, let's go outside." He said warmly, breaking our hands apart and
hopping over to the kitchen doorway. I followed after him, but made sure to stay
out of their line of view behind him. They seemed nice enough, but they also
weren't going out of their way to make me any less nervous. "We're going for a
walk, we'll be back by the time dinner's ready."

"Can I come?" I grinned at the way Tyde and Sage asked in perfect unison, though
Troye didn't seem nearly as amused as he just scoffed in response. He turned and
started toward the front door then, me following behind him quickly so I didn't get
left behind with his family. We shrugged

Chapter Twenty-Five
*Troye's POV*

Tyler was surprisingly silent as I led the way outside, turning down a familiar
stone path that led to our backyard. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets and a
determined expression etched on his face, likely lost in thought somewhere. I
couldn't blame him, my family had definitely given him a lot to process. I really
wished they could just be normal sometimes, even a little bit. I mean, I get that
they're excited, but they didn't have to scare the poor guy.

I paused, lifting my hand to unlock the gate surrounding the backyard. I walked
inside carelessly afterward, Tyler close on my heels. I walked past the pool and
through the overwhelming flowery scented garden, coming to a stop at the gazebo at
the end. I actually hadn't been out here in weeks, but it seemed like the most
logical place to take Tyler to evade my family's weirdness. I walked onto it and
sat down on the wooden swing, wondering if Tyler would follow my lead or not. He
did, though he also kept a reasonable distance between us on it. I decided to
distract myself from the tension, looking around at the slowly dying garden. It
pained me to think that fall was already upon us, meaning the much less desirable
season of winter was just around the corner.

"What were you going to say up in your room before your family got home?" Tyler
asked suddenly, his tone completely serious for once. My nervous mood from earlier
was back and I tried to laugh it off, my chuckle coming out blatantly strained and
obvious. He didn't let it go though, his big blue eyes blinking at me expectantly
behind their frames. I raised a hand and ran it through my hair, extremely annoyed
with the flat quiff I'd decided to go with today. Well, I hadn't so much decided as
had no time to style it before Tyler arrived.

"I'm pretty sure it was some sappy thing, you probably don't want to hear it
anyway-"

"Oh no, I want to hear it." He interrupted, reassuring me of what I already knew. I
sighed loudly, knowing I wasn't going to get out of this without some sort of sappy
compliment for him, it might as well be the one I'd already planned on saying.

"I, uh, I was just going to say that there's a lot more to you than you let on,
too." I mumbled awkwardly, refusing to meet his gaze despite knowing he was staring
at the side of my head. I tensed a moment later, feeling his head lay on my
shoulder. I tried to ignore the way my heart sped up in reaction, cautiously
glancing in his direction while staying perfectly still. I couldn't see his face,
only the mass of hair right next to my eyes, but I had a feeling I knew what his
expression was anyway. Before I realized what I was doing I was slowly leaning back
against the chair, my arm coming up to wrap around his shoulders so he wouldn't
back out of the embrace. He didn't, moving with me so we both had the back of the
swing to support us.

"Am I allowed to reply with something equally, if not more, sappy?"

"I don't see why not." I replied, biting my lip at I waited to see what kind of
mush he was about to give.

"I'm really glad I was stupid enough to skip class on the first day of school, and
that you have never-ending shirt mishaps." I felt my lips quirk up into a huge
smile, suddenly thankful we couldn't see each other's faces in this position.

"Oh god, Tilly, you didn't warn me it was going to be that sappy." I teased,
tightening my grip around him.

"So, it stuck then, huh?"

"What?"

"The nickname." He answered, turning slightly to look up at me. I knew I should

probably be replying to that, but all coherent thought seemed to leave my head when
I realized how close our lips were. I felt weird, for lack of a better description.
I couldn't even really write it off as butterflies, because that made it out to be
some bubbly light feeling. This was so much more than that, my tongue heavy in my
mouth as I tried desperately to make it work enough to utter even a short response.
I never did, but Tyler didn't seem too phased, just giving a small intimate smile
before turning his head and nestling into the same position as before. I felt like
the weight had been lifted off my chest then, but I wasn't even sure if that was a
good thing.

"I guess it did." I said finally, more to myself than him judging by how quiet it
had come out. When he didn't reply after a full minute I took it as a sign it was
safe to let my mind wander, because it had been screaming at me to do so since the
second I opened the door to him.

Today had gone exceptionally well when I thought about it, between that stupid
dream and my awkward family threatening to mess it up. I mean, the initial tension
between us was practically unbearable, even talking proving difficult when I had a
lump in my throat the entire time. All I could think about when I looked at him was
that dream, even glancing at his lips had my heart skipping a beat and my palms
sweaty. Then, as if he was doing it on purpose, he'd had the idea to just lick his
lips all seductively inches from my face. I was still insanely proud of myself for
managing to get through that without doing something stupid, something that'd
surely mess up our friendship. He seemed to notice my weird behavior too, putting
an unusual amount of space between us at any given situation. At first I was
thankful for this, before the fear had set in that he might not ever re-introduce
the touchy-feely aspect to our friendship. What if he thought my awkward behavior
was going to be a permanent thing and kept space between us forever? I didn't want
that, at all. So for some stupid reason the best idea I could come up with to fix
that, was to 'pretend' to accidentally spin around and have him crash into me. It
wasn't an accident at all, but he didn't call me out on it either. He actually
reacted exactly how I wanted him to, even nuzzling his face into my neck and making
the hug even closer than ones we'd had before.

After that it had been easier around him, I wasn't even sure why. I guess it just
reassured me that nothing had changed on his end, that I was the only one making
things awkward between us and I could change it at any time. I decided as we hugged
that that's what I was going to do, just blaze through any more awkward situations
thrown at me in favor of keeping our relationship from changing. I was doing a
pretty good job, for about a minute, before he decided to go and just invite
himself to fall onto my bed. My bed where I had unconsciously gotten off to
thoughts of him just hours before. He was completely oblivious though, of course,
falling back onto it casually. That had almost ruined my plan to kill the
awkwardness between us, but he seemed to know exactly what to do to fix it without
even knowing he was doing it. He was changing the topics at a perfect pace, and
when he brought up singing, it was enough to completely take my mind off of any
tension. Of course the topic was bittersweet though, considering that I couldn't
give him what he wanted no matter how much he begged. I wanted to, I wanted to sing
for him, but the very thought made me physically ill. I hadn't even planned on
playing the keyboard until I seen the pout he'd gotten when I told him no about
singing. He just seemed so disappointed, like hearing me sing was the most
important thing in the world to him. I never wanted to see him that sad, especially
not if I was the cause. So I'd shoved my fears to the back of my mind and did the
first thing I could think of to make him feel better, playing that song. And
surprisingly, I didn't find myself regretting it at all, like I'd expected. I
didn't even regret that I was going to have a thousand lectures to look forward to
from my family, who'd been trying to get me to play with them in the same room for
years. How could I regret anything that made him smile like that?

"Look! They're cuddling!" I jumped at the sudden squeal piercing our comfortable
silence, successfully bumping Tyler's head in the process and making him let out a
low whine of protest. My eyes scanned the garden then, coming to rest on the two
horribly hidden people in a bush not far off. I groaned, but honestly I was
surprised there weren't more family members trying to spy on us. My dad had
probably sent them on the stupid mission to see what we were doing. I didn't make a
move to back out of our 'cuddling' though, and thankfully Tyler didn't either.

"I hate you guys." I called, surprised when my voice didn't sound hateful at all.
In fact, it actually sounded loving. Gross. What is Tyler doing to me? They said
something to each other then, something that sounded suspiciously like 'let's go
report back to Dad', before running off toward the house. I let out a loud sigh,
not surprised when it was accompanied by Tyler's bubbly giggle.

"Stop laughing, they're annoying."

"They're cute." He snickered, making me scoff. They were not cute. I wasn't going
to argue with him though, hoping to slip back into the comfortable silence we'd had
before. My hopes faded when he shifted next to me, sitting up straight and
stretching his arms out. I tried not to frown over the loss of contact, keeping my
eyes fixed on the ground.

"What other cool things do you have out here?"

"A tree house, a pool, flowers, a frog pond. This is probably the most exciting
thing though, we should probably stay here." I replied, trying to make the last
sentence both sarcastic and serious somehow. I didn't want him reading too much
into it, but I also wasn't quite ready to give up the moment. He smirked in
response, leaning forward so I had to look at him.

"I honestly didn't pin you as the cuddly type, Troye Sivan." He beamed cheekily,
jumping up and heading off the gazebo before I even had a second to pull a reply
together. To be fair, I'm pretty sure it would have taken more than a second
anyway. Tyler Oakley had just admitted to cuddling with me, happily. I mean, it was
one thing to do it, but to outwardly admit to it so proudly like he had, that was
something entirely different. I looked up, watching as he walked off on another
path down to where the frog pond and tree house were. I sighed, peeling myself off
the swing and jogging to catch up to him.

By the time I reached his side he was already halfway up the rickety ladder to the
tree house, giving me a perfect view of his ass. I mentally slapped myself,
realizing what I was doing. That dream had changed me. I waited until he was fully
up to head up myself, not entirely trusting the ladder to hold both of us. I
reached the top eventually awkwardly hoisting myself into the small room. He was
staring at all the carvings into the wood like they were insanely fascinating,
making me roll my eyes. I crawled into the corner, sitting on one of the wooden
chairs we had left up here. I hadn't actually been in here for a few years, the
boring room not nearly worth the climb up to it. Tyler didn't seem to regret coming
up here though, running his finger over one of the carvings.

"Who's L.S?" My eyes go wide, my throat suddenly uncomfortably dry as I watch him
turn to face me. He scans my face for a few seconds with his brows furrowed, before
coming to some sort of conclusion.

"Troye? What's wrong?" He asks, his voice thick with concern for me. I open my
mouth to reply, nothing but a squeak coming out. I'd forgotten all about that
stupid carving, I didn't want to talk about her ever again. I felt tears beginning
to prick at my eyes, and suddenly Tyler was by my side, hauling me off the chair
and onto his lap. I might have blushed at the position, had my mind not been
somewhere completely different.

"Hey, hey, don't cry. I'm sorry I asked." He purred, running a hand through my
hair. I relaxed a little bit at this, shifting slightly to let my head rest on his
chest. We stayed silent for a few minutes then, the only noise in the room my
occasional sniffle. He was good about it though, playing with my hair
absentmindedly as I tried to get a grip on myself.

Please stop crying, it hurts me to see you like this.

I don't even know who this L.S is and I already want to murder them.

I couldn't help but grin slightly at the protectiveness of his thoughts, suddenly
feeling a lot better. I glanced toward the carvings in the wood, not missing the
huge heart with T.M + L.S carved into it. I glared at it, taking a deep breath
before speaking up shakily.

"She's an old friend." I said, proud of myself for not letting my voice crack. He
seemed to think about this new information for a moment, hugging me to his chest
tighter.

"Must have been a pretty shitty old friend."

"She was, the shittiest friend you can imagine." I laughed, amazed by his ability
to turn my mood around so quickly. Suddenly he shifted underneath of me. I took the
cue, crawling off of his lap clumsily. He didn't call me out for tripping over my
own feet, instead walking back to the carvings with a determined expression. I knew
what he planned on doing even before he picked up a rock, scratching out the entire
heart while biting his lip. I watched in silence, a smile tugging at the corners of
my lips. After he'd finished he turned to look up at me, a big smile on his lips.

"Let's go see if the food's almost ready." He suggested, completely disregarding

what had just happened. I didn't mind though, actually thankful we weren't going to
talk about her anymore. I nodded eagerly, walking over to extend my hand to him. He
took it happily, nearly pulling me down on top of him in the process of pulling
himself up. He didn't though, and a second later we were both walking toward the
ladder. I was the first to go down, trying to hurry so he didn't get annoyed with
me. He was next, backing down a lot slower than I had. I was about to tease him for
it and call him a slowpoke when a sudden snap made me jump. Thankfully he'd been
almost to the bottom when the ropes gave out, but that didn't stop me from hurrying
to his side the second he landed on his butt in the dirt.

"Ty? Are you okay?" I asked, kneeling beside him. He refused to meet my gaze, and
for a fleeting moment I was worried he was crying, before his hands shot out and
grabbed my waist, pushing me down into the dirt as well. I squealed, squirming to
get my bearings as he rubbed dirt all over me. I gasped when he made contact with
my ribs, bursting out into laughter as he unintentionally tickled me. I immediately
regretted it, considering he'd now taken up intentionally tickling me. I was
gasping and begging him to cut it out when a loud cough made us both freeze. We
both looked up slowly, looking almost guilty like we'd been caught doing something
we weren't supposed to. Looming over us was Steele, looking uncomfortable as he
scratched the back of his neck.

"Mom sent me out here to round you two up for dinner. She said I was the only one
she could trust not to embarrass you or something." He mumbled, his eyes scanning
the now ladder-less tree house. I gave a small bashful smile, completely
embarrassed with the situation. Tyler didn't seem to be though, shoving me into the
dirt once more before jumping up and starting toward the house ahead of us. I
glared after him, hopping to my feet and running past Steele to 'tackle' him. It
didn't work, considering he was a hundred times stronger than I was. It ended up
more of an awkward koala-hug than a tackle, my arms draped loosely around his neck
as he continued walking, completely unaffected.

"Take it from a quarterback, you have absolutely no tackle potential whatsoever."

He chuckled suddenly, jumping and hoisting me up further. I understood what he was
getting at, letting my legs drape around his hips as well, letting him give me a
piggyback the rest of the way.

"Take it from a retired quarterback, he's definitely right." Steele quipped from
our right, making me roll my eyes in response. Tyler froze suddenly, looking over
at Steele.

"That's where I know you from! You were quarterback on our team when you were in
school! I've seen your photo in the display case thing-ee." Steele nodded in
response, not hesitating a second to strike up a conversation about their team this
year. They were still chatting when we walked into the house and I groaned, sinking
down against Tyler's back to bury my face into his neck. He seemed to take the
hint, awkwardly excusing himself from Steele and saying we had to go get cleaned
up. Steele just smiled warmly, watching us as I gave Tyler directions on which way
the bathroom was. We were about halfway there when my phone went off in my pocket.
I shifted awkwardly against Tyler, digging it out and trying to read it without him
reading it.

"I like him." I groaned at Steele's simple text, shoving the phone into my back
pocket this time. See what I mean about him being annoying sneakily? Oh well, I
guess it was better than my other family members. Tyler straightened up suddenly,
letting me slide off his back and head into the washroom ahead of him.

I groaned loudly the second I caught sight of myself in the mirror. My hair was a
complete mess, my eyes red and puffy from crying, and the dirt standing out
obviously on my all-black outfit. I was a mess. I took advantage of being in the
bathroom, grabbing my hair gel as Tyler washed his hands and arms off. I styled my
hair up quickly, hoping it'd make me look at least a little bit more presentable
for when I met Steele's girlfriend. By the time I finished all my tasks Tyler had
been finished for a long time, leaning against the door frame as he patiently
waited for me to finish.

"You could have gone ahead without me you know." I laughed, walking along beside
him as we headed down the hall. He just shook his head though, giving me a small
smile.

"No offense, but I don't think I'm ready to be alone with your family quite yet.
They're a bit... overwhelming." I just laughed knowingly, turning the corner ahead
of him to walk into the kitchen. I was actually surprised to find them all seated
at the table already, eating in silence and looking like a normal family for once.
I raised my eyebrows at them, but they all refused to look up at me. I wasn't sure
if it was for Tyler's sake or Amy's that they were being good, but I wasn't
complaining. I walked over to the counter with Tyler on my heels, handing him one
of the plates and saying simply 'help yourself'. We both portioned out our own
tacos, choosing what we liked. I crinkled my nose up when I watched him add
tomatoes, giving him a pointed look of disgust. He giggled quietly at this,
purposely swinging his hips against mine and butt-bumping me. A small squeak left
my mouth before I could help it and I was well-aware of the fact my entire family
looked up to question it, but I didn't meet their gaze either. I waited for him to
finish before we both headed to the table together, sliding into our respective
seats beside each other.

The silence hanging over us as we ate was actually making me uncomfortable now. I
tried to lock eyes with any family member to question it, but they were all acting
completely entranced by their food. I knew they were purposely ignoring me though,
which only made me more curious what was going on. Tyler was just as into his food
as they were, but I didn't really think that was an act. I remembered how much he
ate at the diner that day.

"So, Steele tells me you're into sports?" I quirked my eyebrows at the relatively
normal question from my father, but he still refused to look in my direction,
staring Tyler down instead. Tyler finished chewing his bite before looking up,
nodding his head.

"They're alright I guess, not something I'd want to do in the long-term." Tyler
mumbled awkwardly, his tone showing clearly how uncomfortable he was. That didn't
seem to deter my dad though, his eyes only growing more interested with Tyler's
statement.

"What do you want to do in the long-term?" I blushed at this question, trying to

distract myself with my food. That was not something you ask your son's best
friend, that's the sort of thing you ask potential love interests. Tyler isn't
supposed to know he's a potential love interest. Not yet, anyway.

"I, uh, I'm not entirely sure. The only thing I've really figured out is I want a
job that makes people happy, you know? It could be a talk-show host like Oprah, or
a balloon animal clown, as long as I get to make people smile." My eyes flickered
away from my food at this, falling on his face and trying to decide if he was
telling the truth. Surely even he isn't that selfless. I didn't see a shred of
sarcasm or lie on his face though, his expression completely serious despite the
stray bit of salsa on his lip.

"You are such a suck-up." I said finally, breaking the silence that had followed
his explanation. Tyler glared at me when I said this, making me realize just how
much it seemed to matter to him that my dad liked him.

"Am not! I was serious!" He defended quickly. I just rolled my eyes in response,
despite feeling a tad bit guilty for making him angry. "What do you want to be
then?"

"I don't know, a normal job like an office worker or-"

"You are such a bore." He interrupted, rolling his eyes at me this time. I scoffed
at this, settling back in my chair to finish eating. Except, I immediately
regretted this decision, realizing this gave me a clear view of my entire families
faces. They were all smiling at Tyler and I like we were the best thing they'd ever
seen, not even trying to hide the maniac eyes they had going on. I raised my hand
above and behind Tyler's head, giving them the finger where he couldn't see. They
all wiped their faces clean at this, giving blank expressions just in time before
Tyler looked back up.

"That sounds lovely, Tyler, ignore how cynical Troye is of everything." My mother
said finally, casting me an annoyed stare. I just shrugged my shoulders, focusing
on my food again to ignore the unsettled feeling I had over her words. I knew it
was the truth, but it still bothered me a bit that that was how my own mother
referred to me.

"I don't know, in a sense he's smart to be so cynical. He's a realist, he doesn't
get his hopes up and he doesn't get let down, I respect that." I looked up at Tyler
now, my eyes surely sparkling at his words. He understood it. No one else even
tried to see it from my point of view and here he was, not only seeing it my way
but trying to get my family to as well.

"But you're not like that?"

"Sometimes, and sometimes I'm not. I mean, I see where he's coming from, not trying
and not getting disappointed, but there are some situations where it'd just be
stupid not to try. There are just some things that are worth the risk of getting
hurt for."

"Like love?" Amy quipped, turning to make googly eyes at Steele. I scrunched my
eyes up in annoyance, though I made sure to listen for Tyler's response.

"Yeah, like love." I looked back down at my food at this, trying to hide the smile
growing across my face. He was such a freaking sap, my entire family was going to
jump to the conclusion he was talking about me when he said all of this and I know
it.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" I felt like screaming when Sage asked this stupid
question. She already knew he was single, was she trying to make him uncomfortable
with all these personal questions?

"No."

"Do you want one?" If the last question had been bad, this was horrible. I mean,
what teenage boy, straight boy, doesn't want a girlfriend? She was sneakily asking
if he was gay and I knew it.

"I mean, who doesn't want a relationship?" A relationship. Not a girlfriend, he'd
said a relationship. My smile grew impossibly bigger to the point I was debating
excusing myself from the table so I didn't have to worry about people seeing it.

"Troye doesn't, Troye hates love." Sage sang, her tone dripping with mischief.
Before I even knew what I was doing my head snapped up, glaring at her.

"No I don't!" I blurted, surprised by how angry my voice sounded. Everyone at the
table was staring at me, but I wasn't about to take back my words.

"Well, you used to hate love." My mother was glaring at Sage now, her usual subtle
'shut-up' look she often gave us. Sage noticed of course, but she also didn't look
like she was about to back down.

"Well, yeah, all kids hate love. Cooties and all that bullshit."

"Kids? But Troye it was only-" My eyes went wide as I realized where she was going
with this. I panicked, not wanting her to say the incriminatory information. I
coughed loudly, pretending to choke on my food. Almost instantly Tyler's hand was
on my back, rubbing small circles.

"Hey, are you okay? Want me to get you a drink?" He whispered, his breath hitting
my ear and making me nod my head quickly. He gave me a final pat before jumping up
and heading over to the sink, clumsily trying to find where we kept the cups. While
he had his back turned I glared at Sage, grabbing a piece of lettuce and throwing
it at her. My mother cleared her throat at this, trying to maturely put an end to
our bickering. Steele looked extremely annoyed as well, likely because we were
acting like animals in front of his girlfriend. I didn't care though, picking up an
entire shell now and chucking it at her. She grabbed a spoonful of salsa then,
smirking before pinging it at me. I managed to avoid it, watching as it splatter on
the floor.

"Enough! Do you want me to send you two to your rooms?" My mother snapped finally,
flickering her eyes between the two of us. Just then Tyler placed a cup of water in
front of me, standing behind my chair instead of sitting back down, obviously
nervous.

"No, Mom, sorry." I sighed, chugging some of the water. I got up then, grabbing
Tyler's wrist and hauling him out of the room so fast he nearly fell on his face.
So much for my family only being mildly annoying, I should have known it was too
good to be true. I pulled Tyler along, pausing at the foot of the stairs.

"Should we retreat to my room or back to the gazebo?" I asked, turning to see his
reaction. He didn't miss a beat before replying.

"Can we retreat to that hot tub instead? I've never been in one before." My eyes
went wide, looking toward the glass door that led out to the deck. You couldn't see
the hot tub from here, but that didn't matter, it wasn't the thought of my family
seeing us that had my heart racing in my chest.

"Did you bring a change of clothes?" I asked, nervously biting my lip.

"No, but I can just borrow a pair of shorts, right?" He asked, eyeing me cautiously
for a reaction. I just nodded quickly, not knowing what kind of stupid babbling
mess I'd spit if I let myself speak. I walked down the hall to where he hadn't seen
yet then, going into the laundry room and leaving him standing in the doorway. I
located two pairs of shorts eventually, bounding back to his side and handing him
one.

"You can get changed in the bathroom and I'll just use the laundry room." I mumbled
quietly, watching as he nodded in acknowledgement. He headed off to the bathroom
then, leaving me to try and calm my racing heart before I had to see him again in a
minute, shirtless. I pulled on the shorts quickly, walking over to stare at myself
in the mirror. I'd never really had anything against my body before, but knowing I
was going to be standing in comparison to a buff football player, it was a lot
easier to feel a little self-conscious. I wasn't chubby, quite the opposite
actually, I was extremely skinny, almost too skinny. I jumped, hearing a knock on
the door.

"Troye?" Tyler asked tentatively, making me bite my lip nervously.

"One second!" I called, turning to examine what my butt looked like in this shorts.
What? It was a realistic concern!

"I just heard Sage say she's going to try and 'hunt me down', can you please hurry
up?" I rolled my eyes, knowing that being scared of Sage was not at all something
laughable. I took a deep breath, walking over and sliding the door open.Tyler was
standing with his back turned to me, looking out the window into the backyard.
Someone's butt definitely looks good in their shorts.

He turned upon hearing the door open, smiling widely at me. I returned the gesture,
trying not to let my eyes wander as I walked past him, toward the glass door from
earlier. He was so muscular! I mean, I know I'd been expecting that, but that
didn't make it any less hot to actually see it in person. I was still on cloud nine
when I came to a stop beside the hot tub, bending over to remove the cover. This
actually might be the last chance I get to use it before we pack 'er up for winter.
I didn't bother to turn around and face Tyler, not sure how much more of this
'averting my eyes' stuff I could handle. Instead I dipped my bare foot in the
water, sighing happily at the temperature and stumbling in a moment later. Just as
I sunk in to my neck Tyler stuck his first toe in, removing his glasses as he did
so. He sat them down on the railing of the deck, he smiled happily then, before
hopping in and joining me. He sat on the opposite side, stretching his legs out so
his feet ended up right next to me.

"This feels amazing!" He sighed, his eyes falling shut. I pounced on the
opportunity, deciding to try and get all of the thirst out of me before he opened
his again. I scanned his broad shoulders, moving to his defined pecs, and finally
his abs, though they were hard to see considering they were underwater. I don't
think my plan to 'get the thirst out of me' really worked, if anything it only made
me perpetually thirstier. Now I didn't just want to see his chest, I wanted to
touch it. Which was never going to happen! I closed my own eyes firmly, mentally
scolding myself for getting so carried away.

I was still in the process of mentally repeating to myself that I wasn't allowed to
look at him, when a sudden splash of water hit my face. I groaned, opening my eyes
to glare at Tyler's cheeky smirk.

"You're not allowed to splash in here." I scolded, smirking right back. He sighed
at this new information, looking longingly in the direction of the other water
source.

"Boring. Can we go in the pool then?"

"It'll be cold." I warned, though really I liked the idea. Mostly because both the
cold and the extra space between us was going to help ward off the problem I knew
was going to occur if I looked at his body much longer.

"I don't care." He replied simply, standing up and getting out of the water
quickly. I watched him run across the deck, not even checking the water temperature
before cannon-balling into it. He came back up a minute later, shaking his head
like a dog and sending water flying. He opened his eyes then, beaming a huge smile
at me.

"Come on! The water's g-g-great!" I rolled my eyes at the fact his teeth were
chattering as he said this, standing up and walking over to the pool's edge. I
tentatively dipped a toe in, hissing at the freezing temperature.

"Tyler, if you expect me to get in there you are-" I was cut off then, a huge wave-
like splash hitting my entire lower body. I yelped, jumping backward and watching
as Tyler fell into one of his many laughter fits.

"I hate you sometimes, you know that?" I asked, sitting down on the edge of the
pool and dipping my legs in.

"You love me." He purred, sticking his tongue out before ducking back underwater. I
knew he meant it sarcastically and I didn't really word that much into his words,
it was more the thoughts they sparked in my own head. How do you know when you're
in love? I mean, I know I've never felt anything stronger than what I feel for him,
but it's not like I have all that much to compare it to. Did I love him? Is there a
checklist or something to tell when you are?

I squealed suddenly, feeling hands wrap around my ankles. I struggled against him,
but I didn't stand a chance as he yanked me into the water with him. I gasped,
bracing myself as he pulled me underwater with him. I opened my eyes despite the
chlorine, surprised to find his dark blue ones staring right back at me. His cheeks
were puffed out like a fish and his hair a complete mess, floating up around him
like some sort of merman. He reached a hand out tentatively then, pressing my hair
back from where it had fallen in my eyes.

His eyes are way too pretty to be covered up.

I swallowed hard upon hearing this thought, trying to rid myself of the sudden lump
in my throat. He'd mentioned my pretty eyes, while conscious! That meant it wasn't
just some weird sleep thought, he genuinely believed it. He gave a weak smile,
running his thumb along my cheekbone quickly before jumping up from the bottom of
the pool, going up for air. I followed his lead, trying to ignore the butterflies
thrashing around in my stomach. That wasn't a best friend thing to do, was it? Do
best friends play with your hair and caress your face? Damn it, I really wish I had
more relationships to compare this one too, I have absolutely no idea what's normal
and what isn't. Hell, I don't even really know what I feel for the guy.

I took a deep breath the second my face emerged, followed up by a few more equally
as harsh. After I was breathing normal again I looked around the pool, noticing
Tyler was on the other side, a shark floatie held above his head. I rolled my eyes
at how childish he was, watching as he attempted to get the kid's toy to hold him
up.

"You're too big for that!" I called, quickly swimming over to his side. He gasped
as I approached, standing back up in the water as I reached him.

"Are you indirectly calling me fat?" He asked, wiping a pretend tear from his
cheek. I groaned while rolling my eyes in reaction to this, pushing him slightly.

"Very funny, Oakley, because you are so fat."

"Hey now, no need to rub it in! I've been trying to cut down on the carbs, I really
have." He giggled, looking down at his stomach with a frown. I scoffed, grabbing
the shark toy and hitting him with it.

"You are the farthest thing from fat there is." I scoffed, kicking desperately to
keep myself afloat as we began to drift to where it was over our heads.

"Nah, I think that's you." He laughed, reaching up to slick his hair back. My smile
faded, processing what he'd just said. I mean, what had I expected? Him to just
'not notice' how incredibly skinny I was?

"Probably." I mumbled, plugging my nose as I attempted to dive under water and away
from the conversation. It didn't work though, considering his hands were gripping
my shoulders firmly before I even got my chin into the water.

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that. You're fine." He said sternly, locking eyes with
me. He looked almost angry with me for saying it, making my eyes immediately dart
away from his. I watched the water lap around us, sighing quietly.

"Yeah, 'fine', I don't look like you though."

"I mean, not everyone can look like this." He giggled a moment later, still not
relinquishing his grip on me. When I didn't laugh in response he sighed, swimming
closer to me so I was forced to look at him. "I'm serious though, Troye, you're
perfect the way you are."

"Perfect? That's a pretty serious word choice, are you sure you don't want to go
with something less committal like 'pretty good'?" I said sarcastically, trying to
cover up how much his words had affected me. In truth, I was beginning to wonder if
my heart would beat straight out of my chest and fly away. How could someone be so
sweet? It was like he could read my thoughts, the way he always knew what to say.

"Nope, perfect. Absolutely perfect." He purred, a sly little smile growing on his
face. I knew it was probably due to the blush on my cheeks, but it's not like I
could help it.

"You should be more careful, you know. Like ninety-percent of what you say could be
mistaken as flirting." I replied, not sure if it was crossing some sort of boundary
or not. Regardless of what went on inside our heads, neither of us had ever
outwardly addressed how flirty our behavior was getting. Assuming it was flirty,
but I really doubt that best friends call each other perfect so intimately.

"I wasn't aware, I'll try to be more considerate in the future." He quipped back,
giving me a shy smile. I was going to return it, before a wave of water hit me in
the face.

"Tyler!" I screamed, rubbing my eye with one hand while I thrashed the other one
around in an attempt to get him back. Before I knew it we were in a huge splash
war, laughing and squealing like children as we practically drowned each other. I
noticed the way either of us froze the second we heard the other splutter though,
our concern for the other dominating our need to win said 'splash fight'.

Five minutes later we both yelled truce, swimming toward the side of the pool
beside each other. I planned to just head back inside and get dressed now, but
Tyler seemed to have other thoughts as his arms snaked around my stomach, hoisting
me up and carrying me. I kicked my legs out desperately, but when he dropped me in
the water it wasn't freezing like I expected it to be. I sighed contently, knowing
it was the hot tub before opening my eyes. This was definitely a good idea. A
second later he got in, surprising me when he sat right next to me this time. I
didn't show my surprise outwardly though, not wanting to discourage him. I
definitely had nothing wrong with closeness, not anymore anyway.

"Have you noticed them yet?"

"Huh? Who?"

"Sage, Tyde, and your dad. They've been watching us since the splash fight
started." My eyes went wide, darting over to the glass door. Sure enough, their
faces were all pressed up against it, knowing they couldn't get a view of the hot
tub otherwise. I groaned, sinking down into the water until just my face was out of
the water.

"They are so annoying."

"I already told you, I don't think they are. I like them, they're quirky." He
laughed, raising a hand to wave at the bystanders. Tyde waved back, but the other
two immediately shrunk back, obviously not too keen on being caught spying.

"You're quirky." I said, smiling up at him as him and Tyde continued to wave at
each other. He cut their waving short then, looking down at me with a smile,
rolling his bottom lip between his teeth attractively.

"You're quirky." He replied, his eyes sparkling as they remained locked with mine.
I sat up slowly then, not sure how much more of his never-ending adorableness I
could take. I took a deep breath before standing up, stretching my arms above my
head. I was surprised when I looked back down a second later and found Tyler's eyes
trained on my hips. I followed his gaze, turning pink when I realized he was
staring at my treasure trail. I couldn't help but remember his dirty talk from my
dream last night, when he'd mentioned how insane it drove him every time I
stretched and he caught sight of it. I decided to get out of here before I let my
mind remember any more of the dream, considering it was likely a very bad idea. I
hopped out of the water as gracefully as I could manage, heading toward the house
and automatically assuming Tyler would follow suit.

I realized just as I reached the door we hadn't brought towels, groaning loudly as
I opened it and called for Tyde. Any of my siblings would have worked, but Steele
was intimidating and I didn't want to annoy him, and I didn't want Sage to annoy
Tyler. So, I decided to go with Tyde. He scampered around the corner a moment
later, a big smile painted on his face.

"Hey guys! How was the water?"

"Freezing. Can you get us some towels?" Tyde nodded quickly, though I noticed the
way his eyes stayed locked behind my back rather than on my face. As soon as he was
out of sight I turned around to face Tyler, staring him down questioningly.

"What were you doing behind my back?" He shrugged innocently, looking away instead
of answering my question. I groaned, reaching over to shove him. I'd be lying if I
said I was disappointed when I heard one of his thoughts, though.

It's so fun to tease him, the way his blush creeps across his neck before reaching
his cheeks is adorable.

Ironically, I felt my blush deepen in

Chapter Twenty-Six
*Tyler's POV*

I was definitely nervous as I continued to flip through the pages of the photo
album, but surprisingly, it had nothing to do with his family watching us. All I
could think about was the fact he'd initiated our cuddling, he'd been the one to
lay his head on my shoulder. I mean, with anyone else it'd be something small, but
with him it felt like such a huge accomplishment. It was one thing laying my head
on his shoulder and not having him shove me off, but this was something entirely
different. He wanted to cuddle, he wanted to be as close as I did, he wanted this
when he wouldn't even let people touch him half the time. I wasn't sure what made
me any different from the rest of the world, but I was eternally grateful for it.

I was on the fourth book now and his family had long ago filtered off, each in
different directions. Not to be rude, but I was kind of glad they had. Troye was
much less nervous without them around, partaking in our usual teasing and flirting
much more openly. Yes, flirting. There wasn't really any other word to refer to it,
and I didn't really want one. Troye had called it that, but not in a negative
light. He was okay with it being flirting so of course I had no trouble admitting
to myself that was what it was now.

Come to think of it, I'd fucked up the whole 'taking it slow' thing a while ago. I
mean, I hadn't jumped him or anything, but I wasn't exactly making a big deal of
hiding my feelings. I didn't admit them either though, leaving Troye to assume
exactly what he wanted to assume. When the day came he asked me about it, I'd be
honest. I knew him well enough to know he wouldn't be a dick about it, he wouldn't
tell anyone and he wouldn't be mean about rejecting me if he did. Despite knowing
all of this, I didn't see myself being the one to bring it up any time soon. I
wanted to make sure the timing was right, that he was ready to hear it before I
said anything. He was going to have to call the shots, whether he wanted to or not,
because I wasn't about to risk losing him because I did or said something wrong.

"Tilly, this is boring!" He whined, letting out a huff of breath against my

shoulder. I ignored him though, knowing he was only being a nuisance because we'd
reached the awkward pre-teen stage of his life. He was still far from unattractive,
though it was also clear he hadn't quite grown into his long legs and huge eyes
yet.

I flipped another page, furrowing my brow over a photo of him and someone I didn't
recognize from his immediate family. This was a first, considering it was the only
photo of him with non-family members other than his softball ones. He was hugging
the girl tightly, their faces pressed together with matching huge grins. I felt him
shift next to me, obviously wondering why I was taking so long on this one page. He
tensed against me suddenly, reaching over to flip the page quickly.

"L.S?"

"Yeah." He mumbled, his voice barely audible and faltering despite his response
only being a single word. I sighed heavily, closing the book and tossing it onto
the table with the rest of them. He seemed happy with this, nuzzling into my
shoulder further as I grabbed the remote and turned on the television again. I was
actually still pretty interested in looking at the photos, but the last thing I
wanted was to find anything more of L.S and upset him all over again. I wasn't sure
why it still affected him so much considering he was only around twelve at the
time, but I was completely sure I never wanted to see him cry again. It felt weird
putting a face to the initials, especially after how mad I'd gotten earlier without
explanation, scratching the carving out without a second thought. It just made me
so mad to think that anyone at all could hurt Troye. He was so shy and loyal, like
a mistreated puppy. The fact that someone could take advantage of that, even a
little girl, disgusted me.

"Tyler, not to intrude on whatever's going on inside your head, but we're watching
'I didn't know I was pregnant' and it's kind of terrifying." I blinked, coming back
to reality at his whisper. I hastily changed the channel, the sound of a baby
crying filling the room just before I did. I turned on a music video channel
instead, hoping this would be less uncomfortable. I was quickly proven wrong when
the screen lit up with a rap singer surrounded by nearly-naked women. I groaned,
ignoring Troye's soft giggle as he snatched the remote from me and found a show
himself.

We were still cuddled up like this two hours later, making fun of the snobby rich
housewives together as his family bustled about. Occasionally one would come to sit
with us, on the opposite couch of course. But I think they all quickly realized we
were better off alone, considering none stayed for longer than ten minutes. I
flickered my eyes to the clock, trying my best not to move as I did so. I didn't
want to leave, but it was 8pm now and I was worried I'd annoy them if I stayed too
much longer. Besides, I was actually beginning to feel a little tired, considering
how early I got up. I sighed loudly, alerting Troye I had a dilemma going on, and
shifted a bit underneath him. He didn't respond though and I rolled my eyes at his
stubbornness, knowing he just didn't want to give up cuddling again.

"Troye." I whispered, straightening up. He let out a confused whine at this and I
was surprised to find he was actually asleep. I froze, watching as he readjusted to
a more comfortable position again, before his squirming stopped and he presumably
fell back into a deeper sleep. I felt the corners of my lips turn up and before I
even realized what I was doing I leaned in, pressing a kiss into his hair.

"Tilly?" He mumbled, his voice low and gravelly from sleep. I felt my heartbeat
speed up, watching as he moved off of me and gave a big yawn. He was the most
adorable thing I'd ever laid eyes on, watching as he rubbed his eyes and brought
his knees up to tuck against his chest. His hair was completely flat on one side
where he'd been laying, something I know would annoy him if he knew it was going
on. He seemed to have a thing for making sure his hair game was always on point.

"Morning sleepyhead, you fell asleep on me." I beamed happily, reaching over to
mess up his hair. He grunted at this, moving out of my hand's reach and settling
back into the couch there.

"It's not my fault you were so boring I had to slip into unconsciousness." He
mumbled, staring down at the couch between us. I gasped at this, eagerly crawling
over and closing the distance between us, going straight for his ribs. He burst out
laughing, squirming around underneath me and flailing his arms.

"You little shit! And by 'boring' I assume you mean comfy, right?"

"R-Right! Right! Stop t-tickling me!" He cried out, trying to kick me off. I
stilled my hands eventually, giving him a moment to catch his breath with big
gasps. After about a minute his breathing had returned to normal and he was just
glaring up at me in silence. "I swear to God, if you ever tickle me again I'm going
to-"

"Going to what?" I interrupted, wriggling my fingers against his sides again. He

was back to laughing like a hyena now, to the point his family had wandered into
the room to see the cause. I tried to keep my attention on him, but every now and
then my eyes would flicker up to his family, wondering what they were thinking as
they watched us interact. They were all in an almost-perfect line over by the
kitchen door, alternating between exchanging knowing looks and just smiling at us
so widely it was creepy. "T-Tyler! I can't breathe!"

"Fine." I sighed, hopping off clumsily and standing beside the couch. He began the
process of taking deep breaths again, continuing to scowl at me the entire time.
"If you're not careful your face might stay like that."

"I hope it does, that way I can permanently show my annoyance with you." He
sneered, sticking his tongue out at me. I just rolled my eyes, waiting for him to
get to his feet. He did a moment later, stumbling in the process and gripping my
arm. "Sorry, I, uh, my leg's asleep."

"Whatever excuse you wanna use." I teased, jumping when he dug his nails into my
arm as payback. We swatted at each other for a few seconds longer before someone
cleared their throat, making us both freeze and look in the direction of his
family. They'd actually left for the most part, the only person remaining was
Shaun. He looked so serious compared to earlier, making me bite my lip nervously as
I threw an arm around Troye's waist. I wasn't sure if this was taking it too far on
the physical contact scale, but I really just wanted him near to help me with
facing his father. Shaun walked over to us then, pointedly staring at my hand on
Troye's hip.

"I, uh, I'm not really sure how to do this, it's been a while since any of my kids
have brought a friend home, particularly Troye-"
"Dad!" Troye groaned, his embarrassment showing in his tone. I wanted to turn my
head and watch the blush spread across the back of his neck, then the tips of his
ears, and then his cheeks, but I also felt I was supposed to keep my eyes on Shaun
during this.

"Anyway, I just figured I should tell you that I like you? Like, you seem like a
really good friend for him. I've never seen him smile as much as he has today." I
grinned happily at this, actually turning my head to see Troye's reaction.

"Dad!" He snapped, his entire face flushed pink. I bit my lip as I studied how
obviously flustered he was, squeezing his waist to me tighter.

"I tend to have that effect on people." I purred, watching his eyes go wide in
reaction to the flirty tone.

"Tyler!" He snapped, turning to face me now. It was my turn to blush now, realizing
how close our lips were. I quickly looked back to Shaun, hoping I'd done so before
the blush got too noticeable.

"I guess I just wanted to warn you not to hurt him, I'm not sure he could take it."
Shaun said almost nervously, running a hand over his head where his hair would have
been.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not right here!" Troye pouted, stomping his foot to
emphasize his point. I ignored it though, instead focusing on my attention on
Shaun. This wasn't a normal 'first time meeting the best friend' conversation, was
it? It sounded awfully similar to how one would lecture a new boyfriend or
something. I bit my lip, deciding I'd better respond that way too.

"I wouldn't dream of it, I don't think I could take it either." I said honestly,
surprised when Troye didn't have an angry quip to respond to this. Instead he just
sighed heavily, leaning more of his weight against me. Shaun seemed to notice this,
his eyes falling between us and a smile spreading across his lips.

"Alright, good. It's been nice meeting you, Tyler." He said finally, snapping his
eyes back up to mine. I nodded eagerly, flashing my biggest people-pleaser smile.

"You too, Mr.Mellet." I said cheerily, watching as he promptly turned around and
disappeared back into the kitchen. I turned then, steering both Troye and I in the
direction of the front door wordlessly. It wasn't until we got into the entryway
that Troye shrugged my arm off with an angry huff, falling onto the bench by the
door and watching as I laced up my shoes.

"Why did you go along with that? You realize you don't need my father's approval to
be my friend, don't you?" I smirked at this, looking up from my feet to grin at
Troye. Did he actually not realize what that conversation was? Whether he saw me
like a love interest for him or not, his dad definitely did.

"Sure I do! It's a lot harder to hang-out with you if your father hates me." I
beamed, standing up straight and sauntering over to him. He still didn't seem
convinced, eyeing me warily.

"Yeah, but he-"

"Shush, come walk me to my car." I cut him off, reaching my hands out and hauling
him up off the bench. He sighed at the interruption, trying to pull his hand away.
Without thinking I did the opposite, lacing our fingers together. He tensed, though
a second later he started toward the door like nothing was out of the ordinary at
all, tugging me along behind him. I smiled happily at this, hurrying to catch up to
his side as we started down the same path as earlier. I wasn't sure just how far he
planned on walking me, but was pleasantly surprised when he continued right across
the road, leading us to a stop in front of my car.

"So, uh, night." He mumbled, breaking his hand away. I didn't miss the way he wiped
it off on his jeans, alerting me of his sweaty palms. I smiled to myself,
flickering my eyes back up to meet his.

"Goodnight, Troye." I beamed, flashing a huge smile like his family had sported all
day. He rolled his eyes in reaction, reaching out and shoving me.

"Get out of here already." He teased, giving me a little smirk before turning on
his heel and jogging across the road, back toward his house. I scanned his house
one last time, my eyes going wide when I seen two faces in one of the windows. Were
they spying on us the entire day? I raised a hand, waving at them. They waved back
this time, even opening up the window just as the door closed behind Troye.

"Bye, Tyler!" Sage and Tyde shouted in unison, continuing their waving. I couldn't
help but fall into a giggle fit, eventually getting a grip and shouting back.

"Bye, Sage and Tyde!" I yelled back, cupping my hands around my mouth. I was about
to turn around when I seen a shadow looming behind them, knowing who it was by
their height. I turned to get into my car, not without overhearing Troye yelling at
his siblings. I was still smiling to myself like an idiot as I drove off, insanely
amused by his family's ability to embarrass him so easily.

A/n: I know it's kind of short for me but shut-up because the last few were overly
long so, deal with it. Ugh, I don't want another author's note like last chapter
that ended up a page long so I'm going to just get straight to the points
-Comment and vote, because I love to see your opinions and thoughts and ugh you
guys make me smile more than anything else
-After this chapter there are going to be some time skips starting, some major,
some minor. I've done timeskips in other stories, though I feel like this one has
been so detailed and compact I don't know how it'll play out so PLEASE tell me if
anything gets choppy, I won't be offended. I want this book to cover their entire
school year so the timeskips are necessary.

- I want to know your guys' opinions on a werewolf troyler fic (THAT BEING SAID I
KNOW THERE ALREADY IS ONE SO SHOUTOUT TO YOU @troyesivanmellet I haven't read your
fic yet but hopefully this isn't the exact same plot or i will cry) . I know the
topic is a little overdone in other fandoms and literature in general, but idk, I
just dig the whole supernatural thing and I want to know if there'd be interest in
it, yanno? I guess a little sypnosis is necessary so like, here goes. Troye would
be the alpha's youngest son and like suuuuper sheltered and babied by the rest of
the pack, and Tyler would be a rogue misunderstoood wolf they caught. And I mean,
Tyler would obviously find some ways to corrupt him, if ya catch my drift ;) I know
you do ;)

-LASTLY, dedication, I have so many people I want to dedicate to lately but this
chapter is going to the lovely and perfect, @Joyler. Although, more commonly known
as Sobler because she has amazing music taste and likes TO RECOMMEND HORRIBLY SAD
SONGS THAT REMIND HER OF FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS. God, that fic and this girl will be
the death of me. Aside from her music taste she does have even more attributes,
including SUPER FLUFFY ADORABLE ONESHOTS YOU WILL LOVE LIKE LITERALLY GO READ THEM
RIGHT NOW I PROMISE.

well shit. My author's note turned out a rambly mess anyway. Hmm... Oh well. aLSO
THIS GIF FELT NECESSARY BC THEY ARE LOOKING AT BABY PICTURES OF TROYE AND FUKCING
LOOK AT BABY TROYE HE IS SO PERFECT IN EVERY WAAAAAAAAAAAY

Chapter Twenty-Seven
*Tyler's POV*

Two week time skip

"Troye, that looks like crap." I groaned, reaching around him to rearrange the cans
he'd set up. I appreciated that he wanted to help me out, but there were some
things he just totally sucked at. One of them, was making cool window displays.
You'd think he'd be better at it than me, considering how creative he was in every
other aspect, but I guess not. He let out a heavy sigh, turning around to glare at
me.

"Well, it's not like I'm getting paid to do it." He huffed, disappearing out of the
display case and leaving me to do it myself. I mean, he did have a point, he was
only doing any of this to help me out. I'd mentioned him getting a job with me a
couple times, but he'd simply brushed me off saying he wasn't into the whole
'working' or 'interacting with strangers on a regular basis' thing. I'd tried to
correct him and say that he already did those things while he helped me out, and
that the only thing that'd be different was he'd get a paycheck, but he wasn't
hearing it. I guess he was intimidated by the idea of getting his first job or
something, who knows.

I jumped, hearing the bell ring and alerting me there was a customer. I scrambled
to finish the set-up, knowing they'd need some time to shop anyway. I scrambled out
a minute later, just in time to watch the person leave.

"Troye, did you get them?" I called, walking toward the front as I spoke. I rolled
my eyes dramatically when I caught sight of him, his feet propped up on the counter
and a jar of Nutella in his hands. "I hope you paid for that."

"Of course I did, I'm not a criminal... Though I might be if I had no other means
of getting Nutella." I sighed at this, knowing he was probably telling the truth.
If I'd learnt one important fact about Troye in the past two weeks, it was that
absolutely nothing meant more to him than the chocolate breakfast spread. It was
actually concerning, the fact he could sit there and eat an entire jar, but I
didn't voice my concerns out loud. I mean, it probably wasn't any less unhealthy
than his binge junk food eating.

"Did you serve that customer?" I asked, deciding to veer the conversation away from
Nutella for a change. I slid into my seat beside him, scowling when I realized he'd
swapped the uncomfortable wooden one for my cushioned spinning chair yet again.

"Yeah, he was just getting a pack of gum."

"Did you have your feet on the counter when he was here?" I asked, glaring at his
feet. He sighed heavily, slowly removing them and giving me a guilty little smile.
I groaned, sinking down further in my seat. "Troye!"

"He didn't seem to mind."

"If anyone ever complains about it you realize Bruce is going to think they're
talking about me. Believe it or not, I don't do this job for fun like you, I
genuinely need the paychecks." I snapped, crossing my arms and giving an
exasperated huff. I was still glaring in the general direction of absolutely
nothing when I felt something brush against my lips. I furrowed my brows, backing
up a bit to see what it was. I rolled my eyes when I recognized the plastic spoon,
a mouthful of Nutella on it.

"Cheer up, grumpypants. I'm sorry." He whispered, making any shred of anger I'd had
a second ago dissipate. I wasn't even all that into Nutella, but I wasn't about to
shrug his offering off either. Troye offering to share his favorite food was not
something to be taken lightly. I opened my mouth, surprised when he actually fed me
gently instead of doing something annoying like smearing it all over my face. He
must actually be worried about me being mad. "Is it delicious?"

"Mmmm." I hummed, nodding my head as I swallowed. He smiled contently in reaction,

obviously considering the subject resolved. Apparently Nutella was a peace offering
you just couldn't reject or something. I decided to go along with it, considering I
wasn't all that into the idea of fighting with him anyway. I settled back in my
chair, watching him scrape the last of the remnant's out of the bottom of the jar.

"What are you doing tomorrow? After school?" He asked suddenly, his eyes flickering
up to meet mine. I might have been a bit more bashful about being caught staring,
but his big smile seemed to say it was more than okay with him.

"I have a game, last one of the season actually, unless we move on to provincials."

"Boring." He sighed, tossing the empty jar and spoon into his personal garbage bin.
He sunk down in his chair then, until he was more laying in it than sitting.

"You're boring. What were you going to suggest?"

"We're putting the hot tub away for the winter any day now, I was gonna suggest we
use it one last time." He said, wiggling his eyebrows like he could convince me to
give up my football game if he tried hard enough. In truth, the idea of hanging out
with shirtless Troye for a few hours did sound a lot better, but the team would
kill me if I didn't show up to this game. It was the most important one of the
season, whether or not we moved on depended on whether we won or lost this game. I
sighed loudly, wishing I could just merge the two lives together and have both
Troye and the game. As soon as I thought it my lips turned up into a sly smile.

"Why don't you come to my game?" I asked, flickering my eyes to his hopefully. His
nose was already crinkled up in distaste, his head shaking slightly.

"Ty, you know I don't like sports."

"So? You wouldn't be going for the game, you'd be going for me. You like me, don't
you?" I pleaded, batting my eyelashes at him. He gave a sympathetic smile, making
it clear his answer was still no.

"Tyler, you're going to be on the field the entire time, when are we even going to
get a chance to interact?" He sighed, his voice level but strict. I pouted my
bottom lip out, knowing already I'd lost the argument.

"You can watch me from afar and cheer my name, it'll be a bonding experience!" I
begged, keeping my eyes locked with his. He didn't hesitate a second before shaking
his head.

"No. It's not happening."

"Please, I want to show off my manly prowess." I said in a last hope, wondering if
flirting could convince him. I sat up to emphasize my point, holding an arm out and
flexing. His eyes followed the movement, but the second it finished he was back to
shaking his head, pretending to look annoyed with me now.
"Definitely not happening."

"Ugh, you are so mean." I whined, getting to my feet and sulking off toward the
display cabinet.

"Hey, you're not going to give me the silent treatment, are you?" Troye called
after me, sounding genuinely concerned. I debated it for a second, considering I
actually was pretty irked with him, before realizing there was absolutely no chance
of me pulling that off. I'd come crawling back ten minutes later, trying to strike
up a conversation and then he'd be the one to reject me, teasing me for being so
pathetic. I'll just skip the patheticness and not even try.

"No, I'm just going to finish the display. I'm not mad at you." I assured him,
slipping back into the small window space. I managed to set up a single can before
I felt a hand on my arm, making me jump. Thankfully I didn't knock anything over,
but that didn't stop me from glaring at Troye for what he almost caused.

"The fact you have to reassure me you're not mad, leads me to believe you are mad."
He said, keeping his hand on my arm. I shrugged my shoulder noncommittally,
refusing to meet his gaze.

"I'm not mad, just a little upset that you won't even consider coming." I mumbled,
surprised by how needy my voice was.

"Ty, I've told you about how much I hate both crowds and sports, and you expect me
to come to the biggest game of the season? Crowds of people, obsessed with sports?"

"Yeah, I get it. It's fine." I said, giving him a weak smile before turning back to
my work. He stayed a while longer, watching me to make sure everything was okay I
guess, before wandering back to his usual perch. I wasn't sure what I'd expected
him to say, considering he had two very reasonable points as to why he'd say no. He
didn't like sports or crowds, why on Earth would he go to a place that was filled
with both?

For me, I guess.

I groaned, angry at myself for getting so upset over this. It was just a stupid
game, I didn't even like football that much anyway. I was just being a whiny little
brat. Troye didn't have to go if he didn't want to, simple, no further argument
needed.

I finished the display up quickly, wanting to get back to Troye's side and make
sure everything was still good between us. He wasn't behind the counter though,
making me automatically assume the worst, that he might have gone home. I wandered
the aisles for a few minutes and came back disappointed, deciding he really was
gone this time. My decision was only backed up when I looked out the door and
noticed his car wasn't in the parking lot. I trailed back to the counter,
repeatedly telling myself not to get any more disappointed. There were tons of
reasons he could have left, why did I always find myself assuming the worst? That
I'd done something wrong that sent him running.

Ten minutes later I was distractedly fumbling with my phone when the bell went off,
and I snapped my head up. I was hit with a wave of relief upon seeing the backside
of a familiar mop of chocolate hair. He was backing into the store, which meant his
hands were occupied with something else. I jumped up, eager to go hold the door for
him. It proved useless though, considering he walked inside the second I reached
his side. I was about to greet him happily and ask where he'd gone, when my eyes
fell on the drink tray in his hands.
"Caffeine!" He squealed suddenly, shimmying his shoulders excitedly. I smiled,
happily reaching out and grabbing my drink of choice. This was definitely a much
better peace offering than a spoonful of Nutella. We both settled into our seats
behind the counter then, and I willingly let him have the comfier one for buying
the drinks.

"Thank-you, I needed this." I hummed contently, sipping more of the cold beverage.
He just nodded knowingly, drinking his own as he settled back in his chair.

"I could tell, you're a lot more irritable when you don't have caffeine in your
system."

"Hey! Are you calling me grumpy?" I gasped, kicking his foot. He kicked mine back,
a teasing light in his eyes. Before I even knew what was happening we'd fallen into
a full-on game of footsies, giggling like idiots when I accidentally pulled his
shoe off. After a while of this we settled down, both trying to catch our breath
after giggling so much.

"I really am sorry, Tyler, about the game." He mumbled suddenly, staring down at
the cracks in the floor. I felt a pang of sadness, knowing he felt that bad about
it. Ugh, why did I have to be so whiny? I didn't mean to upset him.

"Hey, it's fine, there'll be lots of other chances for us to hang-out, it was a
stupid suggestion anyway. I mean, you were right, we can't even talk while I'm out
on the field." I laughed, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder reassuringly. He
nodded quickly, looking up at me with a relieved smile.

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right." He mumbled, snaking his foot around mine again. I
rolled my eyes, but didn't even hesitate to strike up our game of footsies all over
again.

A/n: Another short filleryyy, kind of showing how their friendship is progressing
and the likes. Sorry, it'll pick up pace again soon. Hmm, IM NOT GOING TO RAMBLE
TODAY. COMMENT AND VOTE, LOOK AT THIS GIF OF ADORABLE TYLER
Dedication this chapter is to one of the goddesses of the Troyler fandom,
@AriellaHunter! I'm genuinely shocked I haven't dedicated anything to her yet
because she is literal perfection. Plus, I figure, I've already dedicated to 2/3 of
the Thursty Threesome in a row, and Ariella definitely deserves it as much as the
next so uh, yeah. First of all, her comments are absolutely amazing and if you've
had the most imponderable joy of having her as a reader, you'd understand. She
picks up on everything and says exactly what you need to hear and just, ughhh. Now,
that's not even starting on the absolute masterpiece her writing is. Honestly, I
strive to write as good as she does because it's spectacular in every way. Her smut
rivals Friends with Benefits, possibly even beating it but shh, let's not play
favorites, I worship all the smut goddesses equally ;) But yeah, if you haven't
read 'You Make me Ache' and you enjoy both fluffy and smutty combined into one fic,
you are going to need to clear you schedule for a while and get the fuck on that.

Chapter Twenty-Eight
*Troye's POV*

"So you two haven't kissed yet?" Sage chirped, sitting up taller in the passenger's
seat. I groaned, completely done with her Tyler interrogation. She did this all the
time, waited until we were in a position where I couldn't run off, like driving,
before bombarding me with questions. It wasn't just for her own curiosity's sake
either, I knew very well she reported all my answers back to my other family
members. After meeting Tyler they only got a hundred times more interested in him,
constantly pelting me with annoying questions. It got to the point that I blew up
at them, saying I'd never have Tyler over again if they didn't tone it down.
Surprisingly, they'd taken me seriously for once. They did tone it down, and by
that I mean they sent Sage to get their answers instead of all attacking me
separately. It was still annoying as hell, but it wasn't nearly as overwhelming.

"No! How many times do I have to answer this question?"

"Until I get the answer I'm waiting for, obviously." She said matter-of-factly,
reaching forward to fiddle with the radio again. I slapped her hand away though,
trying to keep my eyes on the road as I did so.

"I will never drive you to school again if you keep this up." I snapped, knowing
this was a reasonable threat. She was always begging me to drive her to school,
something about an unwanted admirer that creeped her out every time she went on the
bus or something. Most days, I ignored her pleads, but I'd been particularly cheery
this morning and she'd taken advantage off it, convincing me to be her chauffeur
for a change. Thankfully she never found out why I was so happy, she'd have a
heyday knowing Tyler had asked me to spend Halloween night with him. Two weeks
ahead of time. It was like he was worried I'd make other plans or something. Either
way, I was more excited for the holiday than I'd been in years.

"Aw, someone's blushing." She squealed suddenly, only succeeding in making me blush
deeper. Any time my cheeks turned even a shade pinker than usual I was called out
on it now, either by my family accusing me of thinking about Tyler, or Tyler
himself curiously asking what I was thinking about that had me blushing like that.

"I will kick you out of this car right this second." I threatened, gripping the
steering wheel tighter as I tried to make the blush disappear.

"No you won't." She beamed in a singsong voice, looking out of her window, likely
judging how far the distance from here to the school was. I sighed, realizing how
much of a softie I'd become. Even my threats were easily observed as hollow now, to
the point my siblings didn't even care when I threatened them.

"Yeah, but I want to." I mumbled, my voice quiet enough to successfully end the
conversation. It was a good thing too, because I wasn't sure how much more I could
take if she veered the conversation back to the topic of Tyler.

Nearly three hours later I was in my least favorite class, snailing through a bunch
of history questions at a horribly slow pace. It wasn't that they were difficult,
just extremely boring. Each one called for a half page answer and I just wasn't in
the mood to write them out. My good mood from earlier had faded completely, leaving
behind a very grumpy atmosphere. I wasn't sure if there was any one thing that
caused it, maybe Sage's obnoxiously loud friends giggling when I dropped her off
and she introduced me to them, or when I seen Tyler and Caspar laughing like good
friends in the hall when I wasn't even allowed to go near him at school. I mean,
technically he had never told me to stay away from him, but he'd never made a move
to come near me at school either. It just bothered me that someone he absolutely
hated got to spend their days with him while I wasn't able to.

"Troye!" I jolted upward, my eyes wide as they landed on the teacher. Shit. He
asked me a question, didn't he? My eyes darted to the whiteboard, panicking when I
found it to be completely blank. So much for finding clues on what was going on
there. I guiltily looked back to the teacher.

"Yes?" I asked, biting my lip as I waited for the 'paying attention' lecture I
frequently got.

"You're wanted at the door." I furrowed my brows, looking over to the door with a
confused expression. It only deepened when I seen Tyler standing there, leaning
against the doorframe with a coy smile like there was absolutely nothing out of the
ordinary about the situation. I wasn't sure what he wanted, pondering whether I
should take my bag with me or not. I decided against it, awkwardly shuffling to the
back of the classroom and then toward the door. The second I walked into the
hallway he reached over and shut the door, turning to smile at me happily.

"What do you want?" I hissed, surprised by how angry I sounded with him. Once again
I was left wondering if it was because he made an idiot of me in class or the whole
Caspar situation. He just rolled his eyes though, obviously not that phased by my
greeting.

"A volunteer, actually." He replied, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Huh?"

"Seeing as I'm the gym teacher's favorite student, she asked me to skip the class
before lunch and clean out the equipment room." He explained, practically bouncing
on his ankles with all the obviously pent up excitement. I already had an idea
where he was going with this, but I also knew he was just waiting for me to ask.

"So?"

"And she said I could bring a friend to help me!" He beamed, gesturing to me
grandly. I debated what he was getting at for a minute, trying to decide if I even
wanted to do it. I knew about two seconds later when Tyler awkwardly tripped over
his own shoelace that I couldn't say no to time spent with the doofus, even if it
was sorting out sweaty gym equipment.

"So what do I tell my teacher? You purposely hunted me down to help you clean?" He
handed me a little slip of paper then, likely a note from the teacher. I read
through it quickly, not surprised when it was just a formal note stating I was
needed for volunteer work in another classroom. I'd be lying if I said it didn't
give me a sense of pride knowing he'd chosen me though, out of anyone in our grade.

"No, hand him this note from the gym teacher. And make it snappy, we actually do
have to finish cleaning it before lunch." He urged, pushing my lower back so I
stumbled back toward the door. I grumbled under my breath at his impatience, but of
course I listened as I eagerly opened the door. I went straight to the front of the
room, hovering by the teacher's desk awkwardly as he read a book. When he still
hadn't looked up thirty seconds later I let out a small cough, actually a bit
embarrassed by how dainty it ended up. He glanced up at me with a skeptical
expression then, probably wondering why I'd came to the front. I'd had him as a
teacher for the last three years, and I'd never once came to the front for help. I
nervously bit my lip as I wordlessly extended the note to him, watching as he
scanned it with his beady eyes. He sighed loudly after he finished, looking back up
at me.

"Are you going to finish the rest for homework?" He asked, turning to nod toward
the questions now listed on the board.

"Yes, sir." I said confidently, glad my voice didn't waver out of nerves. He nodded
in response, gesturing toward the door.

"Get out of here then." He said blandly, obviously indifferent to the entire
situation. I bounded back to my seat, feeling Tyler's stupid excitement rubbing off
on me despite my efforts to ward it off. I gathered up my stuff and ignored
people's curious stares as I headed back toward the door.

I walked out into the hallway with a blank expression, closing the door behind me.
The second it clicked shut I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and I
squealed without thinking, thankful I'd closed the door and no one could hear.
Tyler spun me around clumsily then, before he lost his footing and evidently, had
to put me down. I punched him once we found our footing again, glaring at him as we
started toward the gym.

"You're the worst." I complained, shoving my hands into my pockets as we strolled

past the open classroom doors. Tyler had to realize people would talk about this.
They wouldn't brush it off as us getting stuck volunteering together, they'd
automatically jump to the conclusion we were purposely hanging out. Which, I mean,
we were, but they weren't supposed to know that. He didn't seem bothered by it at
all though, smiling to himself as he observed all the posters on the walls. Was
there ever a time when he wasn't smiling? It was stupidly contagious too. You
couldn't look at Tyler Oakley's smile and not smile right along with him. He
radiated happiness, almost to an overwhelming extent.

"How's your day been?" He asked suddenly, turning to face me with curious eyes. I
blushed under the attention, deciding to turn and observe the posters as well. Not
because I was interested in them, more because I wanted to avoid getting too
flustered under his gaze.

"Alright, I guess. It started off good, but things kind of went downhill after
getting to school, not surprisingly." I sighed, turning the corner with him into
the gymnasium. It was the first time in forever I'd seen it completely empty. I was
in the process of observing it when I heard the door click shut behind us, followed
by rushed footsteps as Tyler caught up to my side.

"Maybe I can cheer you up." He said breathlessly, reaching up to mold his hair back
into place. I rolled my eyes at the stray piece refusing to stay in place, watching
as he clumsily fought with it and only made matters worse. Eventually I gave in, to
both the smile fighting to break out across my lips and the urge to fix it for him.

"Come here." I sighed, watching as he quickly froze, letting his arms drop to his
sides. I took a step closer to him, fumbling with the strand for only a moment
before tucking it back into place easily.

"You are basically a quiff god."

"Thanks?" I laughed nervously, continuing toward the small room in the back corner
ahead of him. He caught up in a matter of seconds, pulling a set of keys out from
his pocket. I watched him unlock the door, fumbling around in the dark uselessly
for a few seconds before locating the light switch. I groaned out loud at the huge
mess, random sporty things and toys thrown all over the place. What kind of kids
had been in here? A herd of angry wildebeests?

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!" Tyler chirped, grabbing my hand and yanking me further
into the room before I had the chance to protest any further. He started on the
skipping ropes in the corner, unknotting them and then tying them up properly like
he'd done this a hundred times before. Come to think of it, maybe he had. Maybe he
just invited Caspar or someone else usually. I settled onto a exercise ball,
deciding I'd start with something simple like picking the beanbags off the floor.

When the bell rang to alert us class was over we'd finished about half of it. Tyler
didn't seem happy about this at all, refusing to leave the small space as I tugged
on his arm.

"Tyler, I'm sure she'll understand, you were doing it as a favor anyway." I whined,
trying to manually pull him out of the room. He just shook his head stubbornly,
pulling his arm back and sending me tumbling forward effortlessly. Thankfully I
managed to catch myself before I face-planted into the floor, or his chest.

"Yeah, but I promised to have it finished, Troye. I can't just leave it like this!"
I groaned loudly at this, his familiar work ethic coming into play. He was way too
committed to things like this. I mean, I guess it had something to do with his
people-pleaser attitude, which I liked, but it definitely got on my nerves in
situations like this one.

"Yes, you can!"

"No, I can't!" Thus started one of our frequent bickering sessions, eventually
escalating to the point we were slapping at each other's hands and stomping feet.
We were in the midst of this when a loud whistle had us both jumping, surprisingly
towards each other. I jumped at Tyler, one of his arms darting around my waist
instinctively. After not even a full second in this position and thinking about the
situation, we realized how stupid our reaction had been. I backed away quickly,
turning toward the door with a nervous smile. As expected the gym teacher was
standing there, a curious expression on her face. Her eyes were on me, but when
Tyler cleared his throat loudly a second later they flickered to address him.

"No Marcus today?" She asked, raising her eyebrows curiously. Tyler shook his head,
gesturing to me.

"This is my new friend, Troye." He said cheerily, stepping closer to me again. I

didn't move away, letting him stand so close our entire sides touched. She just
nodded slowly, eyeing me like she was sizing me up.

"I don't remember you from my classes."

"I'm in them, just not very memorable I guess." I mumbled sheepishly, my eyes
darting to the floor. She made an interested hum at this, before walking over and
holding a hand out to Tyler.

"I take it you guys are all finished in here? Can I have my keys back?"

"Actually, do you think we could work on it through lunch? I meant to get more
organizing done and I don't really have any other plans." She seemed surprised with
this, though she immediately withdrew her hand.

"Yeah, definitely. Just drop the keys off on your way to class, I guess. Thanks
again, Tyler, you're a good kid." She beamed a smile at him and a slightly dimmer
one to me, trailing toward the gym exit a moment later. We stayed completely still
until the echo of the door shutting filled the room. I turned to Tyler with a glare
then, crossing my arms.

"Did you just automatically assume I have nothing better to do for lunch than sit
here in a smelly dark room with you?" I teased, leaning against the wall as he went
back to sorting out various sports rackets.

"If you want you can go, I can finish up on my own." I frowned at his dejected
tone, pushing off from the wall. I hadn't meant to actually hurt his feelings! I
walked over to him, grabbing his shoulders and forcing him to turn in my direction.
"You would have been right to assume that, just so you know. My plan was to avoid
Shane and eat a sandwich in my car so, I guess your company is a little bit
better." I said honestly, biting my lip as I waited to see his reaction. I wasn't
sure if he'd be a cocky ass about it and rub it in or actually act like he was
relieved to have my company. He seemed to think about his reaction himself before
acting. His arms slipped around my waist, considering mine were already on his
shoulders anyway, initiating a hug. I happily went along with this, pulling him
tightly against my chest with a stupid grin. I wasn't even supposed to see him
today, considering we didn't have any classes together and he had the game after
school. He'd found a loophole though, making sure we seen each other for a little
while anyway. I wasn't sure if he did it intentionally, because he hated the
thought of being apart a full twenty-four hours like I did, or if it just worked
out that way, but I was very grateful this was how it had ended up.

"You prefer my company to being alone?" He whispered suddenly, breathing over my

neck like he always seemed to when we hugged. I shivered noticeably before
shrugging, trying to keep up the usual unaffected mask I wore.

"I mean, sometimes..." I mumbled, not sure why he was making such a big deal over
this information. Surely he realized this already. If I liked being alone better
I'd have refused his attempts at getting to know me from the very beginning.

He didn't reply after this, making me wonder further, but I didn't ask either. So
instead we slipped out of the hug in a comfortable silence and I journeyed off to
go get us something to eat, an annoyingly peppy zip in my step that I was sure had
something to do with the hug. It both excited and worried me how much control he
had over my emotions. One simple fight had me completely ruined, while even a small
embrace could turn my entire day around. It was absolutely nothing like I was used
to, my emotions being easy to predict and easy to control. They were far from in my
control now, my entire mind frame seemed to depend on Tyler. It probably wasn't
healthy at all when I thought about it. Even a normal person would be crushed if
someone so important disappointed them, but me, who'd already been disappointed so
many times, it was going to be horrible if he proved no different than anyone else.
I couldn't even see myself trying to get close to someone again if that happened,
which was probably the worst part. He had absolutely no idea how much he mattered
to me, and if he underestimated it, the consequences weren't exactly light. I'd
slink back into the 'life' I'd had before, but possibly even more guarded, because
I wouldn't even want to meet someone new. I didn't want anyone if they weren't
Tyler.

It took me a good fifteen minutes to return to the gym, which I blamed entirely on
the never-ending cafeteria line. I normally tried to avoid the cafeteria as a
whole, but I'd only brought enough lunch for me and I didn't want Tyler going
hungry just because he was too prideful to leave the stupid job half-finished, so
I'd faced my fears and went to get him some pizza. It had gone pretty well
actually, the only thought I heard the entire time was some girl that bumped into
me in the line-up. It wasn't even anything bad though, just her thinking about how
she was worried about getting caught cheating on her boyfriend with his best
friend. I mean, that is bad, but not to me, so who cares.

I walked into the gym with two trays balanced in my hands, my jaw dropping when I
seen the huge rainbow parachute in the middle of the gym.

"Are you serious?" I called out, making sure the door had shut behind me before I
did. Tyler poked his head out from underneath it then, a big child-like grin on his
face. It only grew when he got a clear view of me though, an elated squeal filling
the room.

"Is that food?" He shouted, scrambling out from under it completely. We met halfway
across the gym, considering I'd already had a head start and he'd been jogging. He
didn't take the tray from me, instead just grabbing the pizza slice itself and
inhaling it so fast I was shocked he hadn't choked. He snatched the carton of milk
off his tray then, happily bounding back to the parachute. I rolled my eyes,
trailing after him. We both sat down cross-legged on it a moment later, facing each
other with the trays placed between us. The only thing he had left to eat was a
single cookie, but I thought it looked classier if we both had trays. He picked up
his cookie before I even touched my pizza slice, nibbling at it slowly and watching
me with huge eyes. At first I was confused by this, before noticing the way his
eyes flickered down to my tray every few seconds.

"You want another slice, don't you?" I sighed, picking the tray up and setting it
down on his. He beamed a smile in reaction, before wiping it off his face and
looking back up at me through his eyelashes.

"It's okay, right? I don't want to eat it if you're hungry." He asked tentatively,
watching me closely for my reaction. I just smiled at him, getting up to go grab my
backpack from the equipment room.

"I had a lunch packed anyway. Go ahead, you can have it." As if those were some
sort of magic words he was devouring the slice a moment later, making me giggle at
his seemingly starved behavior. I really had to wonder how he stayed so fit with
this appetite. I mean, I know he exercises all the time, but surely that can't
compete with the amount of junk he eats. I ate my sandwich at a moderate pace as he
continued to go all deprived dog on his food, wolfing it down without remorse. By
the time he'd finished my pizza, milk, and cookie, I'd just finished up the
sandwich.

"Please tell me your satisfied now, because I've run out of things to give you." I
teased, smiling at the eyeroll I got in response.

"I'll live until the post-game feast, I suppose." He sighed dramatically,

pretending to pass out on onto the parachute. I rolled my eyes, shoving my own food
aside and laying down beside him.

"A feast?" I inquired, deciding it was a reasonable conversation attempt.

"Yeah, the coach takes us out every year at the end of the season to celebrate and
buys whatever we want. It's basically the best part of playing football."

"And if you move on to provincials?"

"We get another feast!" He cheered, rolling over to face me expectantly. I just
scoffed in reaction, darting my eyes away from his.

"I don't know how he affords it with your bottomless pit." I mumbled, not surprised
when I was met with a punch to the shoulder in response. He didn't actually seem
that upset though, still smiling over at me in his usual goofy manner. We filtered
off into another teasing competition, mostly consisting of us making fun of each
other's unhealthy eating habits. He had the nerve to bring up how 'unhealthy'
Nutella was! I couldn't help but notice he didn't actually bring up the fact I was
underweight though, making it clear he'd taken note of how self-conscious I was in
the pool. I don't know why, but it meant a lot to me knowing that. Not because it
really bothered me that much talking about how skinny I was, but because it showed
he cared enough to remember and go out of his way to be cautious about it. He
hadn't been lying when he said that to my dad, about not wanting to hurt me. But I
doubt anyone really wants to hurt another person, yet we all do it. It's hardly
ever an intentional thing, but the fact it's accidental doesn't really make it hurt
any less.
A/n: Eek, sorry for filling you all up with filler. Was it boring? Sorrysorrysorry,
I just, it's a highschool AU and I DO have to include some of their at-school time,
despite it not being nearly as interesting as what they do after school. Anyway,
COMMMMMMMETNYTTNTNTN AND OGOTE. Pls ogote, i am in desperate need of some ogotes.
look at that gif of troye with a koala, okbye

Chapter Twenty-Nine
*Troye's POV*

Timeskip to after school

"How was school?" I sighed loudly in response, making a detour into the kitchen. My
plan had been to sneak past as quickly and silently as possible and hopefully get
to my room without running into any family members. I'd actually been doing pretty
well, finding the living room completely empty for once, but I guess nothing gets
past my mother's heightened sense of hearing.

"Boring? What kind of answer do you expect when you ask this question?" I huffed,
falling into my usual seat at the table and slinging my bag in the one next to me.
She still didn't turn to face me, continuing whatever type of cleaning or cooking
she was doing today.

"Well, I just wanna be on top of things in case something changes between you and
Tyler." She said it so quiet I wasn't sure if I was even supposed to hear, but I
did.

"Mom." I said sternly, knowing the one word was all it'd take. It was a lot easier
to get them to stop teasing or annoying me since the whole 'threatening to never
have Tyler over again' thing. I guess he'd really grown on them or something,
seeing as the thought of not seeing him affected them so much.

"Right! Zipping it!" She said quickly, turning to me to reenact zipping her lips
shut and throwing away the key. I just shook my head at this, more than used to her
antics by now. I got up, intending to leave the room and avoid the rest of my
family all the way to my own room, when the almost eery silence of the house
actually settled with me.

"Where are the rest of the nuisances?" I asked cautiously, almost worried by the
fact I couldn't hear any form of chitter-chatter, singing, or fighting. It wasn't
something I was used to at all, considering how big our family was. Not to mention
the fact that Tyde and Sage had friends over every other day, only inducing the
loudness ratio.

"Sage is at her friend's, Tyde is at a birthday party, Steele is out with Amy, and
your father is outside repairing the mess you and Tyler made." My mother said,
smirking at me as she found another indirect way to bring Tyler up. I groaned,
running a hand through my hair, falling backward to lean against the wall.

"We broke one rope ladder! It's not like anyone even uses the tree house anymore."

"Yeah, but now if someone wanted to, they wouldn't be able to." I just rolled my
eyes at this, turning to attempt leaving again. I was almost out of her eyesight
when she cleared her throat, successfully making me turn around and walk back into
the kitchen. I'd long ago learned the consequences of ignoring her when she
obviously wanted to talk to me. One time when I'd ignored her, she ignored me in
return for an entire week. She just refused to talk to me, despite how big of a
deal I made to grab her attention. I may have been ten at the time, but I wasn't
about to risk a repeat. Believe it or not, there were instances where it was
important for me to talk to her.

"Yes?" I urged, raising my eyebrows pointedly despite the fact she'd turned back to
the counter. She took a few seconds to reply, almost like she was actually thinking
her response through for a change.

"Why don't you go out, too? It's not healthy to be camped out in your room all the
time like you are." She turned to face me with this suggestion, using her usual
'reasoning' face. Really all it was was a pout that made you feel guilty as hell if
you didn't do what she asked.

"And by 'go out' you mean see what Tyler's doing, right?" I scoffed, stuffing my
hands into my pockets. She just gave a weak little smile, but I knew exactly what
it meant. "He has a football game and then some type of team feast afterward."

"Oh. You should go to the game!" She beamed suddenly, her eyes lighting up at the
idea. I groaned loudly, shaking my head rapidly.

"Mom, no. Absolutely not."

"Why not?" She sounded so hurt that I'd shot down her idea so quickly, I felt
almost obligated to answer honestly and not just with some teenager-like remark.

"Because! I don't like sports, or crowds, and I already told him I wasn't going." I
said, trying to make my face look as serious as possible so she knew it wasn't
something I could be wavered on.

"So he wanted you to go?" She asked tentatively, completely abandoning her dish rag
and walking over to me. I was almost nervous to answer, the amount of attention she
was suddenly giving me making me uncomfortable.

"Well, yeah, but-" I was cut off by her hand smacking me on the head. It was far
from strong enough to hurt me, but it also showed she meant business.

"Troye! You rejected him when he asked you to go to his game? He's going to think
you don't like him!" She groaned loudly, sounding completely frustrated with me. I
blinked, feeling dumbstruck. I mean, I hadn't even really thought of it like that.
I just figured he was being a macho sports guy and wanted to show off his talent to
anyone that'd watch, but if he actually wanted me in particular there, then maybe I
did fuck up by rejecting him. I wasn't about to admit my mistake though, my
stubborn streak coming through strong.

"Well, I don't want him to know I like him!" I shot back, glaring down at her.

"Yes, but you don't want him to think there's absolutely no chance with you
either!" She yelled, positively fuming. I hadn't managed to get her this mad in a
long time, feeling extremely guilty as I glared back at her. Eventually the glaring
got to be too much though and I huffed quietly, staring down at the floor as my
offensive expression fell. I knew it was useless to fight with her, and I already
felt like an idiot as it was. She sighed then too, taking a step closer and messing
up my hair gently.

"I'm sorry, honey, it's just frustrating when you act like an idiot." She said
softly, both of us chuckling at her horrible way of wording things. She moved even
closer then, hugging me to her tightly. I tensed slightly, but calmed down as I
realized just how badly I'd needed a hug right now. The more time I spent thinking
about it the stupider I felt. Tyler had obviously been pretty disappointed that I
didn't want to go, meaning it meant a lot more to him than I thought. I was just so
quick to brush it off as nothing because I wasn't used to people caring about my
presence that much. How was I supposed to know if he didn't just say how badly he
wanted me there?

Please don't let him mess this one up, Tyler seems like such a nice kid.

At first I was a little insulted by my mother's thoughts, before realizing she

didn't mean it in a rude way at all. She just really wanted this to work out for
me, I guess because nothing had in the past. I felt horrible now, the realization
dawning on me that maybe they didn't ask all these questions about us just to bug
me. They genuinely cared. They knew how much it meant to me that this worked out.

"It's fine, Mom. There will be lots of other chances for us to hang-out." I
laughed, trying to keep my tone lighthearted despite how heavy my heart suddenly
felt. She sighed, running her hand along my back supportively one last time before
backing out of the hug.

"I know there will be, I'm just worried he'll read more into you not coming than
there actually is, you know? What if the next time he wants you to come somewhere
with him he doesn't ask you at all because he's scared you'll just reject him
again?"

"Mom! Stop it! You're making me worry now." I said honestly, biting my lip to try
and tone down my nervousness. What if she was right? Did this actually mean that
much to him?

"You know, it's not too late to change your mind. You could go and surprise him."
My eyes went wide, flickering back up to hers. I mean, in a sense she was right,
the game didn't even start for another hour, but I couldn't do that. I'd made such
a scene about not going, I'd look like an idiot if I showed up anyway. A lovesick
idiot.

"I'll take you!" We both jumped at the sudden interruption, spinning around to find
my father standing in the doorway. He was smiling widely, looking like a crazy
person at the idea of me doing absolutely anything sports related. I groaned,
running a hand through my hair. He was the most embarrassing family member I had,
taking him to the game would definitely be a mistake. But how could I just say no
to him when this was the happiest he'd looked toward me in years? I mean, of course
he loved me and supported me, but there'd been a chunk of our relationship missing
since I told him sports weren't my thing.

"Honey, maybe that's not such a good idea..." Mom mumbled weakly, giving a small
smile. He looked utterly flabbergasted at this, gasping as his eyebrows knotted
together.

"And why not? Tyler liked me, didn't he? He said it was 'nice meeting me'!" He
insisted, sounding genuinely hurt that she'd even suggest such a thing.

"I'm sure he did, but I think this is a 'Troye and Tyler' sorta thing." She said
sweetly, looking to me with desperate eyes, obviously hoping for me to back her up.

"Oh? Because I'm going to cockblock them when Tyler's on the other side of the
field?" He scofffed, crossing his arms angrily. My eyes went wide and I shoved him,
groaning loudly.

"Dad! How do you even know what 'cockblock' means? You can come to the game, but if
you ever use that term again I am going to disown you, no exceptions." I said
strictly, glaring at him as his eyes lit up happily. He opened his mouth to reply,
but I held up a hand, making it clear I wasn't finished yet. "And if you even think
about cheering Tyler's name, I will not hesitate to stab you."

"With what? A foam finger?" He teased, galloping out of the room ahead of me. I
cast one last glance over my shoulder at my mother, biting my lip nervously when I
seen she was shaking her head, her hand held to her forehead. Surely it wasn't that
bad of an idea to bring him along, right?

"Another rule; you will not be buying or bringing a foam finger! Under any
circumstances!" I shouted after him, just in time before he turned the corner into
his room at the top of the stairs. He groaned loudly at this, looking down at me
with his lips in a pout.

"Troye! How else am I supposed to show my team pride?" He whined, like it was going
to convince me to change my mind. I just shook my head,dismissing him with a wave
of my hand.

"Wear the school colors or something... And no, I do not mean face paint." He
groaned even louder at this, hanging his head as he disappeared into his room. I
sighed then, deciding I'd better choose an outfit myself. I mean, I could wear the
clothes from school today, but if this actually meant as much to Tyler as my mother
thought then maybe I should go with something cuter. I don't even know if he's
going to notice me in the stands, but on the off chance he does I want to be
looking good. I scrambled up the stairs, glancing into my parent's room when I
noticed the door was open.

"Dad! No drink hats either!" I yelled, pointing accusingly at the hat on his head.
It was one of those unbearably goofy ones with places to hold two cans and straws
coming down to your mouth. He just glared at me as he took it off, all of his
hatred seeping into the gaze.

"You are such a prude, Troye Sivan." He said grumpily, walking over and closing the
door in my face. I didn't think too much of it though, knowing my father's mood
swings were about as serious as a five year old's. He somehow always found a way to
bounce back to happy within a few minutes, something both annoying and helpful if
you were the one he was mad at.

I ended up wearing the school colors as well, not sure if it was taking things too
far or if it was the usual for football games. I mean, it's not like I'd ever been
to one before. I kept it subtle though, considering the school colors were red,
white, and black anyway, it was pretty easy to keep the outfit looking reasonable.
I wish I could say the same for my dad, who had somehow scrounged up a shirt from
when Steele was in highschool he had specifically made with the team's logo from
that time. I'd had the bright idea of wearing a ball cap though, so I could pull it
down over my face when he got too embarrassing. It took me a while to make it look
alright with my quiff, but it worked out in the end. And by in the end, I mean five
minutes before the game started. Dad had been yelling at me the entire time I got
ready, insisting we had to 'be there before the line-ups got too long for food' and
then, after a while longer 'we have to be there at least when the game starts!'.

As it was, we were rushing into the bleachers ten minutes after the game had
started. I didn't think it was that big of a price to pay for looking good, but
apparently Dad did. He had been muttering under his breath about how 'vain' I was
the entire drive. Did he not realize the entire point of going to this game was to
impress the guy I liked? Of course I wanted to look good! His mood had only gotten
worse when he seen the length of the line-ups for food, abandoning that hope all
together and tugging me off to find our seats. I was actually kind of hungry
considering Tyler had snatched my pizza and I never got an after-school snack like
usual, but I wasn't about to argue with him when he had that crazy sports fanatic
gleam in his eyes.

"This place looks good!" He announced suddenly, yanking on my arm so hard I fell
clumsily onto the bench in the spot he'd chosen. I didn't complain though, noticing
the way there was finally a smile forming on his face. I didn't want to send us
back to square one and have him grumpy all over again. I adjusted my hat slightly,
sitting up straighter as I scanned the fields.

"This is boring, none of it makes sense and I can't even tell which one Tyler is!
And on top of it all, you never got me a drink and now I'm basically dying of
dehydration." I complained, approximately five minutes later. In my defense, that
was longer than I expected to stay entertained. My dad simply sighed loudly in
response, punching my shoulder.

"Shut-up. I'm actually glad you never went to games with me in the past if all you
do is sit there and whine."

"Hey!" I complained, actually a little bit hurt by his words. He didn't seem to
care though, his attention staying on the game completely.

"Just think, if you had of let me bring my drink hat we wouldn't be having this
problem right now." He said suddenly, making me groan and sink down impossibly
further in my chair. I'm actually kind of regretting deciding to come, if the
entire thing is this boring I'm surely going to wither away to nothing.

Things went pretty smoothly after that. Boring, but smoothly. I was beginning to
think I could get through the night without my father embarrassing me when I heard
the word's I'd been dreading all night.

"What is he wearing anyway? Doesn't he realize that's the school's old logo?" I bit
down on my lip hard upon hearing the bitchy girl's voice, obviously just behind us.
It wasn't even a thought, she'd had the nerve to say something like that out loud!
I noticed my dad had tensed up next to me as well, likely waiting to see my
reaction. Normally, I would have let it go. I would have ignored it just like Dad
was intending to do and continued watching the game I didn't care about at all, but
not anymore. Come to think of it, could I even call that my normal anymore? Bit by
bit I'd gained confidence, to the point I was about to turn around and actually
stand up for my goofy dad.

I looked over my shoulder with my mouth open, about to say something confident for
the first time in years. My jaw quickly snapped back shut when I noticed the tank
of a guy sitting next to the girl, his arm draped around her shoulders and a sly
smile on his face. They both obviously noticed the way I chickened out too,
bursting into a fit of laughter. I turned around slowly, my semi-good mood
completely dissipated. I sunk down in my spot and brought my hat over my face,
moping to myself. I could feel my father's concerned eyes on me, but I couldn't
bring myself to look up and assure him I was alright. I couldn't bring myself to do
much of anything at all, gnawing on the inside of my lip to take my mind off of
things.

I was still in my own little world when a harsh elbow to my side had me jolting
upright, looking to my dad with crazy eyes.

"What do you want?" I asked gruffly, surprised by how grumpy I sounded. He seemed a
little off-put himself by my hostility, but he shrugged it off a second later and
pointed to the field.

"Your boyfriend's going to get in a fight." He whispered, making me sit up even

straighter. My eyes went wide when they recognized Tyler for the first time, making
sure to make a mental note of his jersey number for future reference. After that
though, I took time to actually assess the situation. He was practically circling a
much larger player from the other team, both of them in fighting stances despite
the ball being on the other side of the field. I was more than relieved to find the
opposing player wasn't number twelve, considering that'd just be too ironic for my
liking. I bit my lip, watching the referees buzz around and chirp orders to each
other, yelling at the two boys to 'walk it off' or something. They didn't look like
they were about to back down though, moving closer to each other with every passing
second. The entire crowd was deadly silent, waiting to see their next move. Well,
the entire crowd other than a couple bonehead guys shouting the word 'fight!'
repeatedly.

"Get his attention, he's going to get kicked out of the game if he directly ignores
the referee's orders and fights him." My dad whispered harshly, repeatedly jabbing
me in the side. As if that wasn't annoying enough, I was pretty sure I'd just felt
a piece of popcorn hit me in the back of the head, meaning bitchy girl from earlier
didn't intend to leave me alone just yet.

"So? Who cares?" I spat, crossing my arms firmly across my chest. He groaned at
this, like I was an idiot for not seeing it.

"He's their best offensive player!" He said pathetically, making desperate hand
gestures like that was going to convince me. When he realized it wasn't going to he
quickly came up with another plan. "Besides, what if the guy breaks his nose or
something? Don't you care about him?"

"I mean, of course I do, but who's to say I'd even get his attention? What if he
didn't even realize it was-"

"I'll give you a hundred bucks." My eyes went wide and my jaw gaped, completely
taken-aback by his offer. His hand gestures got more desperate and I let out a loud
sigh, running a hand through my hair before standing up. I couldn't help but notice
I was the only person standing up in the crowds.

"Go Tyler!" I yelled, practically dropping dead when my voice cracked and the
entirety of the stands turned to look at me funny. I mean, what had they expected?
I was under a lot of stress! It seemed to have the desired affect though,
considering Tyler immediately looked away from the random guy and up into the
bleachers. I couldn't see his reaction clearly, which made me even more nervous,
but he jogged away from the guy a moment later so I took it as a success. I fell
back into my seat then, well-aware of the fact the girl behind us was laughing at
me yet again.

"Good job, son." My dad beamed, smiling over at me cheekily. I studied his face for
a minute, sighing when I realized how proud of himself he looked for someone who'd
just lost a hundred dollars over something so stupid.

"You did that just to embarrass me, didn't you?"

"No, I'm helping you build confidence." He said happily, looking back to the game.
I sighed, wondering what on Earth had made him think this was a good idea to 'build
my confidence'. Embarrassing myself in front of hundreds of people is not
'confidence building' material.

"Yeah, well I expect my hundred dollars in cash." I spat, glaring at him when I
felt yet another popcorn kernel hit the back of my head. This was going to be a
long night.
 A/n: heyyyyyy, I'm just gonna warn you right now that I'm in a really good mood so
this author's note is probably gonna end up long. First of all, @AweTilly MADE A
BOOK TRAILER FOR FREAK LITERALLY I CRY, SHE USED LIKE MY FAVORITE SONG AND IT'S SO
CUTE. Secondly, I'm getting a hedgehog today and I'm literally so excited
ghuguhugh, I had one before but he was super vicious and it just didn't work out
well. Third of all, I recently posted a teacherxstudent SMUTTY oneshot and
everyone's been sort of in love with it so yanno, if you want to look into that.
Fourthly, the next update might be late seeing as I'm working on a Stolen one too.
DON'T PANIC, I'LL MAKE IT WORTH THE WAIT. Okay, that's it I think COMMENT AND VOTE
Oh and this chapter is dedicated to the LOVELY @AweTilly for making the trailer of
course. She's amazing and super fun to talk to I just, ugh, pls go show her and her
stories some love because she definitely deserves it after taking the time to make
me a trailer.

Chapter Thirty
*Tyler's POV*
"Tyler, are you paying attention?" I jumped, a guilty blush spreading across my
face before I even turned to face my coach. I'd been staring off into the stands,
again, running my eyes over the growing crowd and coming back just as disappointed
as before. Sure, Troye had made it very clear he wouldn't be coming, but apparently
my heart didn't get the memo.
"No." I said honestly, knowing it was pointless to even attempt a lie at this
point. I turned slowly, sighing nearly as loud as he did when our eyes met.
"Look, Ty, I'm sorry to break it to you but whoever you're expecting probably isn't
going to show if they aren't here yet. Now either you can mope and cost us the
game, or you can take all your pent up frustration out on the other team and win
this game." He said gruffly, though if you really knew him, like I did after the
last three years on his team, you could hear the underlying sympathetic tones to
his voice. Everyone knew what it was like to get stood up, even strict football
coaches. I guess I couldn't call it being stood up, he'd been blatantly clear with
me he wasn't coming, but I don't know. It just felt a lot more final to look into
the stands and not find him there. "So? What's it gonna be, Ty?"
"I'll get my head in the game, sir." I mumbled awkwardly, giving him a curt nod and
wandering the short distance back to the bench. I grabbed the vitamin drink,
chugging some of it and ignoring the weird glances I was getting from Caspar and
Joey further down the bench. They were probably talking shit again and were worried
I'd heard them, not necessarily a new aspect of our friendship. I took a deep
breath, knowing it would only be a matter of seconds until the whistle blew and we
were all asked to assume our positions. I was not looking forward to this, wishing
I was less responsible and could have blown the whole thing off to go sit in the
hottub with a half-naked Troye. Oh well, hopefully there'll be other chances for me
to see him half-naked, or fully naked, I mean, I wouldn't be opposed to seeing him
in any amount of clothing, or lack of clothing. I groaned inwardly, realizing I'd
already ruined my promise to keep my head in the game. It's not my fault the game
didn't have a cute butt, pretty eyes, and an adorable laugh, maybe if it did I'd
think about it a bit more.
After that I managed to do pretty good, concentrating at least enough to react to
other people's moves, just maybe not enough to execute as many of my own as usual.
I was beginning to worry I'd taken the coach's words a lot more seriously than he'd
meant them though, quite literally taking out my frustration as I plowed through
the players on the opposite team. There was one in particular, that had been
annoying me all night. He kept giving me this knowing smirk, one I often got when I
was in public and accidentally acted overly flamboyant. It was basically the 'I
know you're gay' smirk, something used by both people that wanted to beat you up
and people the wanted to beat you up in an entirely different sense of the word, if
you catch my drift. The worst part was, I couldn't tell which one he meant. I
genuinely couldn't tell if he was angry with me or wanted to get into my pants, but
either way I was not here for it. I tried to make this clear in an array of
different techniques; avoiding him, being extra rough with him, and simply raising
my middle finger at him when all else seemed to fail. I immediately regretted this,
my eyes going wide as he changed courses suddenly and started straight toward me. I
tensed, watching as he lumbered toward me with a predatory glare.
"W-What do you want?" I asked, trying to sound a lot bigger than I felt. I failed,
obviously, considering the fact I'd decided to develop a stutter right at that very
moment. He just grinned, obviously very aware of all the people shouting random
things at us as he began to circle me. I moved as well, trying to keep a distance
between us without looking wimpy.
"Does the your team know you're gay? Do you watch them in the showers after
practice?" He spat, the hate laced in with his tone making it clear he was most
definitely not looking for a hook up. Surprisingly, I wasn't that disappointed by
this new-found information.
"Are you implying I'm a pervert just because of my sexuality?" I asked, anger
rising in my own throat as I thought about this. It made my physically ill to think
that there were people out there that seriously believed stuff like that.
"Well, I've got to give you credit for owning up to it, if I had that sort of
sickness I'd try and hide it any way that I could." He laughed, the noise sounding
strange and cruel on his tongue. I bit down on my own tongue harshly, knowing I'd
better keep my mouth shut if I wanted to keep from getting beaten up. I was strong,
but this guy was easily double the size of me. He was moving closer and I spent
every step wondering how to get out of the situation, actually panicking a little
when he reached arm's length away.
"Go Tyler!" We both froze, the undeniably nervous voice that cracked halfway
through the statement causing us both to look up into the stands. I didn't dare to
hope as my eyes scanned the crowds, landing on the only standing person seconds
later. I felt a wave of relief wash over me, my knees feeling like they'd gone to
mush underneath of me. That was Troye. He decided to come after all! An absolutely
giddy air came over me, none of what the guy had said affecting me at all any
longer. Troye showed up. He cared enough to face his fears for me.
"Is that your boyfriend?" The guy asked, drawing my attention back to his
direction. He had on that same cocky smug smirk from earlier and I wanted nothing
more than to wipe it off his face. I gave a smirk of my own, giving him a quick
wink.
"He will be soon." I purred, jogging off and snickering under my breath at the
taken-aback expression on his face. Someone hadn't been expecting me to be so
blunt. I ignored him after that, concentrating solely on the game. If I was being
honest it probably had more to do with impressing Troye than actually caring about
the outcome, but that didn't matter.
By the time the announcer finally called out the words I'd been waiting to hear all
night I was practically bouncing with impatience. I'd pounced off the bench,
shoving through the crowd of sweaty football players and heading straight for the
bleachers. Normally I would have walked right along with them back to the locker
rooms and talked over the game and the girls in the crowd, a sort-of tradition of
sorts when it came to games, but today I finally had something more interesting to
occupy my time. I jogged into the stands, a huge goofy smile on my face despite the
fact I was still stuck in my sweaty uniform. I didn't dare take the time to go
change yet though, what if Troye left before I got back? I wanted him to know just
how much it meant to me that he'd decided to show. I walked in the general
direction of where he'd been sitting, standing on my tippy-toes to try and locate
him. My heart fluttered in my chest when I recognized the familiar boy. Not that
I'd ever admit it, but it probably had more to do with his father's bald head being
noticeable than him. Still, I trotted over, pleased to find he had his back turned
to me and I could surprise him. They looked like they were about to leave, their
hands in their pockets and turned toward the closest exit. I wasn't having that
though, bounding forward and nearly knocking over some kid in the process. She
grumbled a bit but ultimately wasn't too much of an interruption in my plan. They'd
already started walking when I reached them but I didn't care, carelessly throwing
my arms around Troye from behind and pulling him back into my chest. He tensed in
my arms, going completely rigid like I'd assaulted him or something. I decided to
quickly reassure him, squeezing slightly tighter and letting out an elated hum.
"You came." I whispered, nuzzling my face between his shoulder blades. He relaxed
immediately, his arms coming up to wrap around my own on his stomach.
"I couldn't resist seeing your manly prowess, obviously." He mumbled, though his
sarcasm wasn't nearly as convincing considering how quiet and meek his voice was. I
didn't call him out on it though, just enjoying the feeling of having him so close.
I was still doing just that when a loud cough made us both jump out of the embrace,
our cheeks flaming as we both turn to Shaun guiltily. He just smirked knowingly
though, an almost cocky air to the look.
"I told you he'd be happy to see you, Troye!"
"Dad. Go away. Now." Troye said flatly, earning a giggle from me and a sigh from
Shaun. He listened though, giving me a sly smile and handing Troye what looked like
a wad of money before heading toward the exit.
"I'll be waiting in the car, take your time." He snickered, ducking away just as
Troye reached out to swat him away. He was quick to leave now, heading off with the
same smirk on from earlier. As soon as he was out of sight Troye turned around for
the first time since I came to him, a huge grin on his face. We just stared at each
other like idiots for a few seconds, before both of us broke down into hysterical
laughter. After we'd finally regained control over ourselves I stepped forward,
carelessly slinging an arm around his waist and hauling him down toward the locker
rooms. I didn't plan to take him in with me obviously, it wouldn't end well to
introduce him to that type of enviroment, but he could wait outside as I changed.
We stayed silent the beginning of the trip, waiting until we'd almost reached it to
spark up any kind of conversation.
"So, did you enjoy the game?" I asked, pausing outside the door to the locker room.
Most of the boys had probably finished by now and were on their way, but on the
off-chance they hadn't I took the liberty to stand between him and the door. He
seemed to think through his response, leaning back against the brick wall and
rolling his lip between his lip.
"Truthfully? It was boring, and the people were annoying, and I was hungry the
entire time, and-"
"So you hated it then?" I asked, my voice suddenly quiet and unsure. I mean, I
guess it was stupid to think he'd enjoy it when he hated everything about it, I
just felt a little bad that I'd basically forced him to come and he'd hated every
second. In fact, I felt so bad I found myself hanging my head, staring down at the
dirty ground.
"No! I mean... it was worth it." My lips quirked up into a smile at this, my eyes
slowly flickering up to his. He gave a shy smile, blushing slightly and seemingly
trying to blend into the wall he was leaning against.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." He confirmed, giving another shy smile instead of elaborating. I decided
I'd let him off the hook this time, simply telling him to 'wait here' before
heading into the locker rooms. I was relieved to find only two people still in the
room, both rather nice guys that wouldn't give Troye any trouble when they left. I
guess everyone had been in a rush to get to the feast or something. I stripped down
quickly, practically launching myself into the showers. I tried to be hasty, not
wanting to leave him waiting outside awkwardly.
Ten minutes later I was dressed in much comfier clothes, rushing out with my stuff
slung over my shoulder messily. Troye was still loyally waiting in the exact same
place as earlier, staring down at his phone and looking rather small despite his
height. I rushed over eagerly, shoving him playfully before running off ahead of
him. He groaned, though a second later his footsteps were echoing down the hallway
after me. I ran faster than him obviously, dodging all of his advances effortlessly
as I ran out into the parking lot. I slowed down then though, realizing I was
wasting the bit of time I had with him before I myself had to go to the feast. It's
not like I even had any excuses to stall for time, I literally only had until we
reached his car. He caught up quickly, immediately darting his hands forward and
playfully punching me in the shoulder.
"You're the worst." He grumbled quietly, shoving his hands into the pocket of his
hoodie and falling into line beside me. I rolled my eyes, watching in horror as the
familiar black car came into view. Why did they have to park so close to the exits?
Damn it, it meant I had even less time with him. We fell silent then, likely both
worrying about the looming separation. It wasn't fair, that I'd been stuck on the
field the entire time instead of in the stands watching the game with him. I could
have made a cheesy movie moment out of it, offering him my sweater and going to buy
him food at the concession stand. I was still daydreaming cutesy things we could
have done when Troye suddenly stopped next to me, subconsciously taking a step
closer to my side.
"Troye?" I asked quietly, following his nervous gaze. It landed on a girl and her
boyfriend, both of which I recognized from parties in the past. Without thinking I
took another step toward him, now standing so close his arm was pressed up against
my side.
"Nothing, they were just being jerks in the crowd earlier. It's nothing, if we
don't stare they'll leave us alone." Troye mumbled, his gaze trained firmly on the
pavement. I felt a twinge of pain in my chest at seeing how he dealt with his
problems first hand. I glanced toward them again despite his warning not to, not
surprised when my eyes met with their wandering ones. Before I knew it they were
both lumbering toward us, Troye mumbling under his breath about how I 'shouldn't
have looked'.
"Hey Tyler!" The boy shouted, making me feel slightly bad for having no idea what
his name was. I just nodded politely, quickly moving to switch Troye and I's
positions and be the one closer to him. They came to a stop right beside us,
matching Chesire cat smiles on.
"Who's this?" The girl asked, giving me a huge smile like she'd known me her whole
life. I sighed, suddenly feeling rather defensive of the way they were eyeing Troye
up. I wasn't sure how their encounter earlier had gone, but Troye definitely hadn't
seemed happy to see them.
"This is Troye." I said blandly, not giving them any of the information they so
obviously wanted me to. Troye seemed thankful of this, wordlessly shuffling closer
to me to the point his body heat radiated off him and mixed with mine. I wasn't
complaining though, the extra warmth more than welcome on the chilly night. The
couple exchanged knowing looks then, before turning back to us.
"Are you two friends?" The guy asked, the slightest of smirks on his lips as he
spoke. Part of me wanted to hit him for asking such an obvious question, obviously
we were friends if we were walking together and chatting. At the same time, I knew
the way I answered this was going to affect a lot more than just his knowledge of
Troye and I's friendship. I could say we weren't friends and come up with some
elaborate rouse as to why we were chatting, which would mean they'd completely
forget about it in a matter of hours. Or I could tell them the truth, that I was
friends with Troye. It seemed simpler, but it would lead to a lot more
complications down the road. They'd judge me for being friends with him, they'd
judge him on whether or not he was good enough for me or everything that was wrong
with him, and then they'd surely tell everyone else and make their opinions on the
entire matter very clear. I wasn't sure why it was such a big deal that I had one
not-extremely-popular friend, but for some reason to them it was. It'd be the news
of the school, for whatever stupid reason. But yet, when I felt Troye stir against
my side slightly, the sound of his ragged nervous breathing, the way his hand
somehow just managed to brush against mine, I couldn't bring myself to do anything
that might upset him in the slightest. I didn't want him to think I was ashamed to
be his friend, especially not when I was saying it to irrelevant losers like this.
"Yes, good friends. Why?" I asked, pointedly narrowing my eyes at both of them as
if challenging them to question it. They exchanged looks again, more confused than
cocky, before just nodding their heads at us.
"Okay, cool, I guess we'll see you both around then." The girl said hurriedly,
lacing her fingers with the guys and tugging him off. I sighed, knowing their quick
departure meant they'd definitely only had the conversation to gain information. I
didn't care though, continuing toward Troye's car unfazed. I had only made it a
couple steps when hands wrapped around my wrist, tugging it roughly.
"Tyler! What was that about?" Troye hissed, keeping his fingers on my wrist as he
spoke. I shrugged, turning around to look at him slowly. His eyes looked different
usual, though at first glance he just looked angry with me, I knew him well enough
to see the underlying emotions. He looked more confused than anything, like me
being honest about our relationship was the most unlikely thing he'd ever
witnessed.
"What was what about?" I said innocently, batting my eyelashes almost teasingly. I
immediately regretted this move, watching as his eyes lost all undertones and just
looked solely angry.
"The entire school is going to hear about this, you know. Everyone's going to talk
about you hanging out with 'that weird boy' and everyone's going to stare at me in
the halls. Why would you even say that to them? You could have lied." He said, his
eyes dark as they locked with mine, challenge glinting in them. I just shook my
head though, not wanting a fight with him of all people. I decided to just be
honest with him, if anyone deserved it, it was him.
"I don't know, Troye, I'm kind of tired of lying. I want to be able to hang-out
with my best friend when I want and I don't want to worry about who sees. If they
want to talk, let them. You mean too much to me to let people I don't even care
about affect what we have." I rambled, sighing at the end as we came to a stop
beside his car. I was aware of the fact Shaun was probably watching us through the
tinted windows, but I couldn't be bothered to care as Troye looked up with flushed
cheeks and his mouth hanging agape. He closed it, before opening it again as if he
planned to reply. When nothing came out this time either he seemed to give up for
good, giving me a weak smile.
Awkwardness settled after that, the familiar pattern of neither of us wanting to
separate starting. We were both standing in front of each other with our hands in
our pockets, staring down at the ground instead of at each other. I really didn't
want to leave him, we'd barely spent fifteen minutes together and it wasn't fair. I
was slightly surprised when he was the first to move a moment later, his shoes
scraping against the pavement as he stepped toward me.
"So, uh, I guess this is goodbye for tonight." He mumbled, his unsure tone making
me smile despite the heaviness of the situation. I looked up slowly, surprised when
I was immediately greeted by his arms wrapping around my torso. I was used to me
being the one to initiate hugs, but this was a pleasant change. I lean into his
embrace, wishing it'd never have to end. We were still hugging quite some time
later when a familiar horn going off had us both jumping, my forehead smacking
against his jaw. We both turned to glare at his car, knowing Shaun had been the one
to so rudely interrupt our embrace. Eventually Troye turned back though, giving a
weak smile before turning back toward the car, He made it about two steps before I
let out a squeak, not even sure what I planned on saying but knowing I had to say
something. I wasn't ready to let him go just yet.
"Hey, Troye, what are you doing after this?" I asked quietly, blushing as he stared
me down questioningly.
"Nothing..." He mumbled tentatively, keeping his eyes on me as he spoke. I took in
a shaky breath, knowing there was no turning back if I said what I was about to. I
was really going to choose him over the feast, the thing I looked forward to most
every single football season. It was the only reason I played, and yet it wasn't
nearly as important to me as a certain blue-eyed boy with an angel's voice.
"Want to do something then?" I asked finally, regaining my courage after a few
seconds daydreaming about him. His tentative expression was immediately replaced
with a warm one, his mouth stretching into one of those smiles I loved so much to
see on his face. You know, those truly happy ones that made you feel like a saint
for managing to make anyone look so absolutely at peace with themselves.
"Like what?"
"It's a surprise." I beamed cheekily, mostly because I had absolutely no idea what
I planned to do if he said yes. I hadn't thought that far through. All I knew was I
wanted to be near him, what we did didn't matter.
"What about your feast?" He asked, eyeing my suspiciously. I decided not to give
too much away, giving an indifferent shrug. He wasn't buying this though, a huge
smile immediately invading his features that challenged even his last happy smile.
"Have you chosen me over food? That's like the highest of honors when it comes to
Tyler Oakley."
"Shut-up, do you want to hang-out or not?" I mumbled, my cheeks red as I debated
what I'd actually do if he rejected me. I'd be crushed. I wasn't sure when it had
happened, but due to a series of fortunate events, Troye had somehow ended up the
most important thing in my life. It was stupid, and risky, and unpredictable, but
it was also something I wouldn't give up for anything. What I felt for him was so
intense, like all other emotions rolled into one to create one super emotion. I
could never give up something like that, something so important.
"Of course, Tyler, do you even have to ask at this point?"
A.n: GUYS ITS 5AM I AM LITERALLY SO TIRED IM NOT EVEN GONNA EDIT BUT I MEAN, I DONT
THINK I MADE MANY MISTAKES THIS CHAP. POINT EM OUT IF YOU FIND ANY. OKAY, WOW WOO,
basically nothing to say other than COMMENT and VOTE. Also, it's not important
quite yet, but I sort of have something planned for when I hit 1k followers so just
to alert you. I'm going to upload a oneshot every day for the week after I get 1k.
Don't like rush to get it though because I still have to get things written for it
yanno. Okbye Im tired as frig and i only stayed up to write this bc like 5555
people messaged me asking about it. (That's an over-exaggeration obviously but
there were a lot)

Chapter Thirty-One
*Troye's POV*

"Shut-up, do you want to hang-out or not?" Tyler muttered, his cheeks the brightest
I'd ever seen them. I was loving it too, considering he was often the one to leave
me blushing and speechless. I guess he was still overly sappy or something since I
showed up at his game, considering he'd been blushing nearly the entire night.

"Of course, Tyler, do you even have to ask at this point?" I said smoothly,
saturating in the over-the-top eyeroll I got in response. I could tell his
confidence was coming back to him but I didn't care, giving him a small smile
before walking over and knocking on the passenger's side window of my car. As
expected my father rolled it down a second later, a knowing smile playing on his
lips.

"Not going home just yet?" I made a face at his cocky tone, annoyed that he could
read me so easily. It was never like this before. Up until recently there'd been no
one in the world who could read my thoughts, yet I could read all of theirs.

"No, Tyler and I are gonna go hang-out for a bit. Can I trust you to get my car
home safely?" I asked cautiously, quirking my eyebrows at him. He nodded, his eyes
wide with excitement at driving my car like it was some sort of huge
accomplishment. His car was just as expensive, if not more, but I wasn't about to
question it. "Alright, I'll be home later."

"How much later?" He asked, a teasing tone seeping into his words. I resisted the
urge to groan, knowing what direction this was going in.

"I don't know-"

"Tyler?" Before I could even protest I heard Tyler's feet scuffling behind me, his
breath on my neck as he leaned over the window next to me. I shivered noticeably,
the sensation driving me insane despite all my efforts to ignore how good it felt.
"Have him home by midnight at the latest, maybe 1am if you have a good excuse-"
"Dad!" I snapped, deciding I'd better get out of here before he had the bright idea
to list what exactly qualified as a 'good excuse'. He sighed heavily, obviously not
agreeing with my decision. I didn't care though, grabbing Tyler's wrist and pulling
his arm until he was left with no choice but to walk away with me. He wordlessly
used his free hand to point in the direction of his car, which I appreciated as I
steered us in that direction, not loosening my grip. We were halfway across the
parking lot, his car just coming into view, when a familiar buzz invaded my senses
and I found myself grinning like an idiot in anticipation.

Shit. I have absolutely no idea where I'm taking him. What even is there to do
around here?

Before I could help it I found myself giggling, my hand sliding off his wrist to
come up and cover my mouth as I tried to stop my laughter. He didn't even have
anything planned, that doofus. He'd invited me to hang-out without thinking it
through, which was both a mixture of painfully dumb and incredibly adorable.

"Hey, what are you laughing at?" He chuckled, a wide smile spreading across his own
face as he watched me struggle through my laughter fit. He kept the smile on as we
continued to walk, his eyes remaining on my face instead of watching where he was
going. It was very rude, not even giving me a minute to recover myself. How was I
supposed to stop laughing when he was staring at me with that clueless content grin
the entire time? "Troye? Are you going to be okay?"

"I-I'm fine." I choked out, breathing as evenly as I could manage as he eyed me

suspiciously. We reached the car a few seconds later, me still spluttering under my
breath. I wasn't going to help him either, I wanted to see exactly what he came
with on how to spend the evening. He turned to face me, leaning back against the
hood of his car as he kept his eyes locked with mine.

"So? Are you gonna tell me what you were laughing about now?" My face paled,
realizing how stupid I was being. I was doing it again! Reacting outwardly to
thoughts I'd read! I didn't even have a set excuse planned, what am I supposed to
tell him- "Your laugh is adorable, you know."

"Oh...?" I squeaked, looking at him like a deer caught in headlights. He just

nodded, a slightly smaller smile on his face as he rose to his feet again,
gesturing for me to get in the car. I furrowed my brows, but wasn't about to deny
the chance to get out of this without anymore questioning. I slid into the
passenger's seat, my eyes on my lap as I nervously twiddled my thumbs. Sure, it
might have been stupid to fret over something as stupid as someone asking about
what made me laugh, but that's what happens when you come to loathe a part of
yourself. It gets to be all you can think about, to the point that you care about
it more than anyone else in the world ever would.

"You don't have to tell me, you know. I was just curious, forget I asked if it's
going to make you upset." I blinked, tensing as Tyler's hand reached over and found
my own. I bit my lip, watching as he pried them apart and laced his fingers through
one of them, squeezing it gently. My eyes flickered up quickly, locking with
Tyler's calm ones. He looked so guilty, like it physically hurt him that I was
acting so withdrawn again. I gave a weak smile, squeezing his hand back.

"I'm fine, Tyler, I promise." I said levelly, sliding my hand out of his slowly and
gesturing wildly to the steering wheel.

"Alright, surprise me." I smirked, knowing very well he had no idea what said
'surprise' was. He rolled his eyes at me, before seemingly getting an idea that
made them light up. He was ducking into the backseat a moment later, though I
noticed the way he made sure to keep his crotch out of my face like I'd forgotten
to do the first day we hung-out. He returned a moment later, holding up a shirt
triumphantly. I raised my eyebrows, earning an annoyed grunt from him as he
gestured for me to lean toward him. My eyebrows would have jumped right off my head
at this if they could, my thoughts immediately drifting to the idea of how this was
like leaning in to kiss him. I stopped leaning with a good amount of space still
between us, no idea what his plans were.

"Close your eyes." He whispered, making my eyelids flutter shut as I quivered with
excitement. What if he kissed me right now? Would that even be a good thing? What
if I got a really weird thought of his when our lips touched? My train of thought
was interrupted when I felt fabric on my face, making me crinkle my nose up. I
didn't pull away, staying still obediently as he fumbled around with the shirt for
awhile. I sighed, realizing what this meant just as he finished tying it in the
back.

"Are you serious? I have to stay blindfolded the entire time?" I complained,
sinking back into my seat with my lips in a pout. He just giggled though, patting
me on the head a moment later.

"That's the rules. No peeking." He commanded, making me let out let another
indignified huff as I crossed my arms. I had a sneaky suspicion he only came up
with the blindfold idea so I wouldn't be able to see him fretting over where he was
going to take me, but I didn't exactly have any proof. Besides, I didn't want to
make him feel sad all over again, so I'll go along with the stupid idea.

What felt like hours later, though it was probably thirty minutes at most, we were
still driving, and I was still blind. I'd voiced me complaints very vocally,
nagging Tyler the entire time and asking if we were at least close to our
destination. He always refused to give me even the slightest of hints though,
making it even more intriguing to find out what was going on. I'd made a game of
it, counting the seconds between each question I'd asked him and getting the same
response every time.

"Are we almost there yet?" I whined, for probably the tenth time. He just chuckled,
obviously expecting my identical word-choice from earlier.

"Not telling."

"Okay, can you tell me where 'there' is yet?" I asked, my tone hopeful despite the
fact I knew what the answer would be.

"Definitely not." He scoffed, sounding almost shocked I'd even ask. I groaned,
sinking so far down in my seat I could use the belt as a headrest. He reached over
and smacked me though, making me sit back up promptly. I decided to stray from the
usual duo of questions this time, completely at wit's end with how else to pass the
time. This was the most boring car ride of my life.

"Tyler, this is getting boring. Can I please take the blindfold off? If not I'll
annoy you until I get what I want." I nagged, resisting the urge to just reach up
and tear the fabric off. At least I'd be able to watch the world pass by outside if
I did. Plus I was kind of curious what Tyler's reaction would be anyway. I could
just picture him getting all fake-grumpy and flustered, yelling at me to put it
back on.

"You weren't doing that already?" He snapped, making me roll my eyes despite the
fact he couldn't see it.
"Shut-up, I freaking hate you sometimes-"

"Shush, not a word." He interrupted suddenly, making my jaw snap shut at his
serious tone. He'd never sounded so serious before, why couldn't I speak? Was I
just annoying him that badly? I mean, I guess that had been the goal, but I didn't
expect him to snap at me like that, now I just felt really bad.

"Good evening, just the two of you?" I straightened up at the unfamiliar female
voice, realization dawning on me as I listened closely to the scratchy sound of
what sounded like a movie playing in the background.

"Uh, yeah." Tyler said awkwardly, the sound of change moving around loud as he
obviously searched for some sort of payment for the girl's 'services'. I had
absolutely no idea what it was she was doing though, so I was using the term
'services' very loosely. Come to think of it, I wonder what she thought of me,
sitting nervously in the passenger's seat with a shirt tied around my head. I
probably looked like a total idiot, yet it didn't sound so bad as long as I was
looking like an idiot for Tyler.

"Okay, that'll be ten dollars." She quipped happily, her tone considerably sappy
compared to last time. I quirked my eyebrows under the fabric, knowing nobody would
even be able to see it. The sound of coins again alerted me that Tyler was paying,
making me grin with anticipation. Where did he take me that cost ten dollars
exactly. "Tune your radio to 89.9fm to hear the movies. The concession building and
bathrooms are located down there, as you can see. Enjoy your night!"

"We will, thank-you." Tyler chirped, his voice practically seeping with happiness.
A smile spread across my face as the clues clicked together, practically bouncing
with excitement as my hands came up to clumsily fumble with the knot in my
blindfold.

"Did you bring me to a drive-in movie theater?" I beamed, continuing to struggle

when the car came to a stop. I was still fighting with it when I felt Tyler brush
his fingertips over the back of my hands, successfully making me drop them back to
my lap as he expertly undid the knot.

"Pfft, no, what kind of loser would do that?" He chuckled, removing the shirt a
moment later and tossing it carelessly over his shoulder. My eyes blinked rapidly
at first, adjusting to the light when they landed directly on the huge screen in
front of us. It was only playing commercials as of now, but it was still insanely
cool watching shadows walk across it as people headed down to get their food for
the movie. I found myself trying to take in everything at once, my eyes darting
around the entire parking area at the different people, the little stand we must
have stopped at earlier to pay, the tiny playground right under the screen, the
building with light-up neon lights that must have been the concession and bathroom
building. I was still in the process of darting my eyes around when a noise to my
left reminded me I wasn't alone, flickering my eyes over to Tyler and watching him
settle back in his seat.

"You seem excited." He observed, eyeing me warily. I rolled my eyes, leaning back
in my own seat and turning to face him, purposely pulling an unimpressed face.

"I mean, it's alright, I just thought you were taking me somewhere more exciting-"

"Shut-up, you little shit. I'll have you know I drove an extra twenty minutes to
get here, when I could have gone to a normal movie theater had way cheaper food and
it was playing better movies." He snapped, actually sounding offended by my
teasing. I bit my lip, staring into his eyes guiltily.
"Then why the hell did you come here instead?" I laughed, trying to be cautious in
case I hurt his feelings. He shrugged, scratching the back of his neck as he sat
back up quickly.

"I thought you'd like it better, considering you don't have to worry about
crowds..." He mumbled, refusing to make eye-contact as he looked around the parking
lot with a lost expression. I stared at him, thinking about what he'd just said.
He'd thought about all of this while making his last-minute decision. He knew me
well enough, and cared enough, to choose a place like this solely so I'd be more
comfortable. I couldn't even try to fight the bubbly feeling sparking in the tips
of my fingers, or the way a goofy grin had invaded my face. I continued to stare at
him, awestruck, nearly jumping when he turned to face me all of the sudden. "You
hate it, don't you?"

"No! No, Tyler, that's like the most considerate thing anyone's ever done for me.
Thank-you." I blurted quickly, not wanting him to get the wrong idea. It was only
after I finished speaking that I realized how desperately mushy my voice had been
as I said it, making me audibly groan and sink my face into my hands. "I swear, I
was never this sappy before I met you."

"So, was it just a coincidence it happened after meeting me or did I have something
to do with it?" He purred, his voice laced with the familiar teasing tone. I sensed
he genuinely wanted an answer, but I had no intention of giving him one. 'Oh yes, I
discovered I'm actually a total sap when I fell head over heels in love with you
and you changed the way I view life itself' definitely wouldn't scare him off.

"Let's go get food, doofus." I offered instead, reaching over and shoving him
before hopping out of my door. I heard him groan just before my door slammed shut,
obviously not impressed by my stellar ability to avoid questions. I bounded toward
the building eagerly, knowing Tyler would follow suit like he always did. I was
almost there when a herd of kids came rushing out of the door, charging toward me
like a stampede. After some evasive ninja techniques of hopping around looking like
an idiot, I managed to get out of it without being touched by their cotton-candy-
covered sticky hands. Though it saved my shirt, it didn't save me the embarrassment
of Tyler cackling behind me.

"You're so good with kids, babe." I grinned at the pet name despite myself, glad he
was still behind me and wouldn't notice. I was in the process of trying to come up
with a witty comeback when I felt his arm snake around my waist. "Come on, doofus."

"I'm not a doofus." I whispered, though how quiet my voice was kept it from
sounding convincing at all. I couldn't help it, do you have any idea how difficult
it was speaking with him so close to me? He didn't move his arm as he opened the
door, letting me walk in slightly ahead of him before jogging to walk beside me
again. I groaned at the size of the lines, letting my shoulders slump as I gave him
a skeptical glare.

"I hate lines." I sighed heavily, purposely leaning my weight against him when we'd
taken our place. He pushed back though, making me stumble forward slightly and
accidentally kick the lady in front of us. After a quick mumbled apology to her, I
turned back to Tyler fuming.

"You hate everything though." He said, apparently attempting to carry on our

conversation like he hadn't just gravely embarrassed me. I rolled my eyes, crossing
my arms and leaning against him again, secretly smiling in success when his arm
wrapped around my hips again.

"That's not true. I don't hate food, or music, or money, or my car, or my family."
I rambled, holding out a single hand and ticking off the list as I went through. I
stopped once I'd ran out if fingers, turning to gauge his reaction. He was
obviously not impressed, practically glaring at the offending hand.

"Aren't you forgetting something? Or rather, someone?"

"Nah, I still hate you."

"God, I'd hate to see how you treat people you love then, you must smother them."
He scoffed, making me stomp on his foot. Despite my outward hostility I'd be lying
if I said my heart didn't speed up every time he even so much as mentioned the word
'love'.

We remained silent after that, though occasionally he'd give a particularly smug
smirk or sway his hips against mine and I'd find myself stomping on his foot to
keep him in line. It felt weird, all this physical contact. It really was like we
were one of those couples that couldn't keep their hands off each other, though I'd
never say that out loud. Especially not to Tyler, he might get the wrong idea and
abandon how touchy-feely our relationship is alltogether. But yet, when I found
people's stares lingering just a little bit longer than they should have I couldn't
help but wonder if they were viewing us as a couple. I wasn't worried if they were
judging us like I'd expect to be though. I felt almost proud to have Tyler Oakley
so aptly attached to my hip, like I was more than happy to parade around and show
him off.

"Troye?" I blinked, looking down at the curious Tyler blinking up at me. He freed
his arm and reached up, annoyingly messing up my hair, likely just because he was
angry his looked so shit after the football game. "We're next in line, come out of
your head for a little bit."

"Fine." I sighed, stumbling along with him as we approached the food counter. He
immediately greeted the cashier, animatedly starting up a conversation about the
movies playing tonight or something. I hovered awkwardly by his side, looking up to
scan all of the options so I knew what to say when the time came. A second later I
felt his elbow jab me in the side, subtly elbowing him back before answering him
aloud. "Yes?"

"What do you want? And don't even reach for your wallet, you promised I could pay
next time." He reminded me, narrowing his eyes as he stared up at me, almost like
he was daring me to challenge his word. I wasn't about to, holding my hands up in
defeat before listing my choices. I purposely ordered a lot, curious how far he'd
let me push him. But after I'd ordered nearly twenty bucks of food and he still
hadn't so much as mumbled a complaint, I decided I'd cut it out there. He didn't
even grumble as the cashier ran up the price, just standing there and leaning
against the counter like an impatient child. I grinned at him, watching as he
grabbed the straw dispenser and eagerly punched out way too many. He looked up
guiltily then, looking through his eyelashes like he was trying to check if anybody
had seen his mistake.

"Have enough straws, Tilly?" I chuckled, getting a light kick in the shin in
response. The drinks were placed on the counter then, a smile forming on my face as
I watched him dip straws into each slurpee and the two sodas. We really had
overdone it on the food. Then again, knowing Tyler he'd probably scarf it all up in
minutes. He handed me the drink tray then, telling me 'not to drop it, whatever I
do'. I rocked on the heels of my shoes impatiently, not wanting to leave in case he
needed help with anything else. Our server disappeared then, mumbling something
about going to see if all four popcorn machines were working or something. As soon
as he disappeared a girl took his place, her dark red ponytail high as she cleaned
up the mess of crinkled up straw wrappers Tyler had left.
"Can I help you two or have you already been served?" She chirped happily, looking
up from the counter for the first time. My jaw unhinged about the same time as my
fingers did, the drink tray clattering to the floor and drawing the attention of
the entire room.

"Troye!" Tyler groaned, running a hand through his hair in obvious exasperation as
he stared down at the mess. He looked like he was about to bend over to try and
clean it up himself when his eyes flickered up to mine in a glare. It immediately
faded when his eyes locked with mine, concern flooding into his blue irises. "Hey,
what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing." I stuttered out, my eyes darting back to lock with the girl's. She
looked about as shocked as I was, staring at me with a completely blank expression.
Please don't say anything, please. I silently continued to plead with her, my eyes
wide like a scared animal's as we continued our stare-down.

"Hey, can we get new drinks?" I blinked, looking back to Tyler in shock. Who did he
think he was talking to her!

"Y-Yeah, of course." She choked out, turning on her heel and marching off to
fulfull his order. After she was out of sight Tyler turned to me with a glare.

"It's one thing to order that much food, but don't waste mine!" He hissed under his
breath, swatting at my side playfully. When I didn't even bother to dodge it his
face turned back to the concerned one from earlier. "Troye, what's going on?"

"T-That's her, Ty, the girl from the photo albums and the treehouse." I whispered,
my eyes continuing to follow her as she buzzed around the kitchen. It was like she
was completely unaware of the fact she'd more-or-less ruined my life. Tyler's eyes
went wide with realization and suddenly his arm was back around my waist, pulling
me to his side clumsily just as the first guy returned with all of our food.
Somehow Tyler managed to gather it all up with his one free hand, pulling up his
shirt and using it as a carrying hammock like a total idiot. Still, I found myself
smiling ear-to-ear when the person I accused of ruining my life was standing a few
feet away, so I guess I saw something in that total idiot. A few seconds later the
girl returned, accepting Tyler's wad of bills and handing him the change. She
pushed the drink tray forward then, sadly in my direction. I bit my lip as I slowly
reached forward, tentative like she was going to bite my arm off or something.
Truthfully, I knew she was capable of much worse.

I grabbed the tray painlessly, hurrying to pick it up and bring my arm back to my
chest. As soon as I had it I turned to leave, though Tyler stayed firmly in place.
I looked over my shoulder, horrified to see that Lily was mouthing something to him
silently.

"What?" I asked, surprised by the confidence in my voice when I said it. I didn't
feel strong or confident at all, I felt like curling up and hiding for weeks like I
had after our last interaction, but there was something different this time. She
wasn't just ruining the already boring pitiful social life of twelve-year-old
Troye, she was threatening the best thing that had happened to me in any of my
years.

"I was just asking if he knew. Does he?" She asked quietly, raising her hand and
covering half of her mouth like she didn't want the line to hear. They wouldn't
understand anyway. My blood felt almost cold in my veins as I nervously shivered,
trying to decide what the best course of action was in this situation. I could lie,
but what if she brought it up then to make sure. No, I'd have to go with the truth.
"No."

"But that's not very fair to him, don't you think? He has a right to know what he's
getting himself into, just like I should have gotten." She snapped, her attention
turning to Tyler then. He looked like a deer in headlights, his eyes looking from
her to me and then repeating the process.

"Lily." I growled through clenched teeth, genuine anger hitting me now. She
couldn't do this. She couldn't ruin my life when it'd just become something worth
living again.

"No, he deserves to know, either you can tell him or I will, but I'm not letting
you hurt another person like you did me." She said, her voice raising suddenly. I
shivered again, actually beginning to feel lightheaded. I was actually starting to
sway on my feet when I felt Tyler tighten his grip around me, reminding me he was
right there.

"Kind of ironic of you to talk like you're the only one hurting right now. I don't
know what happened between you two, but I do know it's in the past and that's where
it should stay. If Troye wants to tell me, he can, when he sees fit. Until then, I
don't care about getting hurt, heaven knows it'd hurt more not to have him in my
life at all." I couldn't even find the will to move as I listened to Tyler snap at
her, though I did notice it was all under his breath as he tried to make less of a
scene than we already had. At some point my eyes had managed to find their way to
him, shocked to see how genuinely bent up with anger his features were. "Now, if
you'll so kindly excuse us, we have a movie to watch."

"Okay." She said breathlessly, watching as Tyler turned and tugged me along after
him. Thankfully I remembered how to walk just before I fell on my face and spilled
yet another drink tray, the janitors would really loathe me for that one. I
scurried along beside Tyler, sipping at a milkshake half-heartedly as I tried to
keep from thinking about all that had just happened. We didn't speak at all as we
walked across the grassy parking lot, both of us glancing up at the screen being
the closest we had to interaction. When we finally got to his car I was almost
hesitant to get inside, knowing this meant we'd likely have to talk about it.
Still, I slipped into the seat and placed the drinks on the dash, wordlessly taking
the food from his hands and finding a place for it too. But as I placed the last
popcorn bag down I knew I couldn't stall for any longer, sighing heavily before
looking up and meeting his curious gaze.

"Okay, fine, go for it. Ask me anything you want, I'll answer truthfully." I said
reluctantly, well-aware of what this could mean for us. I wasn't ready to lose him,
but if I wasn't careful I could just as easily lose him by refusing to explain
things to him. She was right. He deserved to know if he wanted to, I'd be a
horrible friend to deny him that, no matter how good it sounded. He took his bottom
lip into his mouth, sucking on it harshly with a dead serious face. He leaned
forward then, his hands slowly coming up to rest on either side of my jaw. I didn't
dare move, barely breathing as his thumb swiped across my cheek.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, swiping his other thumb across my other cheek. It
wasn't until then I realized there were tears on my face, suddenly self-conscious
as I blushed under his touch. I noticed his expectant gaze then, realizing he'd
asked me a question.

"W-What?"

"You promised to answer truthfully, now are you?" I bit my lip, taking a deep
breath before nuzzling my face into his hands, hiding it from his view.
"Not really." I said honestly, my lips brushing against his palm as I spoke.

"Lean your chair back as far as you can." He commanded suddenly, making me furrow
my brows. I listened though, sitting up and feeling around blindly for the lever. I
did, seconds after he did the same. I gave him a confused look, watching as he
awkwardly stumbled into the backseat. He waited until he'd settled into his spot
before patting the one beside him. "Come on."

I listened, hopping back with him as gracefully as I could manage. I sat down next
to him, pleasantly surprised that we could still see the screen from here, I guess
he'd parked this far back on purpose. After forever shifting around to get
comfortable I found a way, leaning my head back against the seat and looking
generally unflattering. At least I could see the screen though. The commercials
were just coming to an end now, making me grin with excitement despite the fact I
had no idea what we were watching yet. The movie was just starting to play, the
radio playing the sound for us, when I felt a weight on my shoulder. I didn't have
to look to know it was Tyler's head, but I did anyway, smiling down at him like an
idiot.

"What'd I do to deserve someone like you in my life?" I muttered quietly, more to

myself than him. He grinned cheekily anyway, obviously letting the simple
compliment get to his head. He turned away then, nuzzling his head back into place
against my shoulder.

"Couldn't have been any better than whatever it was I did to deserve you."

A/n: IF IT WASN'T FOR YOUU, I'D BE ALONE. IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU, I'D BE ON MY OWNN.
(This song is my literal fave and it's all I listened to while writing this, linked
on the side) Okay, before I type out the lyrics to that entire song, I'm going to
actually say some stuff. First of all, I hit 1000 followers last night and that's
absolutely insane. Like, I never dreamt of reaching goals like this, I honestly
thought my writing was shit and then ugh, I'm eternally grateful for all you
readers have done and said to/for me. Okay, next, what are your thoughts on this
chapter? Too mushy? I was feeling particularly mushy last night. AND I KNOW I
PROMISED AN ALMOST-KISS BUT SHUTUP, NEXT CHAPTER. Okay, basically comment and vote
and feed my ego my lovelies.

This chapter is dedicated to the lovely Harley, because she is one of the sweetest
people I've ever met in my entire life. I'd tell you all to try and befriend her,
but tbh she's mine so get away. Honestly though, I love you Harley <3 (She also
writes a good story, but her updating schedule rivals that of
@Gurlyouafiiiineapple's so)

Chapter Thirty-Two
*Tyler's POV*

I was actually surprised with how into the stupid superhero movie Troye got. I had
absolutely no interest in some guy with metal claws coming out of his knuckles, the
most appealing thing about the entire movie was how muscular his arms were. So I
was cuddled up to Troye's side, being perpetually thirsty and checking out the
guy's muscles nearly the entire time. I wouldn't even be abe to distinguish or
repeat the names of any of the characters. There was red-haired girl, black-haired
girl, blonde-haired girl, and muscly arm guy. The rest were irrelevant. Troye
didn't seem to share my point-of-view though, his blue eyes wide every time the
lighting changed and I caught a glimpse of them. Oh well, at least he was enjoying
it.
It was nearly over now, but seeing as drive-ins usually ran in sets of two movies
there was still one after this. I was much more excited for this one, seeing as my
mother and I had talked about going to see it together. Naturally, she ended up too
busy to go, but Troye was a pretty decent substitute. It was supposed to be a sad
movie that was nearly impossible to walk away from without crying, a tragic love
story or something. And if Troye got bored during it and complained I was literally
going to slap him, because I sat through this entire thing for him.

"I'm still confused whether this took place before or after the X-Men films." He
said finally, making me look up and notice the credits were finally rolling. There
were a lot more people out of their cars now, scurrying around to get whatever they
had to get done finished up during intermission.

"I'm still confused why you care." I replied snappily, earning a shove from Troye.
I pouted, not happy that I'd been pushed off his shoulder. It was so comfortable
snuggled up to his side.

"Always so sassy, Oakley." He giggled finally, showing me the big smile I'd missed
since interacting with that Lily bitch. God, even the name had my jaw clenching.
Who did she think she was? It was like she had absolutely no idea how badly she'd
hurt Troye, all she could see was how badly she was hurting herself. Or maybe she
realized and just didn't care, honestly I wouldn't be surprised. I was still zoned
out in thought about her a while later when I felt a hand on my knee. "Are you just
going to sit there and stare at me the entire ten minutes of intermission?"

"Can you think of a better plan?" I replied, not missing a beat. Times like this I
was very glad for my school life. It hadn't given me much, but it had taught me how
to always have a response ready, no matter how messed-up your emotions are. And
right now, my emotions are a freaking mess. How could they not be in a dimly-lit
small space with someone as flawless as Troye?

"You are such a cheeseball. I'm going to use the washrooms, good luck finding
something better to stare at." He replied, shifting toward the door. I pouted
again, not looking forward to having to sit here all alone.

"Luck has nothing to do with it, it's simply impossible to find anything better
than you." I called after him, watching as he poked his head back in to glare at
me. There was no hiding the smile on his lips though, even if it was obvious he was
trying to.

"Shut-up." He snapped, slamming the door shut a second later. I rolled my eyes,
sinking down in my seat and playing with the strings on my sweater. That lasted
about five seconds before I realized what I was doing. I was willingly let him walk
back into the same building as that girl, on his own! I scrambled out of the car,
nearly tripping in my rush to reach his side.

"Hey! Wait up!" I panted after him, thankful when he immediately stilled. I felt a
little bit less thankful when he turned around with a glare, obviously suspecting
why I was following him. If there was one thing Troye Sivan does not like it's
taking help from people when he didn't ask for it. Thankfully, if there's one thing
Tyler Oakley is good at, it's lying and excuses. "I wanted to buy another cotton
candy bag."

"Where do you even put all this food?" He sighed, obviously believing my excuse. I
grinned cheekily, watching as he eyed my flat stomach.

"I'm pretty sure it all goes to my ass actually." I replied smoothly, turning my
hips slightly so his eyes fell there instead. He blushed immediately, his eyes
darting away and his eyebrows knotted together.

"I'm so done with you right now." He muttered, making me giggle as I swung my arms
widely with each step.

"You love me." I purred, batting my eyelashes up at him. I was really liking this
pattern we'd fallen into. I mean, someday I'd like to be able to hear him reply
with a simple 'yeah, I do' but for now, the blush and nervous smile were enough for
me. We'd almost reached the building now, and my protective instincts were
definitely kicking in as I considered how a second run-in with Lily could go. I
could see it going horribly, or completely indifferent on both ends. I was willing
to bet the second option was just wishful thinking though.

We strolled in side by side, despite the door being barely big enough for both of
us to fit through. I didn't care, my need to stay between Troye and that girl
outweighing my need to avoid running into walls. He turned to me once the door shut
behind us, giving me a small smile.

"You get the food, I'll be right back." He beamed, turning on his heel a moment
later. I watched him until he'd disappeared into the other room, my eyes then
falling on the crowd of people lined-up for food. No, I was not bothering with
that, especially considering I wasn't even hungry and the candy had only been an
excuse. Instead I found myself wandering off a bit, grinning cheerily when I seen
the sad excuse for an arcade in the corner. It sucked, but it was better than just
standing around outside the bathroom looking like a clingy creeper boyfriend. I
wasn't being creepy, was I? I just wanted to make sure he didn't get hurt or
anything, which was obviously a reasonable concern judging by our earlier
interaction with the girl.

I wandered over to the first machine that caught my eye, coincidentally the one
with rainbow neon lights. It was some sort of stacking game, where you had to click
the button at the right time and try and stack the blocks without messing up. It
didn't sound all that fun, but the prizes hanging from strings inside made it all
the more interesting. There was a $50 dollar iTunes giftcard, a hat with some
famous logo on it, an expensive looking pair of headphones, and lastly, a semi-nice
camera. I wasn't sure why that stuck-out to me so much, but it had me inserting a
dollar only seconds later.

Five failed attempts later, I got my first prize. It wasn't the camera by any
means, instead I had a pair of friendship bracelets in my hands that were
absolutely hideously floral. I glared at the jewelry angrily, like I could make
them burst into flames if I concentrated enough. I was still glaring a few seconds
later when a bubbly giggle had me looking up, blushing slightly as Troye snatched
one of them out of my hands.

"Aw, Tilly, did you get us friendship bracelets?" He laughed, slipping one of them
onto his hand and looking up to wink at me. I knew this was only revenge for my
earlier antics, but it didn't stop me from feeling embarrassed.

"Shut-up. They're not what I was trying to win." I explained, trying to grab it
back. He wouldn't let me though, instead shoving his hand into his pocket and
making it impossible to take it off unless I wanted to reach my hand into his
pants. Which, I mean, I do, but not in these circumstances.

"Let me guess, there's a food gift card in there?" He teased, drawing me out of my
momentary daydream. I glared at him now, about to shove him before he dodged. "I'm
kidding, what were you trying to win?"

"The camera." I huffed, crossing my arms as I watched him peer into the display
glass. He nodded knowingly, reaching an arm around my waist. At first I thought
this was to lead me out of the building, when I felt his hand move lower and brush
against my butt. My eyes went wide, though I understood a moment later when he
moved his hands away and trifled through my wallet; the wallet he'd just snatched
out of my back pocket. After locating a dollar, he handed it back to me. I pocketed
it, watching curiously as he stepped in front of the machine. This bitch. If he
thinks he can upstage me he is surely mistaken.

As the seconds turned into minutes my patience was dwindling. Yes, he was still on
his first try and yes, he was doing way better than me. He'd already passed the
point of winning a small prize, slowly moving up to the big prize scale now. He
took forever though, his eyes zooming back and forth as he timed his movements
perfectly. It was actually scary how good at it he was.

"Any time now, Troye." I beamed in his ear, standing on my tippy-toes to look over
his shoulder. He tensed, though his insane self-control kept him from messing up.
Damn him for being so good at this.

"Shut-up, you're breaking my concentration." He snapped, his eyes never once

leaving the screen. I grinned, knowing he'd set himself up for what I was about to
say.

"I am pretty distracting, huh?" I cooed in his ear, nearly falling over a moment
later when he kicked backwards like some type of donkey. I guess I had it coming
though, he had told me to cut it out. "Ow!"

I waited patiently after that, the only mildly annoying thing I did was the
occasional groan as I clutched my knee. It was a failed attempt to make him feel
guilty or apologize for kicking me, considering he was much too into the game to
pay attention. I found that annoying at first, wishing his attention was on me, but
that thought evaporated the second I heard the ringing and the loud voice
repeatedly announcing the word 'winner'.

"Troye!" I squealed, bouncing to my feet with my injury completely forgotten. He

turned around with a cheeky grin, standing aside proudly so I could watch how the
entire machine was lighting up rainbow now. I stared at it for a few seconds before
looking back to him, not missing the overwhelming amount of pride shining in his
eyes before he wiped his expression clean.

"Go get someone to take it out." He said, his voice giving away his emotions when
his face didn't. I nodded eagerly, running off to do just that.

I returned a few minutes later, grinning proudly as I gestured to the nervous

looking boy beside the machine. The person I'd brought seemed completely
indifferent, just sauntering forward and fumbling with the machine without a word.
What Troye would never know was that I waited an extra two minutes, solely to make
sure it wasn't Lily I brought back. Whether he wanted me to care or not, I was
definitely going to.

"There are no refunds or warranties on the camera. Everything should work properly,
as it's brand-new. If it doesn't, you should contact the company, not us.
Congratulations." The man said the last word as an afterthought, giving the most
un-convincing smile I'd ever seen before strolling back to where he'd came from. I
didn't let his monotone personality dampen my mood, instead letting a goofy smile
envelope my face as I stared at the camera in Troye's hands.

"Take it, doofus." He sighed eventually, holding it out to me. I quirked my

eyebrows, looking up at him with wide eyes.
"You won it for me?" He rolled his eyes in response, like this was the most obvious
question one could ever ask. I snatched it eagerly, launching myself into his arms
immediately afterward.

"Thank-you." I whispered, backing up to smile up at him. He grinned back, though it

faded completely after a couple seconds. I was confused, before a girly-voice
clearing their throat behind me brought me understanding.

"Go away, Lily." I said, not bothering to turn around.

"You shouldn't touch him, you know." She said quietly, sounding almost shy despite
how rude she was being. I watched Troye flinch at her words, like it physically
hurt him. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want the whole story, my curiosity was
eating away at me now. But I'd also be lying if I said I was willing to hurt Troye
to get it.

"Why? Is perfection contagious?" I said smoothly, watching as the color came back
to Troye's eyes at my words. She could hurt him so easily, but it gave me a sense
of pride knowing I could mend it so easily.

"No, but-"

"Did you not hear me the first time? I don't care." I snapped, starting to get
frustrated with her now. This was a night for Troye and I, not Troye and his weird
past with some borderline-insane girl.

"He's going to hurt you, and you're going to feel like an idiot for ever having
trusted him." She said coldly, making me turn around to face her finally. Troye's
hands found their way back to my hips, like he was trying to steady me or
something. It wasn't until a few seconds later it clicked that he was warning me.
He was silently telling me to stay calm, because he didn't want me hurting her by
saying the wrong thing. For someone who's, in her words, 'going to make me regret
ever having trusted him', he seems pretty damn harmless to me.

"Maybe, but everyone's capable of that." I said finally, feeling Troye's grip relax
at my words. She sighed heavily, shaking her head as she started to walk away.

"Why are you being so stupid?" She muttered under her breath, heading back into the
crowd of people. I glared after her until she'd disappeared, only then turning back
to Troye. He didn't look numb or sad like last time, just angry as he glared in her
general direction. I didn't bother to speak, just grabbing his hand with my free
one and heading toward the doors. We were halfway across the parking lot, him still
silent, when I stopped and yanked his arm until he did the same. He turned to me
now with the angry glare in his eyes, before he realized what he was doing and
wiped it off his face.

"What?" He asked, his voice strained as he tried to sound calm.

"Stop letting it get under your skin. She could tell me you were a murderer and I'd
still hang-out with you. I mean, I'd keep the police on speed-dial just in case,
but it still wouldn't be enough to keep me from you, not until you proved it
yourself that you were trouble." I said softly, watching his reactions the entire
time. At first he still looked a bit annoyed with me, but that faded more and more
with each word that left my mouth. He sighed heavily after I'd finished, nodding
sullenly.

"I'm sorry. I'm still a little new to this whole 'trusting people' thing." He
mumbled awkwardly, sounding genuinely guilty. I shook my head quickly, not wanting
him to have the wrong idea.
"It's fine, I just don't like seeing you unhappy." I explained, beaming my best
smile up at him until he had no choice but to return the gesture. "Now, on that
note, let's go watch a tragic love story and bawl our eyes out."

"Sounds lovely."

"That better not have been sarcastic." I snapped, looking over my shoulder at him.
He rolled his eyes, leading me to believe he definitely had been being sarcastic.
On the upside, he hadn't questioned my abandoning of the cotton candy, so things
were going pretty smoothly.

An hour and a half later, we were sitting in the backseat laughing through tears in
an attempt to keep the mood casual. I hadn't been serious when I said we were going
to bawl our eyes out, but ironically that's exactly what we'd ended up doing. How
was I supposed to know they were going to kill one of the main characters? I mean,
given it was a movie about cancer so it was realistic, but still! No one had warned
me about that! Well, if I had of read the book then maybe I wouldn't be having this
problem, but...

"How dare you take me to see this movie. It was honestly the saddest thing I've
ever seen." Troye sniffled suddenly, half-laughing, half-crying. I looked up at him
and couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles myself, eventually progressing to
a full-on witch cackle the longer I looked at his tear-drenched face. For someone
who basically looks like an angel ninety-percent of the time, he was not-at-all an
attractive crier.

"If someone took me to this as a first date, you can rest-assured there would not
be a second one." He said breathlessly, leaning his head back against the seat. I
let my eyes wander over his exposed neck, swallowing harshly as I fought-off the
compromising thoughts it arose. I could think of a way more entertaining way we
could have spent the length of that superhero movie, that's for certain.

I blinked, realizing I'd zoned out checking him out for what seemed like the
hundredth time... today. God, I was going to have to act soon or I'd end up
pouncing on the poor kid. I yawned loudly, using it as an excuse to stall for time
as I tried to remember what it was he'd said. Ah, yes, something about dates. Wait,
if it was about dates, why didn't I pay attention? Oh right, because he was
blatantly stating that he didn't think of this as a first date. That hadn't really
been my intention, but it definitely felt like one now, at least to me anyway. I
sighed inaudibly before answering, looking up in an attempt to lock eyes with him
despite his position rendering it a useless effort.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing we're just friends then, huh?" I said quietly, my
voice void of any emotions. His response seemed to take a while, each second
feeling like an eternity as I awaited it. Sure, there was that naive shred of hope
he'd deny it and prove he felt the same way I did, but deep down I knew exactly
what he was about to say.

"Yeah." Wow, I must be a mind-reader, how had I predicted that so spot-on? Oh,
probably because it's the least committal thing he possibly could have said. I
sighed noticeably now, shifting toward the door and glancing back at Troye.

"We should get going now that the main crowd has left."

"Okay." He replied simply, straightening up to lock eyes with me. A devilish smile
spread across my face, knowing he'd once again set himself up for what I was about
to say.
"Okay." I responded, hoping he caught my reference.

"I will honest to god hit you if you reference that movie again." He snapped,
shoving me out the door. I giggled, heading around to the driver's side of the car
and slipping in. He crawled into the passenger's seat, attempting to strike up a
conversation about that stupid first movie and failing when I just ignored him.
After that we fell into a pretty comfortable silence, instead focusing on the music
blasting through the speakers as our thoughts ran wild. When you thought about it,
tonight had been a lot like a date. I paid for him, he won me a prize out of a
machine cheesily, and we cuddled. The only thing it was missing was a first kiss.

Yeah, except that's never going to happen. Troye didn't even consider it a date.

I sighed quietly, hoping I didn't draw any attention to myself with it. This whole
'waiting for Troye to get comfortable' thing was getting rather annoying. Of course
I'd never give up, I'd wait an eternity if I got him at the end, but still, I'd
rather spend the eternity with him rather than waiting for him.

We pulled into his driveway at exactly midnight, which was a good thing considering
I didn't have a good excuse to keep him out longer. We sat unresponsive for a few
seconds before I was the first to turn to him, smiling broadly.

"That was fun." I blurted, mentally slapping myself for stating something so
obvious. Troye just laughed though, nodding.

"Yes, very fun indeed." He retorted, smiling cheekily as he called me out on my

awkward behavior. It's not my fault I lose the ability of coherent speech near him.
If anything it's his fault, people shouldn't be allowed to be as perfect as he is.
There should be a law against it.

"Yeah." I mumbled, letting my eyes drift to look out the window instead. There
wasn't anything particularly interesting to look at, definitely nothing more
interesting than Troye, but I needed a moment to clear my head right now anyway,
before I did something stupid like kiss him.

"I should go." He said finally, forcing me to break my eyes away from the tree
they'd settled on outside. I turned to face him, watching as he slowly slid his
hand toward the doorhandle, obviously stalling for time. He may not realize it yet,
but I'm pretty sure he does feel the same way I do. I mean, why else would he be so
okay with all the touching we do and not allow it with anyone else? And why else
would he stall for time so often in hopes of staying near me longer?

"I'll walk you to your door!" I offered, thankful when he gave a genuine smile in
response, like he'd been hoping I'd say that. We both got out of the car then, no
reason to stall considering we weren't really saying goodbye now. I jogged to catch
up to his side, flashing a smile up at him despite the fact he probably couldn't
see it in the light of the dim streetlamp. We started across the yard then, our
steps in perfect unison as we walked into his yard. Thankfully his family had solar
lights illuminating the path, meaning now I could actually see what he looked like.
He had both his hands shoved deep in his pants pockets, my eyes falling on the
stupid bracelet still sitting high on his arm. I didn't mention it though, only
smiling slightly to myself as I wondered why he'd kept it. Surely he realized it
was hideously ugly, he had a good enough fashion sense to realize that. That left
one option; he was keeping it solely because it was something I'd 'given' him. If
that wasn't adorable, I don't know what is.

We stayed silent until we reached the tiny stone steps outside his front door, him
moving to lean against the door frame and shrug expectantly at me. I shrugged back,
which was probably a horribly awkward move when I thought about it. He just shook
his head though, looking down so he was looking at me through his eyelashes.

"Night, Tyler." He whispered, his tone making me shiver noticeably. Hopefully he'd
blame it on the chilly October wind or something. Who knows, maybe he'd even feel
obligated to offer me his sweater, that'd be cute. I blinked, realizing I'd
forgotten all about replying.

"Night, Troye!" I beamed back, cursing my loud cheery voice for ruining the serious
mood he'd been trying to set up. He didn't seem fazed by this either, just smiling
softly as he leaned back further into the door frame. I was about to turn on my
heel to leave, when I noticed his eyes had fallen shut. Was he that tired? Was I
boring him? I pouted my lips out, glaring at him as I considered why he didn't just
walk back in the house and go to sleep if he was so damned tired. I watched his
eyebrows raise, looking almost expectant. That's when it clicked and my eyes went
wide. He wanted me to kiss him! I scrambled forward, wiping my sweaty palms on my
jeans so I could cup his face. I bit my lip as I raised my hand, nerves like static
coursing through my body. Just before my fingertips made contact the sound of the
doorknob turning had me jumping backward, nearly falling off the steps in my haste
to get away from him. The door flew open not even a second later, revealing a
cheeky Shaun. Troye's eyes shot open, looking like a deer in headlights as he took
in the situation.

"Hey boys! Did you have fun?" Shaun practically shouted, looking back and forth
between the two of us. Troye's eyes darkened now, instead going directly to glaring
at his father. I'd never seen him look so angry, his hands balled into fists at his
sides. Shaun seemed to realize he meant business for a change, actually looking
guilty as he started to tip-toe backward into the house. "Should I go back inside?"

"I don't care, I was about to anyway." Troye snapped, giving me the most formal nod
goodbye I'd ever seen before pushing past his dad. I watched him fade out of my
sight as he rushed further into the house, leaving me standing there looking like
an idiot with his father.

"Did I interrupt something?" Shaun asked eventually, once he'd deemed it enough
time for me to get a grip on my thoughts. He was wrong though, I was far from ever
having a grip on the thoughts bouncing around inside my skull. Was Troye mad we'd
been interrupted or mad I took so long to make a move? Worse yet, what if he was
genuinely just snappy from being tired and he'd never even meant to initiate a
kiss? God, that would have been horrible if I kissed him and he didn't even want
it. Part of me was thankful for Shaun right now, thinking of all the ways Troye
could have reacted. What if he pushed me off and said he never wanted to see me
again? How could I be so stupid? I could have messed everything up by kissing him.
No, I can't risk that. "Tyler?"

"What? Uh, no. I've got to get home, bye." I blurted, turning too quickly for
normal and rushing down the path in a speed walk. I waited until I slid into my car
to let out the breath I'd been holding, sinking my forehead down to rest against
the steering wheel. What had I just done? I was so close to messing up everything.
Sure, I wanted to kiss him like I'd never wanted anything before, but it wasn't
worth risking losing him. No, I wasn't going to kiss him until I was absolutely
sure he wanted it. In fact, just to be safe, maybe I'd wait until he was the one to
kiss me. Surely that wouldn't take that long, if he actually did want me to kiss
him tonight. It was only a matter of time before his patience grew thin. I've
waited this long, what's the harm in a bit longer?
A/n: Okayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, I know the 'almost' kiss didn't seem like much but
we're gonna get a recap from Troye's pov too so shush. And don't yell at me or
Shaun, they couldn't kiss yet or the plot wouldn't work. TRUST ME, I WANT THEM TO
KISS AS MUCH AS YOU DO. Also, I'm sorry if this chapter seemed all-over the place
idk, I'm not happy with it but I felt Lily hadn't had enough cameo so she made
another appearance. Maybe she'll come back idk who knows, not me, definitely not me
because i never plan any of my plots out. Okay, in other news, those of you who
follow me probably seen my status announcing my vacation for a week or so. It may
be longer because I just have a lot going on this week PLUS plot planning so. This
update does not mean my vacation is over, it simply means WE HIT FUCKING ONE-
HUNDRED-THOUSAND READS. THAT IS. HOLY. MOLY. BUMBOLI RAVIOLI QUENSICOLI MOKKABOLI.
YOU GUYSSS, I'VE NEVER HAD A STORY HIT THIS WHILE IT WAS STILL IN PROGRESS AND I'M
LEGIT SO EMOTIONAL. I LOVE YOU ALL BUNCHES AND BUNCHES AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE ENJOYING
THE STORY STILL. OKAY COMMENT AND VOTE AND LOVE NATALIA KILLS. SERIOUSLY THOUGH.
SHE'S LIKE THE BEST SINGER OKBYE IM RAMBLING GOODBYE

Also, this chapter is dedicated to the lovely Ida, for sitting here and helping me
hit 100k because she wanted the update before she went to sleep, haha. She's an
amazing person, AND the author of one of my absolute faaaaaaavorite smuts. Like,
Troye is getting hot and bothered by Troyler fanfiction in it and if that doesn't
interest you.. WHO ARE YOU? So go read it, her wattpad name is @Colour-me-troyler
and it's called "A Lot Like Fiction". I'm serious, I've re-read this so many times,
you are missing out if you haven't read it. (I just realized this is the second
chapter I've dedicated to her and this smut but that just shows how much I adore
it. ALSO, she's writing a new one so make sure to follow right now okgo)

Chapter Thirty-Three
*Troye's POV*

I watched the credits begin to roll with the same expression I'd had on my face the
entire movie. It was blank, but the way tears coated my entire face made it pretty
clear what I was actually thinking and feeling. I was actually really glad I had
Tyler cuddled up to my side, his face nuzzled into my chest and arm draped across
my stomach. I definitely needed the embrace right now. Plus the periodic random
thoughts I got while he was watching the movie were absolutely hilarious. It got to
the point I was snickering at one of the saddest scenes solely in reaction to
Tyler's thoughts. While everyone else had been mourning over the funeral, Tyler had
been thinking about how insanely creepy Peter Van Houten was, just showing up
behind her at the funeral and winking at her. He was right, that was insanely
creepy when you thought about it, but you weren't supposed to think about it, you
were supposed to just be sad because it was a funeral. I decided we'd sat in
silence long enough, watching everyone else leave the movie.

"How dare you take me to see this movie. It was honestly the saddest thing I've
ever seen." I blurted, blushing slightly when my voice came out nothing more than a
whimper. Tyler shifted against me, looking up at me through his eyelashes. He
immediately started to giggle, the sounding evolving into a cackle the longer he
spent staring at me. Now I blushed even harder, feeling embarrassed under all the
attention. I decided to say something that'd hopefully wipe the cackle out and get
him to stop laughing at me, even just laughing with me would be better.

"If someone took me to this as a first date, you can rest-assured there would not
be a second one." I said, leaning back so I could give him time to calm down. I let
my eyes fall shut, waiting patiently and listening for his response. It seemed to
be taking quite a while though, leading me to wonder if I'd said something wrong.
Was I coming on too strong mentioning the word date? I mean, we obviously flirted a
lot, but there's no saying there's any depth to that. What if I scare him off with
things like that? I opened my eyes slowly, with the intention of subtly checking to
see his reaction, only to find I couldn't make eye contact in this position.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing we're just friends then, huh?" He said finally,
his tone unusually quiet compared to usual. A small part of me hoped that was
because he had a problem addressing us as 'just friends', but if that was the case,
why would he even say it? No, it was stupid to think like that. No matter how much
it felt like a date, it wasn't.

"Yeah." I muttered, refusing to let my eyes drift back up to his. I wasn't ready to
see the lack of emotion in them, or how little he cared about my response. I wasn't
ready for confirmation that he didn't feel like I did. He sighed then, sounding
utterly exhausted as he moved closer to the door.

"We should get going now that the main crowd has left."

"Okay." I replied, not really in the mood to say much else now. I sat up further,
finally able to meet his gaze. For a second we just stared at each other, before a
familiar troublemaker smile spread across his features.

"Okay." I was confused how this was mischievous at first, staring at his smirk for
a few seconds before it sunk in.

"I will honest to god hit you if you reference that movie again." I growled,
shoving him toward the door. He just laughed, getting out gracefully and slowly
walking around the front of the car. I watched him in the light of other car's
headlights, biting my lip as he approached his door. I was so not ready for this
night to end.

By the time we pulled into my driveway that thought had only grown. Tonight was
easily one of the best nights of my life, it gave me all kinds of anxiety knowing
it was about to end. I mean, surely there'd be more like this if Tyler was serious
about how much he cared, but I still wasn't ready to just move on from this one. I
don't know, I guess it felt like something was missing.

"That was fun." I startled slightly at Tyler's random outburst, quickly recovering
myself and actually coming back to the real world.

"Yes, very fun indeed."

"Yeah." He replied quietly, turning his head to look out his window instead of at
me. I took advantage of his distraction, once again trying to decipher what was
going on with my mixed emotions. It took about ten seconds of staring at his
reflection in the window to realize exactly what I was looking for. He was biting
his bottom lip, obviously in deep thought as his teeth grazed over it. While he was
in deep thought, there was only one thought in my head; God, I want to kiss him. I
mean, obviously I'd wanted to kiss him since the second I realized my feelings for
him, but this was different. I didn't just want to, I felt like I couldn't go
without it. That's exactly why I decided to get out of here before I did something
stupid like actually kissing him.

"I should go." I practically sighed, inching my hand toward the door handle as I
watched him turn his body to face me. His eyes went slightly wider, his mouth
immediately opening despite no words coming out. He seemed to have a knack for
that, trying to talk before he even got the chance to think.

"I'll walk you to your door!" He blurted finally, making a new swirl of butterflies
invade my stomach. A smile spread across my features, a bubbly feeling enveloping
me the more I thought about how close to a date tonight had been. I mean, he was
even walking me to my door, is it even possible to get more romantic than that?
Surely he realized this too, how do you act like that and not even know? No, he had
to realize what he was doing. So that left the question, why was he doing it?

Before I could even tell myself not to hope I was already grinning like an idiot.
Thankfully Tyler couldn't see my face in the low lighting, but I still tried to
wipe the lovesick expression off my face. But what if he really did feel the same?
We'd gotten out and started walking to the porch and that was still all I could
think about, how ironic it'd be if he was thinking the same things I was right now
or if he was getting flustered just like I was. All I needed was one sure sign, a
thought or something, and I'd make the first move. I wasn't a very brave person,
but I could pretend to be if it meant calling Tyler Oakley mine.

We reached the steps shortly after, neither of us speaking on the trip there. I
guess we were both just too wrapped up in our own thoughts. It wasn't necessarily a
comfortable one like usual though, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a
knife. Which was exactly why I found myself moving further away from him to lean
against the door frame. I didn't want things to get any more awkward though,
deciding to shrug in hopes of starting up some sort of conversation. That hope
quickly deflated when he simply shrugged in response, but hey, at least he was the
one to make it awkward and not me. I shook my head and looked down at my feet,
wondering how someone with so much more experience with social interaction than me
could still be so awkward.

Well, if he actually does have a crush on you it'd make sense that he's flustered
around you.

Shut-up, brain, I don't need this kind of false hope.

Still, there was the slither of a chance that I was on the right track. He could
feel the same, how would I ever know if we kept up like we had been? Sure, we
flirted all the time, but how was I supposed to know if it meant something or if he
was like that with anyone? No, we needed something more. A surefire way to tell.
The mix of nerves and adrenaline coursing through my body made it scarily easy to
come up with an idea, looking up at him through my eyelashes before I spoke.

"Night, Tyler." I whispered, purposely trying to make my tone sound serious and
possibly... seductive? I wasn't sure if I even had a seductive tone, but I figured
I was going to have to find out sooner or later if this panned out like I wanted it
to. My confidence only grew when I seen him shiver in response, something rather
odd considering how warm it was tonight compared to the past week or so. With each
extra second he took to come up with a reply the more sure of myself I got. He's
flustered, he has to be, that's the only explanation.

"Night, Troye!" He beamed back, discouraging me a bit with how friendly his voice
was. I guess that wasn't a necessarily bad thing, but I'd been hoping for a tone
that mirrored my own to know he was on the same page as me. I couldn't give up now
though, knowing I might not ever get this sense of adrenaline to push me through
this again. I pressed my back further into the door frame, butterflies dancing in
my stomach as I simply closed my eyes. I mean, I wasn't about to lean in and just
peck him on the lips. This was as brave as I got, hopefully he'd be able to get the
hint and respond accordingly. Seconds ticked by, each one making the lump in my
throat grow impossibly bigger. What was he doing? Had he just not noticed yet? Had
he already left? Did he just not know how to reject me properly? I raised my
eyebrows before I could stop myself, my demanding streak coming through as my
patience grew thin and my nerves grew thicker. I just barely heard the sound of
feet scuffling against the ground and I was so anxious now I felt physically sick.
Just when I would have expected him to reach me, a totally unwanted sound filled
the area. The sound of the doorknob turning.

Before I could even react the door was flying open, along with my eyes. I really
didn't want my dad to see me standing there with my eyes closed, I know exactly
where his thoughts would drift. I took a few seconds to address the situation, a
horrified feeling settling in my stomach as I realized just how far away from me
Tyler was. He'd never even approached, had he? He'd been standing there, looking at
me, obviously knowing very well what I wanted.

He knew what I wanted, he just didn't want the same.

"Hey boys! Did you have fun?" My father beamed, only making my blood feel colder
and my tongue heavier knowing that I'd have to give my entire family a run-down of
my night in a few minutes. They weren't going to let me run up to my room when I'd
just been on, what they figured, was a date. I let my eyes flicker over to my
father, letting all of my emotions seep into the gaze in hopes of getting a point
across. I really don't want to spend time with anyone right now, much less my
overly-cheery family. Slowly, his expression changed to an understanding one,
though confusion still tinted all of his features. His gaze flickered over to Tyler
then back to me, silently asking if my mood had something to do with Tyler. I just
harshened my glare though, wishing he'd take a freaking hint and leave me alone.
Come to think of it, I don't even want to be alone with Tyler right now. I want to
be alone alone, completely alone. "Should I go back inside?"

"I don't care, I was about to anyway." I said honestly, not meaning for my tone to
come across quite as harsh as it had. I didn't want to make him feel bad
necessarily, if he hadn't interrupted us I would have made an even bigger fool of
myself, but I wasn't really myself right now either. I turned to Tyler, knowing I
couldn't leave without a little bit of closure, even if our entire situation was
the awkwardest thing I'd ever experienced. I gave a nod in his direction, not
daring to let my eyes drift up from the ground and see his expression. I didn't
want to see his guilty expression, or if he even felt bad at all. He shouldn't, it
was my own stupidity that got us into this mess.

I turned and speed-walked into the house then, carefully darting around my father
so he wouldn't try and make me stay any longer. If there was one thing he hated, it
was not being in the know. If only he knew how much I'd kept from him over the
years. I walked further into the house, holding my breath as I left the hallway and
started across the living room. I would have avoided it if I could, but it was kind
of the only route to the stairs, which meant the only route to my second-floor
bedroom. I actually made it halfway across the room without getting noticed, thanks
to my fool-proof method of walking with my head held low and my hands shoved in my
pockets, how I'd always been invisible in school. I guess it was pretty hard to be
invisible when you're the only person walking in the room though.

"Troye? Is something wrong?" My mother's tentative tone rang out, making me feel
both guilty and angry. I didn't want something to be wrong, I wanted to be one of
those kids that could come home from dates and actually have good stories to tell.
I don't think I'd ever be one of them, considering the chance of someone going over
an hour without thinking one undesirable thought was pretty low. Maybe I just won't
touch anyone for the rest of my life. Sure, I'd still get the ocassional thought,
but nothing like it is now. "Troye?"

"Either that or something is really right." Tyde giggled, followed by the high-
pitched fairy-like laughter of my sister. I heard a low chuckle too, alerting me
all three of my siblings had decided to attend tonight's Troye's post-date
interrogation. Shame they wouldn't be getting any of the fluffy flustered cuteness
they'd been hoping for. I sighed, knowing I wouldn't be getting out of this
completely unscathed. I'd have to at least give them a vague explanation if I ever
wanted to be left alone again. I looked up slowly, trying to keep my face blank as
I let my eyes dart to each of theirs.

"It's nothing, Mom, I'm just really tired. Can we do this interrogation thing in
the morning instead?" I asked hopefully, yawning over-dramatically in a desperate
attempt to ensure my freedom. She seemed doubtful, her wary eyes scanning over my
face as she tried to read all the emotions I was hiding. She sighed heavily when
she obviously came up blank, turning to look over her shoulder at my siblings.

"What do you say, guys? Let him off the hook for tonight?" She said cheerily, using
the strained tone she always did when she was faking happy. I wasn't sure anyone
else realized she was 'faking', but I did. You learn these things when you can read
people's deepest thoughts, I guess.

None of my siblings looked particularly happy about cancelling their gossip

session, all frowning as they looked at one another. They kept whispering to each
other before looking back at me, making me feel overly-scrutinized as I stood there
with my hands in my pockets and my emotions masked. I can do it though, hold out
for just a little bit longer until they let me go up to my room. Finally Steele
sighed heavily, running a hand through his messy bed-hair and locking eyes with me.

"You aren't going to tell us what's wrong either way, are you?" I blushed at first,
feeling bashful for actually being called out on my emotions. This never happened,
I could always hide. Damn it, Tyler, what have you done to me? People like me can't
wear their heart on their sleeve, it doesn't end well. Trust me, I would know.

"No, probably not." I muttered, shifting around awkwardly under his gaze. He sighed
again, letting his eyes dart in another direction. I followed them, already knowing
who I'd find standing in the doorway. My dad was leaning against the wall, looking
as lost as he had a few minutes ago, if not even more.

"Did you two make-out or something? Why's Tyler acting so weird around me?" He
asked, pushing off the wall and starting toward the couch opposite to the rest of
my family. I shrugged noncomittally, finding great interest in the wood-panneling
instead of the curious gazes of my family. I was wrong, I couldn't do this at all.
It wasn't like before when I hid stuff, this was different. This... mattered to me.
"Troye?"

"Maybe they did it in the backseat at the drive-in." Tyde chirped, earning an array
of shocked gasps and giggles from the rest of the room.

"Tyde Levi Mellet!" My mother snapped, turning to face him as he burrowed further
into the cushions, blushing. It was a few seconds later that I realized he was
completely ignoring my entire family chastising him, his eyes on me instead. He
looked toward the stairs then, nodding slightly. I blinked, my jaw dropping as I
realized what he'd done. He'd purposely caused a diversion for me. I gave him a
genuine smile, albeit a weak one, before turning on my heel and darting up the
stairs as silently as I could manage.

I felt like the world had been lifted off my shoulders when I finally walked into
my room, sighing heavily as I locked the door behind myself and stumbled over to
the bed. I fell onto it, not very gracefully, nuzzling my face into the pillows. I
could hear more talking downstairs, and I found myself wondering if Tyde was
defending me and telling them not to come after me. God, I'd have to remember to
drive him to his friends someday or buy him a really nice birthday gift this year.

I rolled over on the bed, bringing a hand up to brush my hair out of my eyes. I
wasn't even sure what I was feeling right now. For a fleeting moment, I thought I
might have had the pleasure of being numb and feeling nothing at all, before my
eyes landed on the stupid bracelet on my wrist. My hand froze, fingers still wound
through my quiff, and my eyes stayed focused on the piece of jewelry. It was
hideously ugly really, I wasn't sure why I was so apt on keeping it... or why I was
so apt on looking down at it and grinning the entire night, or how I found myself
playing with it absentmindedly every time I turned around, or- Okay, fuck it, I
know very well why I kept the stupid bracelet. How could I not? It was something
I'd gotten from him. It was something that reminded me of him, not that I really
needed anything to remind me, he's on my mind all the time as it is. I sighed,
slipping it off my wrist and setting it on my bedside table.

If anything, I need something that can keep him off my mind, especially right now.
He didn't want me like I wanted him, and it'd only lead to more pain in the future
if I carried on. I could have been wrong about everything, even his sexuality.
Maybe he's just a really flirty straight guy, how would I know? There's a chance he
might not ever feel the same, a good chance actually. But as of right now, I don't
see any chance of me getting over him. Which sucks actually, considering I don't
see anything good coming out of my infatuation any time soon.

I jumped, the unexpected sound of my phone going off tearing me out of my head. I
fumbled around a bit before retrieving it out of my pocket, a mixture of surprised
and not surprised when I seen Tyler's name lighting up the screen. I mean, no one
else ever called me so it wasn't surprising, but I definitely hadn't expected him
to call me tonight. I was about to answer, my thumb hovering over the green button,
when my eyes went wide and I darted to press the red one instead. I hadn't thought
there'd ever come a time when I'd reject a call from Tyler Oakley, but I guess
there's a first for everything. I'd realized exactly why he was calling me. He
wanted to talk about it. He wanted to explain himself and explain why he didn't
want to kiss me, and I didn't want to hear it. I don't want to hear him say he
doesn't like me like that, or come up with some stupid unbelievable excuse. I don't
care if it's going to be awkward tomorrow at school. With explanations came
finality, and I wasn't ready for this to be final. I wanted to cling to my high
hopes even just a little bit longer, surely he'd understand.

Surely he knew what it was like to be in love and not be loved back.

A/n: hueuhueueheu. Idk, I might have overdone the drama this chapter, and I might
have referenced the Kodaline song "High Hopes" that was in the book trailer, and I
also might have woke up at 6:40am to write this for you shits so uhm, I expect a
big thank-you? Okay, hmm, happy Troye coming-out anniversary! (In real life, not
the book) (though he might be coming out soon like, I don't know, on All Hallow's
Eve if you catch my drift, probably not. okbye, let me retreat from the planet and
stop posting spoilers in author's notes.) (is that even allowed? Is there a rule
against author's spoiling their OWN book?) (oh shit, I'm abusing brackets again)
(wait are these brackets, I think someone told me they're called parenthesis last
time I abused them) (shoutout to you, random person, teaching me knowledge) (this
chapter is dedicated to you, but I'm too lazy to go find you.) (literally bye this
time, vote and comment or something okbye like for real this time what am I doing
with my life) (also this troye selfie is completely unrelated but god he's adorable
and when he smiles with his teeth I just I just yufduhjdd)

Chapter Thirty-Four
*Tyler's POV*

The entire drive home it was still all I could think about. Sure, I'd come to a
conclusion about how I was going to approach the relationship from now on, letting
Troye make all the moves because I'm a total chicken, but that didn't make the
current situation any less pressing. He was angry with me, that much was clear. Why
else would he rush off like that when he usually had to drag his feet and stall for
time before he left me? So if I knew he was mad, all that was left was determining
just how mad he was.

My original plan had been to find out tomorrow at school, show up early and find
him before any classes started. I didn't care if people seen me with him at this
point, I just had to make sure we were okay. His opinions mattered a lot more to me
than those of the rest of the school. But something had altered those plans. Well,
more-so, someone.

I was still feeling pretty drained when I hauled myself out of the car, sighing
heavily and running a hand through my floppy hair. Normally I showered when I got
home from football games, understandably, but tonight I didn't even have the energy
for that. I'd shower in the morning. I trudged across the yard, thinking about my
schedule for tomorrow and how early I was going to have to set my alarm if I wanted
to be early for Troye. I was still lost in thought when I walked into the house,
not even thinking as I made direct tracks for my room. It wasn't until I smacked
into something that I came back to Earth, curious what my mother had left in the
entryway. That was, before I realized it was my mother. She was standing with all
of her weight on one hip, looking at me with a frown on her face.

"Honey, what's wrong?" She asked quietly, concern flooding into her eyes as they
studied my face. I gave an unconvincing chuckle, shimmying past her and further
into the house.

"Nothing, Mom, I'm just tired." I lied, trying my best to keep my voice even as I
spoke. I walked into the kitchen then, rummaging around in the fridge until I'd
retrieved the juice carton. I could feel my mother's eyes on me as I walked around
the room and got myself a drink, but I refused to acknowledge her like she was so
obviously begging for me to do. I didn't want to have this conversation right now,
possibly not ever.

I chugged my drink, crossing my fingers as I turned around that I wouldn't see my

mother standing behind me. No such luck. She was in the doorway too, meaning I had
no hopes of sneaking out of the room without talking. Damn it.

"Tyler." She said strictly, obviously noticing the disappointed expression on my

face. I sighed heavily, gripping the counter and hoisting myself up to sit on it.
Might as well make myself comfortable, I'm probably gonna be here for awhile.

"It's nothing, okay?" I said, an absolute last attempt to get out of here without
talking. She crossed her arms across her chest, her eyes narrowing as they found
mine in a glare. Okay, nevermind, I'm not getting out of this one. "We might have
kind-of almost kissed, but that's it-"

"Tyler! What do you mean 'almost'? How do you almost kiss somebody?" The questions
flew out of her mouth, her eyes wide as she left the doorway to come stand in front
of me. I sighed, realizing I was going to have to relive it.

"You lean in-" I paused, waiting until she'd settled completely for dramatic
emphasis. "And then their dad opens the door and you jump away from him so fast you
crack your neck in the process."

"Well, why didn't you kiss him after his dad left?" She asked immediately after I'd
finished, obviously not nearly done with her interrogation. I sighed, sinking down
further in my spot. Normally I loved talking about boys with my mother, but not
when I'd just screwed up my chance to kiss said boy. I just wanted to go to sleep
and forget about it right now, the post-embarrassment was killing me.

"His dad didn't leave, he did." I mumbled, knowing she'd catch it anyway seeing as
she was listening so intently. Thankfully she seemed to catch on to how I was
feeling too, stepping forward to slip her hand into mine and squeeze it gently.

"Why?"

"I don't know! I have no idea if he even wanted to kiss me! I mean, his eyes were
closed, and I just assumed, but what if he had to sneeze or he was just tired or-"

"Tyler!" She snapped, making me immediately fall silent. I looked down at the floor
nervously, waiting to see what she'd have to say this time. "You're over-thinking
it. Why don't you just ask him? The worst he can say is he didn't intend to kiss
you, and even then at least he's going to start thinking about kissing you."

"But it's going to be awkward." I protested, sinking my face into my hands as I

considered my options. I could call him and ask him I guess. I hadn't really
planned to confront him at all though. I'd planned to meet with him early tomorrow,
give him a coffee or something, and try and breeze past this awkward bump in our
friendship like it had never happened. If another kiss or even another almost-kiss
happened to appear later on, I'd worry about that then.

"And it's not already?" She answered finally, making me realize just how naive my
plan had been. I couldn't just push past this if Troye had genuinely wanted to kiss
me. It wasn't something he was going to forget, and it definitely wasn't something
I could forget. It needed some sort of closure, so both of us aren't left over-
thinking it forever.

"I hate it when you're right." I sighed, slipping off the counter and glaring at
her. She just smiled knowingly though, more than used to my hollow insults.

"Go call him, before he falls asleep."

"He never sleeps, he's an internet kid." I mumbled, laughing slightly at my own
joke. She didn't seem to find it nearly as entertaining though, just snapping her
fingers as if that'd make me move faster. I started toward the door, dragging my
feet slightly as I thought of all the ways this could play out.

"Thanks, Mom." I called over my shoulder. Though right now I felt anything but
thankful as I tried to come up with the least awkward way to address the situation,
I also knew it was the smartest move in the long-run.

"Just get out of here already." She laughed, shooing my out of the room with more
desperate hand gestures now. I rolled my eyes at her impatience, noticing she was
more enthusiastic about the relationship than even I was. Okay, that's a lie, but
at least I don't let my enthusiasm show that much.

I was laying on my bed not ten minutes later, chewing on my bottom lip as I tried
to plan out what to say when Troye answered. Should I just dive right into the
topic at hand or try and let on like it's just a normal goodnight phone call at
first and build up to it? Either way, how do you even bring that sort of thing up?
I groaned in frustration, rolling over and padding down the hallway to the
bathroom. My mother was still up, downstairs watching television shows, likely
waiting to go to bed so she could hear the newest report on Troye after the call.
I walked into the bathroom, standing in front of the mirror and giving a weak
smile. Granted Troye wouldn't even be able to see me when I spoke, but I figured
seeing myself would make it easier to gauge what was and wasn't suitable for me to
say.

"Hi, Troye? I just wanted to say that I don't want things to be awkward between us.
You're my best friend and- Fuck, no that sounds like I'm turning him down and don't
want us to be anything more than friends." I muttered to myself, running a hand
through my hair quickly before taking another determined breath.

"Hi, Troye! What's up- No, there is no way we can just have a casual conversation
after that happened!" I groaned loudly this time, tugging at my hair even rougher.
Third time's a charm? Maybe? Hopefully...

"Hey, look, I'm sorry for messing up our first kiss horribly, if you want to give
me another chance I'm sure I could- Nope, too desperate." I sighed, stumbling
backward and sitting down on the toilet seat. I spent a few seconds with my face in
my hands again, before a familiar giggle from the doorway had me jolting upright.
She was smirking, rolling her eyes slightly at my shocked expression.

"You've got it so bad, honey." It was my turn to roll my eyes now. Tell me
something I don't know. I could feel my cheeks heating up as her smile grew
impossibly bigger, answering my silent question if she'd been there to hear all
three of my trail runs. God, I make a fool of myself every time around since
meeting this boy. "Dial his number and just go with it from there. There's no way
you can predict what you're going to say for the entire conversation, much less
what he's going to say."

"But what if I mess up?"

"He's your friend, he'll laugh it off." She said sternly, almost like she wasn't
going to give me any option but to follow her suggestion. I hauled myself to my
feet, glaring at her to make sure she didn't follow as I headed back to my bedroom.
I loved her, but I really didn't need her eavesdropping when I was already nervous
as shit.

I closed the door behind me, giving my mother one last pointed glare as I did so. I
headed straight to my bed then, sitting down on the edge and taking my phone out. I
went to my contacts, plannign to immediately click on Troye's name and get it over
with. Except, when do things ever go according to plan for me? Instead, I found
myself hovering my thumb over his name and my eyes glued to the tiny contact
picture. He'd refused to let me take a normal picture, covering his face with his
hand when I tried. I got one when he wasn't looking though, when he'd been
blabbering on about something stupid like how green-screens work. It was an awkward
upward angle, but I'd managed to make him laugh with some clueless question about
the topic just as I took it. It was a photo of his real smile, the one you hardly
ever seen. Admittedly, I'd been seeing a lot more of it lately, but I still wanted
to capture it. It was something I could look at forever, and if I wasn't careful, I
would probably end up doing so.

With that, I let my thumb sink down and click the touch screen, nerves buzzing
through my veins like electricity. I took a deep breath, holding it as I listened
to the rings that followed. I'd never thought the ring of a phone could be so
suspenseful before tonight, but this brought a whole new meaning to the word. One
ring had me grazing my teeth over my bottom lip. Two rings had me balling my free
hand into a fist so hard my nails dug into my palm. Three rings had my heart racing
faster than it had even earlier during the football game. Four rings- never came. I
blinked, furrowing my brows as I drew the phone back at stared at the screen in
disbelief. Had he seriously hung up on me? My jaw unhinged as my eyes actually took
in the screen's contents, the call definitely had the little red word 'ended' next
to it. Was he really that mad? God, what had I done? I let my eyes fall shut,
taking a deep breath in hopes of warding off the stinging feeling in the back of my
nose. I was not going to cry over this. It's not like it's the end of the world,
friends get annoyed with each other all the time. It's not like he can ignore me
forever.

Still, the fact he was ignoring me at all felt like enough of a reason to cry. I
hadn't been kidding with that murderer analogy I'd told him earlier at the drive-
in. I don't think there's a thing he could do that I wouldn't be able to forgive
him for, within minutes. No matter how badly he hurt me, it'd hurt more to be
without him. I guess that's why it affected me so much that he could just ignore me
like that. He was everything to me, while I was someone he had no trouble ignoring
calls from? That didn't sound fair to me at all. How come I was cursed with all
these stupid emotions and he got off easy like that? I bet he was completely
indifferent right now, just slightly ticked off as he crawled under the covers and
fell into a peaceful sleep. Whereas I, on the other hand, was likely going to be up
half the night over-thinking and definitely not crying. Nope, I'm not that
pathetic.

Right?

I woke up early the next day, not remembering to change my alarms after my failed
call with Troye. Whatever, it doesn't hurt to be there early anyway. If I happen to
run into the boy that kept my up all night, in the least pleasant sense of the
phrase, then so be it. Maybe, if that stupid airhead wants to ignore me, I'll
ignore him back twice as bad.

That was my thought train the entire morning as I stomped around getting ready,
glaring at every inanimate object I came to face. My interaction with my mother was
brief thankfully, meaning she didn't get the chance to try and talk some sense into
me before rushing out the door to work. In the long run, it may have been better to
have her explain all the reasons why my approach was a bad idea, but right now I
didn't want to hear it. I didn't want to hear anything, other than an apology
falling from a certain idiot's mouth. So what I'd messed up our first kiss, if he'd
stop freaking ignoring me we'd have lots of chances to make up for it.

I was no cheerier when I pulled into the school parking lot, definitely not when I
seen his stupid sleek car sitting there in it's usual parking space. I'd expected
it to be there, but that didn't make me any less angry to see it. I didn't even
hesitate before snatching my bag out of the backseat and trudging out of my car. I
wanted him to see me ignoring him. I held my head high, practically strutting as I
purposely kept my eyes from drifting in his direction. It wasn't until I reached
the school doors that I realized he might not even be sitting in his car today and
could already be inside, but it was too late to stress over it now. I continued
toward my locker with the same fakely-composed appearance on from earlier, covering
up everything I was feeling right now rather welll considering how freaking strong
the feelings all were. It wasn't until I reached my locker, and spotted a note
taped to it, that I let my first smile of the day break-out. Okay, I guess I could
maybe stop ignoring Troye over this, it was a pretty damn cute move on his part.

I reached forward tentatively, flipping the envelope around in my fingers as my

smile grew impossibly bigger. Suddenly the anticipation was just too much to bear
and I found myself ripping the paper off, my eyes wide as I took in the contents.
The content. All that was in it was a sole picture. I furrowed my brows in
confusion, recognizing myself easily, along with Troye just seconds later. We were
both in the photo completely, our hands intertwined and cars in the background.
After a bit longer studying I recognized the building in the background, sighing
loudly as I flipped the paper over. As expected, there was a less-than-desirable
note scrawled on the back.

"You two make a really cute couple! xx" I glared at the words, noting that they
were written in glitter pen, meaning it had been a girl. Which, due to my amazing
detective skills, I guessed was the stupid girl that was throwing popcorn at Troye
last night. I wasn't sure what this was supposed to be. A threat maybe? Blackmail?
I mean, all she could really do with it was show the entire school. Which, a week
ago, might have seemed like the end of the world, but right now there were things
that felt like the end of the world a lot more than this did. Besides, I got a
pretty cute photo of us out of the whole ordeal, so who's really winning here? I
shoved it into my locker, grabbing my books that I'd originally came here for. I
hope I run into her today, so I can rub in just how little her little joke affected
me. Who knows, maybe I could unintentionally trip her or throw my food in her
direction. Fair's fair, she'd done it to Troye yesterday. I groaned aloud, suddenly
thankful I was alone in the hallway. I wasn't supposed to be standing up for him, I
was supposed to be mad at him.

I practically drifted through the empty halls, grinning cheerily as I came to a

stop in front of my first class. As luck would have it, today was Friday, which
meant my first class was with none other than-

"Troye, I'm sorry, but there are no seats for you to switch to. Surely you and
Tyler can get along for the rest of this semester." I glared at the ground now, in
total shock at the words I'd just heard filter through the slightly-ajar door. He
wanted to move seats? He was that angry with me? I hadn't even done anything wrong!
What had he expected me to do, just continue kissing him with his father there?

"It's nothing personal really, he's just very distracting during class. He talks a
lot and he's constantly fidgeting around in his seat. I just think it'd be better
for my learning experience as a whole if I sat near someone more... calm." He
mumbled the last word, but I still caught it. I'd never admit I caught it because I
had positioned myself as close as possible to the door without accidentally pushing
it open, solely for the purpose of eavesdropping on their conversation. That'd be
creepy. Still, as I thought over the words he'd just said, I began to care less and
less if he thought I was 'creepy'. In fact, suddenly I didn't seem to care about
what he thought much at all.

"And I get that, Troye, I really do, but there's no one we can move right now. I
purposely arranged this seating arrangement as I got to know your personalities.
You know, keeping the chatty people away from chatty people, keeping the boyfriends
away from their girlfriends, just general things to make class run smoother. You
and Tyler, well, you click. You get along, but not enough to be a distraction to
yourselves or anyone else." Never once had I pictured myself thanking my greasy
math teacher like he'd given me life itself, but here I was. As much as I wanted to
smack Troye for acting so shady and generally dick-ish, I still didn't want him to
move seats. That felt like a whole new degree of fighting. Where we were now, it
could still be pretty easy to recover from. At least, I hoped it could be.

"Yes, sir." Troye sighed out, sounding genuinely defeated. I felt a little bad,
before remembering what he'd been trying to achieve.

"If the problem persists I suppose I could-"

I was unfathomably frustrated as I pushed the door further open, not daring to let
the stupid teacher finish his sentence. I may have been thanking him seconds ago,
but things change quickly when you even mention the idea of separating me from
Troye. I didn't look up at them though, I wasn't about to give either of them the
satisfaction of knowing the conversation had affected me. Or even that I'd heard
the conversation, considering that'd prove to Troye I was still interested enough
to bother with eavesdropping on him. I fell into my seat with a quiet huff,
immediately setting my books down and opening them up. For a fleeting moment I was
left considering how much extra work I did in class voluntarily because of Troye,
before the star of my thoughts himself slid into his seat next to me. Then it was
game on, my eyes actually focusing as I hurriedly jotted down notes and questions
like my life depended on it. I was actually kind of disappointed when he didn't try
to strike up a conversation or ask if I was ignoring him, though I should have
expected that considering he was ignoring me himself. Still, would it have killed
him to at least give me a second's notice?

Class seemed to drag on for hours, reminding me just how boring it had been before
I met the boy sitting next to me. I hated it. I hated comparing where we were now
to how we'd been before we even met, but honestly it was about the same, if not
even worse. No, it was definitely worse. I was in blissful ignorance before meeting
him. How are you supposed to know your life is missing something brilliant if
you've never heard of it? Exactly. But now that I had, there was absolutely no
chance of me ever going back to anything 'blissful' unless he was the cause of it.

"You may hand in your papers now, if you've finished." The teacher called out, the
familiar dull tone making me turn my nose up and sigh quietly. I snatched the paper
up then, standing and letting my eyes fall on the back of Troye's head. It was the
first time I'd seen him today, though it kind of sucked I couldn't see his face. I
couldn't risk being caught staring though, so this was the best I got, looking at
the messy mop of hair on his head and wondering why it was so unruly today. It's
not like he'd slept in, his car was here before even mine was. I didn't dare to
hope it was because he'd been up most the night himself. Partly because it was
selfish to want your friends to face insomnia, but mostly because I didn't want to
be let down if he came back with a completely not-me-related excuse. I let my eyes
drift further down then, taking in his drained appearance and the way his shoulders
had slumped forward. Yeah... Whether it was over me or not, somebody was definitely
sleep-deprived. Then, a new curiosity sparked inside of me, my eyes darting to the
sheet of paper in front of him and going wide when I found it barely half-finished.
That's assuming the questions he did get done are right. I looked back up then,
casting one more longing glance toward the teacher's desk, and coincidentally, my
pride, before sinking back down in my chair and sliding my paper over to him. I
didn't look up as he wordlessly took the paper, though I couldn't help my breath
from catching when his hand brushed against mine. Damn it, he's got me wrapped
around his finger, doesn't he?

I was hoping he might confront me after class, or at least thank me or apologize,

but instead I got another one of those stupid formal nods like last night's. I
watched through slightly glossy eyes as he turned on his heel after the nod,
strolling out of the room and, for once, leaving me the last in the classroom. I
sighed quietly, gathering my stuff up and casting a goodbye glance in the direction
of the teacher. Not surprisingly, I was met with the sight of him trying to eat yet
another dish between classes. I guess pasta was on the menu for today... Very
soggy, overcooked, cheap, looking pasta. Delicious.

The rest of my day was pretty uneventful, every second absent from the personal
happiness-in-human-form I'd grown accustomed to. I caught sight of him in the halls
once, while I was switching into my last class before lunch. He'd been leaned over
the water fountain, and I've yet to get the image of water dribbling down his chin
out of my mind. Then again, there were definitely worse images to have branded into
your mind, so who am I to complain?
I was heading out of the classroom and toward the cafeteria now, the image of Troye
still on repeat in my mind. Thankfully, he hadn't caught me ogling him like some
sort of pathetic stalker, simply turning and making his way to his next class
without even thinking to glance in the opposite direction. Which, coincidentally,
had also given me a very nice image of his butt has he walked away for me to obsess
over. At this point I wasn't even going to bother with warding off thirsty
thoughts. They were pretty much continuous whenever I was around him, and they were
pretty much impossible to get rid of.

"Tyler!" I blinked, looking up dumbly at the person who'd interrupted my pleasant

train of thought. Marcus was standing in front of me, looming over me thanks to his
height. He had a weird expression on his face, and I spent a few seconds trying to
decode it before deciding to just give up. I had better things to focus my time
thinking about.

"What?" I snapped, trying to sound particularly displeased in an attempt to get him

to leave me alone with my thoughts.

"You've been standing there dazed out for five minutes now. Are you coming to lunch
or not? Or should I just call up the mental institute now and do us all a favor?"

"I'm not mental! I just have a lot on my mind!" I insisted, falling into step
behind him as he led the remainder of the way to the cafeteria. I took great
concentration in not letting my thoughts wander again, convincing myself I had to
at least make it to the lunch table before I lost myself again. I could do that.

"Like?" Marcus urged, making me look up with a stupid look on my face. I hadn't
expected him to ask. He never asks, because, well, he never cares.

"School..." I trailed off, but his unimpressed expression told me that wasn't going
to be enough for him. I took a deep breath as we rounded the cafeteria doors,
deciding to try again. "And parties, and girls, and stuff."

"Ah, I hear 'stuff' is a pretty time-consuming topic. I'll let you get back to it."
He beamed, patting me on the back as we reached the lunch line.

"Fuck off." I snapped sarcastically, looking up and glaring at him. He just

snickered though, dodging my attempt at swatting at him and bounding away. I
watched him run off, settling into his usual spot at the 'popular' table like
always. What a shocker, way to be spontaneous, Marcus. Still, the short interaction
actually had me smiling. I guess Marcus was a semi-decent substitute for Troye. But
only when it was entirely and completely impossible for me to have Troye. Speaking
of Troye... I turned around, letting my eyes scan the room with a hopeful sparkle
in them. Five minutes later, I reached the front of the line, and I was still
desperately scanning the room. Of course I knew he wasn't in here by now, but it
didn't hurt to double check, or to quadruple check.

"Tyler? What do you want?" The lunch-lady rasped out, making me promptly turn
around and cast a smile in her direction. If there was one thing that could
actually distract me from Troye, it was food. Food could distract me from anything.
I ordered as much as I could carry on my tray without ending up in another shirt-
mishap or cafeteria fiasco, and happily watched as she piled it onto the flat-
surface. A burger to forget Troye's pretty eyes, a slice of pizza to forget his
cute butt, and the three chocolate puddings, were to forget that image of him with
water dribbling down his chin and running down his neck. Oh god, now it's back,
maybe I should have went with four puddings.

I sighed, shaking my head only slightly because I didn't want to upset my food. It
didn't really get the image out of my head, but at least I was coherent enough to
tell which direction I was walking. I headed straight for my table, ignoring
anything and anyone until I was sat down and had a bite of food stuffed in my
mouth. Then, I decided to tune back in to the rest of the world.

Spoiler alert: It was a big mistake.

"You see them together everywhere around the school, I bet they are." Jack
snickered, his usual mischievous smile alerting me exactly what type of
conversation this was. I followed his gaze over to Caspar, who was absentmindedly
shifting the food around on his plate.

"I just don't get how you can be into something like that, it's sick." Caspar
sighed suddenly, his eyes flickering up and ironically meeting with mine. I chewed
on my bottom lip, giving him a weak smile as I tried to infer who and what exactly
we were talking about. I mean, I had my suspicions, but-

"I wonder who tops." Marcus blurted, earning disgusted gags from all my friends and
a blush from me as I hurriedly covered my face with my hands. My friends, would
assume it was an attempt to get the hideous picture of that out of my head, when in
reality I was just embarrassed over the topic.

"Marcus!" Caspar groaned, after they had all had their fill of gagging and
pretending to be sick over the mention of anal sex.

"What?" Marcus asked innocently, like he seriously believed that was a normal
question to ask. I mean, maybe for him it was. I turned my attention to Caspar
then, deciding I'd better get my answers before he tried to strike up another
conversation with someone else.

"Who are we talking about?" I asked, earning a dramatic eye roll in response for
not paying attention.

"Oh, Shane and that kid with the brown hair. You know, the one you beat up all the
time." He said, shrugging noncommittally as he dipped a fry into some ketchup, like
he hadn't just uttered the words that made me feel physically ill like he'd
pretended to be moments before. They were talking about Troye. My Troye. It wasn't
like usual when it was nameless faces and their unimportant trials and
tribulations. It was Troye, but they were talking about him just like they did
everyone else. Making jokes and assumptions, making Troye himself a joke. But it
wasn't just 'not funny' this time, it was downright painful. I watched through
hooded eyes as they continued to snicker among themselves, making horrible puns
about sexual orientations and discussing their next 'course of action'. I didn't
like the sound of that. But then again, I didn't like the sound of anything they'd
said in the last five minutes.

"Maybe we should ask them." Caspar announced suddenly, a disgusting type of pride
sweltering into his voice as my jaw clenched at his words. The table burst into
fits of laughter and cheers at his idea, the concept of inflicting emotional
turmoil on others utterly fascinating to them. I only half heard it though, the
later like background noise as possible situations played out in my mind. What if
he thought I told them or sent them after him? Sure, he hadn't technically come out
to me yet, but I knew him much better than these idiots did, and he'd assume they
got their information from somewhere, whether it was false or not. Even if he
didn't blame me, imagine all the ways it could hurt him. He's not like me. Sure,
I'm vulnerable and even the thought of coming out has me running to hide, but I've
never been hurt in the past. Not like he has. What if he came out to Lily and
that's why she treated him like she did? God, imagine how much it'd hurt him to
have these idiots-
"Tyler, you coming? You probably don't want to miss this one, you know, because you
hate this Troye kid so much." Marcus beamed dumbly, smiling before trotting after
the crowd that had already left the table. My eyes trailed down, landing on the
food still on my tray. I couldn't eat it though. My plans had backfired. The food
hadn't distracted me from Troye, Troye had distracted me from the food.

A/n: hillo it me. Ugh my room is so cold right now I swear someone is out to freeze
me. What. I literally always look forward to writing these author's notes but then
weird things happen and I forget the entire purpose of them. Do my author's notes
even have a purpose? I guess I just like to interact with y'all and keep you
updated. I've been seeing soooo many cute posts about this fic on Tumblr and you
have no idea how insanely happy that makes me, watching you guys discuss it. Also,
sorry bout the drama llamas, you'll like it in the end. And also I've noticed an
angry mob of you are demanding they kiss but that's not happening any time soon.
Probs like 15 more chapters idk, that's the roughest rough estimate you'll ever get
so don't hold me to that number exactly. Also, I have no idea if any of you will
like this song but it's been my anthem during these drama-ee times so idk, I'm
gonna link it. Let's discuss. Taylor Momsen is really hot though. Hmm, okay, also,
THIS IS AN EARLY UPDATE. LIKE 15 HOURS AFTER THE LAST, THAT'S GOOD FOR ME SO LIKE
MAYBE BE SWEETHEARTS AND GIVE ME LOTS OF COMMENTS AND VOTES <# <# <# 3< 3,
3,3,3<#3<3,3,#<# Ugh I literally love you guys bunches and bunches

Chapter Thirty-Five
*Troye's POV*

I felt like a zombie the next morning when a too-cheery Sage came to wake me up.
She hadn't even thrown things or yelled at me, just smiling broadly and shaking my
shoulder gently. I wasn't sure if she was just in a good mood or was walking on
eggshells around me because of last night, but either way it was probably better
than being woken up in the usual manner. After a lot of groaning and complaining, I
sat up and told her to leave me alone. Once she was convinced I wasn't just going
to fall back asleep, she did just that.

After she was out of the room, I dropped the semi-cheery act as well, falling back
into the pillows and sighing heavily. I'd been up late, how late I wasn't sure, but
I did recall looking over at the clock at one point and seeing the bright red
screen saying 4:45am. It hadn't just been tossing and turning and mindless wishing
for sleep though, it was that horrible kind of can't-sleep where you actually think
about things. Okay, if I'm being perfectly honest here there was only one thing I
thought about, not plural. Plus it was more-so a person than a thing- Damn it. Now
I'm thinking about him all over again. I am not spending any more time on this
subject, I've surpassed the point of over-thinking, now it's just pathetic.

I forced my legs over the side of the bed, cringing at the chilly air the second
they emerged from under the blankets. I really wasn't looking forward to the
upcoming winter, at all. Nothing good ever came out of winter. Frostbite, ice-
covered roads that caused car crashes, hectic Christmas shoppers that cared about
nothing more than getting to the deals first. It was definitely my least favorite
season, compared to the carefree summer when everyone was constantly happy.

I was still listing the many cons and few pros of the season, when I stumbled out
of the shower ten minutes later. It wasn't actually that intriguing of a topic, but
it was doing what I needed it to right now; distracting me. After getting halfway
dressed and realizing I had put on a pair of my sister's shorts that had ended up
in my laundry, I realized just how hard I was focusing on blocking out the thoughts
of a certain problem in my life right now. I sighed, shimmying out of the shorts
and opting for a pair of my own skinny jeans instead. With this, I was completely
ready for school. I wasn't particularly happy about that though, considering I
couldn't avoid the inevitable for any longer. Tyler was likely going to hunt me
down as soon as I got there, forcing his explanation on me whether I wanted it or
not. I still wasn't ready to hear it, but honestly I didn't think I'd ever be, so
that wasn't surprising. Is anyone ever ready to hear their crush say they don't
feel the same?

I somehow managed to survive through breakfast with the family. It had been even
more awkward than usual, which I hadn't thought possible before today. Unlike their
usual endless teasing and questioning, I got exactly what I'd been asking for the
last few weeks; silence. It was nothing like I expected it to be though. Sure, I
didn't spend the meal blushing and flustered like a lovesick idiot, but in a way it
was worse than that. The utter silence and uneasy tension that had fallen over the
room was almost unbearable, to the point I was shifting nervously in my seat just
begging someone to speak up. I think I would have rathered talking about Tyler than
that, but at least it was over now.

Now, I was sitting in my car in the school parking lot, pretending to play around
on my phone, when in reality I was just looking up every few seconds to see if any
other cars had arrived. If a really junky piece of crap car had arrive in
particular. I didn't plan on running out to greet him, but I wasn't going to run
away when he came over to my car like I knew he would. I wasn't looking forward to
his rejection speech, but if I had to hear it in order to keep him, then I'd cope.

I'd been sitting in the parking lot for about ten minutes when the unforgettable
rattling over his car found it's way to my ears. My head immediately snapped up,
regardless of whether it was what my brain wanted or not, my eyes wide as they
scanned the parking lot. I watched with an anxious expression as he parked his car,
biting my lip as nerves fluttered about in my stomach. This it it. We're going to
have to talk about it. He was out of his car surprisingly fast, considering how
slowly he usually moved. I sat up straighter in my seat then, watching as he
approached and nervously twiddling my thumbs in my lap. You know that horrible
feeling when you feel a physical locking of your throat and no matter how hard you
try you can't bring yourself to speak, or even swallow your own spit? I had that
already, and he wasn't even in a five foot radius of me. It only got worse as he
got closer, my palms completely coated with sweat as he strolled past the hood of
my car. He's going to stop as soon as he gets past and get into the passenger's
seat, I just know it. Part of me was terrified of the conversation we were about to
have, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thrilled to speak with him again. It
hadn't even been twelve hours and I already felt like I was being seriously
deprived of a necessary part of my life force. It was probably wrong to think like
that now, now that I know he didn't feel the same about me, but I couldn't just
turn it off. I wish I could, I'd give anything to forget these feelings and just
enjoy the way I did have him. It was a miracle Tyler Oakley was my friend at all,
why did my stupid heart have to be all greedy and want more?

I broke out of my thoughts when the realization sunk in that more than enough time
had passed for Tyler to reach the other side of the car, yet I'd heard nothing. I
glanced at the other seat, not surprised to find it empty. I would have heard if he
got in. So where was he? I shifted forward, settling just in time to watch Tyler
reach the doors of the school. I furrowed my brows, an uneasy feeling quickly
spreading throughout my body. Why hadn't he stopped to talk to me? He hadn't even
texted. What if he didn't want to talk at all? What if he'd only been calling to
tell me not to come around him anymore? Oh god, what if he really is homophobic and
had just toned it down in hopes of pursuing a friendship with me?

Emphasize on friendship, not a relationship, Troye.

And now, it's looking like he might not even want the friendship, so congrats on
fucking that up.

I brought a hand up to my cheek, angrily swiping at the tears I was certain

shouldn't have even been there. I don't cry over people leaving me, especially not
jerks that can't even give me a proper explanation. I mean, Lily freaking sucked,
but at least she made it clear what I'd done wrong. I let out an exasperated groan,
frustrated with everything from myself, to Tyler, to that stupid abandoned coffee
cup smushed into the pavement outside. I ran my hand through my hair then, using my
other to snatch my bag off the seat next to me. I got out of the car then, not even
caring if I'd managed to wipe away every tear and it's trail. If someone wanted to
point out I was a weird kid crying slightly in the halls, let them.

I went straight to my first class then, despite it not starting for another ten
minutes. I was just silently praying Tyler had gone off with his friends or
something and I wouldn't be stuck sitting beside him when he was the only other
person in the class room. That'd bring things to a whole new level of awkward. He
didn't want to be near me, at least not that I could see, so imagine how much he'd
hate having to sit through that. Come to think of it, our current seating
arrangement is just going to cause unnecessary stress for both of us. Him,
uncomfortable because he can apparently no longer stand to be near me, and me,
because I can't look at him without getting that stupid topsy-turvy feeling in my
stomach and a loopy smile on my face. Maybe I should just take one for the team and
eliminate the problem before it becomes one. I love sitting next to Tyler, I've
never actually enjoyed a class like I have this past month with him, but I could
never force him to stay there if it made him uncomfortable.

That was my train of thought as I scurried down the last hallway leading toward my
classroom, my footsteps slowing and my legs feeling heavier the more I thought
about the topic. I cared about him too much to force him to do anything he didn't
want to solely because I wanted it. I guess that's how you tell when you really do
care about a person, when you put them before yourself. And that's exactly what I
was doing by asking the teacher to let me move seats.

I'd gotten right to the point upon entering the classroom, dropping my stuff off at
my desk and then just heading straight to the front. Once again the teacher looked
surprised to see me there, after not speaking at all the past few years, but he
managed to put on a semi-convincing welcoming smile.

"How can I help you?" If you could get my best friend to stop hating me, that'd be
absolutely splendid.

"I was wondering if I could switch seats. I know I said at the beginning of the
year I could sit next to anyone, but certain circumstances have arisen and I feel
switching seats would be a lot better for my education." I spilled, not even
planning what I was going to say before it tumbled out of my mouth. I was actually
pretty impressed with my own ability to come up with lies on the spot. It sounded
professional even, like I had a legitimate education-related reason to switch
seats, rather than just some awkward almost-kiss. I could tell before he even
replied what his answer was going to be, ironically not even because I could read
minds. He developed that sympathetic face that people always got when they were
about to say no to you, his lips curling down into a frown as his eyes got bigger.

"Troye, I'm sorry, but there are no seats for you to switch to. Surely you and
Tyler can get along for the rest of this semester." His tone sounded almost
hopeful, but I'd already gone this far and I really didn't want to back down now.
I'd never get the nerve to ask again, and if it made Tyler feel better in the long-
run I'd do anything to make sure it worked.
"It's nothing personal really, he's just very distracting during class. He talks a
lot and he's constantly fidgeting around in his seat. I just think it'd be better
for my learning experience as a whole if I sat near someone more... calm." I began
to feel unsure of my decision about halfway through my response, realizing what it
was I was doing. This was basically confirmation on both ends that we didn't care
to see the friendship get fixed. Of course that was a lie for me, but up until now
I'd thought it'd be worth it as long as Tyler was happy. I still wanted him happy,
I always would, but a selfish part of me had suddenly surfaced. This might be the
only place I actually get to spend time with him now, am I really willing to throw
that away?

"And I get that, Troye, I really do, but there's no one we can move right now. I
purposely arranged this seating arrangement as I got to know your personalities.
You know, keeping the chatty people away from chatty people, keeping the boyfriends
away from their girlfriends, just general things to make class run smoother. You
and Tyler, well, you click. You get along, but not enough to be a distraction to
yourselves or anyone else." The more he said the more I started to feel better.
Sure, I hadn't gotten my way and he was probably expecting me to grumpy about that,
but instead I was grinning goofily by the end of it. I quickly wiped that off of my
face though, reminding myself he in no way meant it in a romantic way when he said
that we 'clicked'.

"Yes, sir." I sighed out, mustering all of my acting skills to sound disappointed
with the outcome. I didn't need him questioning why I was grinning so stupidly over
my teacher rejecting my pleads, or why a rosy blush had settled on my cheeks ever
since he said we 'clicked'. Surprisingly, he actually seemed convinced, giving me
another apologetic look before opening his mouth to reply.

"If the problem persists I suppose I could-" He was interrupted though, when the
creaky noise of the door flying open filled the room. I turned around slowly,
nervous at first it was some annoying jock or something by how forcefully they'd
pushed the door open. I let out a breath of relief seeing Tyler, before the
memories of our current situation came back to me and I felt even more nervous than
I would of had it been any other jock. I watched as he stomped across the room, his
hands buried deep in his pockets and his eyebrows scrunched together as he stared
down at the tiled floor. Somebody definitely woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
I turned around and blushed when I saw the teacher's look of shock at Tyler's
behavior, just shrugging at him like that explained everything. I decided I'd
better go sit down as well, mostly because I didn't want the teacher to continue
our conversation with Tyler himself here, but also because a tiny little shred of
me might still believe Tyler will talk to me and blow past all this like it never
happened. Hey, I'm allowed to dream, aren't I?

I walked over as silently as I could, almost tentative as I stood hovering beside

my seat. I wanted to sit down, but I also didn't know how Tyler was going to react.
He had his face practically buried in his text book, his hand quickly fluttering
over the page as he did the unnecessary extra work. I ended up giving in to the
temptation in a matter of seconds, holding my breath as I slid into my seat next to
him. When he still didn't react, or even look up, I felt a pang of hurt in my
chest. He really couldn't even acknowledge me? He's just going to ignore my
existence? What if he never addresses me again? I turned away from him, sinking
down on my chair and frowning heavily. Normally, I'd be doing extra work and Tyler
would be slumped down playing on his phone and finding any distraction he could not
to work. Funny how things change.

Before the fight I never realized just how much of my time I occupied with Tyler.
Not just when we were talking, or when we were texting or passing notes, but every
second I got the chance to stare at him when he wasn't looking I took advantage of
him, and I liked to believe he did the same back when I wasn't looking. Even now,
when he refused to admit I existed at all, I still found all of my time occupied by
him. I didn't dare to even look over in his direction, but you can rest assured
there wasn't a second that passed that he wasn't on my mind. I listened for any
sign of movement too, smiling like an idiot when I heard his freaking pen click,
that's how pathetic I was. I was unaware of just how much time I was giving to not
paying attention to him, until the teacher cleared his throat and said the sentence
I always found myself dreading.

"You may hand in your papers now, if you've finished." My face fell, realizing I'd
barely gotten half the work done. I was going to have heaps of homework tonight,
when all I'm really gonna want to do is fall into bed and pass out. Great. I heard
Tyler sigh quietly beside me, the first noise I'd heard him actually make in the
last hour. I listened to the sound of him pushing his chair out, the legs scraping
against the floor and making a horrible shrieking sound. I slumped down against my
desk even further, wishing I could just melt into the creases of the floor and
hide. I knew he was staring at the back of my head. Not because of mind-reading,
just that feeling you get when you just know someone is staring at you. That, and
he hadn't moved after standing up, meaning he was still standing beside me with a
pretty limited amount of other things he could be staring at. I didn't turn around
and confront him though, or even shift nervously under his gaze, instead I stayed
perfectly still in hopes of prolonging the staring. It wasn't much, but it was the
most attention I'd gotten from him all day, and I'd be damned if I wasn't going to
bask in it. I almost jumped when I heard his chair sliding again, and the
unmistakable sound of his feet scuffling against the floor as he sat back down. I
wasn't sure what I'd been expecting him to do, but when he slid his finished paper
across the desks, I felt like the king of the world. I didn't dare to speak up and
thank him right now, knowing my voice was not to be trusted in situations like
this. Instead I just world took the paper, reaching out slowly and purposely
choosing to grip the part of paper that'd have our hands brushing.

Damn it, he's got me wrapped around his finger, doesn't he?

A stupid grin enveloped my face in reaction to this and I found myself staring
down at my desk like it was the love of my life. It wasn't, but if I wanted to be
really sappy I could say I believed the guy next to me to be. Obviously the concept
of love was still new to me, and we were still young, but there was something about
him that was just... different. I couldn't even picture myself being interested in
anyone else after this, not even Harry Styles or Beyonce. Sure they were absolutely
gorgeous, but so was Tyler, and I knew for sure it was both inside and out with
him.

Class ended not long after, and I'd spent most of the time debating how to thank
him instead of actually copying the work he'd lent me. I was hoping he'd be okay
with me keeping it after class and returning it tomorrow. Of course it'd be fine if
he said no though, it was my fault for getting so distracted during these last five
minutes when I could have been speedily copying. Even worse, when the time finally
came that the bell did ring, and everyone was filtering out of the room, I still
hadn't even began to decide on how I was going to thank him. I stood up, watching
as he just stayed sitting and doodling in his notebook. I left his page halfway on
both of our desks, a silent gesture that he could take it back if he wanted. He
made no move to, just concentrating on his drawing like it was the most fascinating
thing in the world. Before I could help myself I was peeking over his shoulder,
giving a lopsided grin when I saw he wasn't drawing at all. Instead he was doing
that adorable thing people do when they practice their cursive and write their name
all over their pages. Except it wasn't just his name, he also had his mother's,
Marcus's, even Caspar's much to my dismay, but the last name that he was currently
working on, made up for the less desirable ones. I watched with a smile as he
absentmindedly wrote out the familiar name, not missing the fact he'd remembered my
middle name as well. Troye Sivan Mellet had never looked so good as it did in his
hand-writing.

After he'd finished I watched him stuff it into his binder, leaving me pouting
slightly that I couldn't watch for longer. I guess it was a smart choice though,
considering we were now the last two people left in the room. I didn't even bother
sorting my stuff before gathering it all up in my arms, about to turn and leave so
Tyler wouldn't get a chance to see my blushing face when he stood up suddenly. I
immediately looked at the floor, trying impossibly hard to ward off the offending
lovesick grin and girly blush. Eventually it got to be too much for me though, and
I could physically feel my lips fighting against me as they started to stretch into
a smile. I panicked, just nodding formally yet again when Tyler looked up at me. I
spun around on my heel then, letting out the breath I'd been holding as I finally
allowed myself to smile. And boy, smile I did, I felt like my cheeks were going to
fall off from the grin.

I was still smiling widely when I reached my locker, though it immediately vanished
when I saw the envelope taped to it. At first I got a little excited over it,
before I realized that fancy scroll on the envelope was most definitely not
Tyler's. I debated not even opening it, just throwing it into the nearby trash and
avoiding any of the stress this message was undoubtedly going to cause me, but I
couldn't bring myself to do that. As the saying goes, 'curiosity killed the cat'. I
pried it open nervously, ignoring all the people rushing to their classes around
me. I pulled the sole piece of paper out, furrowing my brows even further when I
saw it was a picture. My confused expression changed to one of shock when I
recognized the two people in the photo.

The two people in the photo holding hands.

It was Tyler and I, from last night when he'd been leading me to his car. All the
drama and stress of how I got the photo aside for a moment, it was a really
freaking cute photo. Tyler was half-doubled-over laughing and I was just smiling
over at him, the usual one I always wore when I was around him. It was weird seeing
it in a photo or from someone else's point of view, I really did look like those
moony lovesick couples you see in the halls sucking face and acting like separating
for their next class is the end of the world. I'd always found those people
atrocious, I'd never dreamt I'd become one. And yet, here I am, not even dating him
and already reaching that point of infatuation. After I realized what I was doing,
standing there practically fangirling over a photo of us in public, I quickly
flipped it over and studied the message on the back.

"You should know you can't stay invisible for long dating the king of the school."
I ran a hand through my quiff, tilting my head as I considered what the note had
said. I couldn't find the will to be nervous, despite knowing that had been the
intent of the message. It was supposed to scare me or something, that she knew this
information and had the ability to show anyone. It didn't though, and instead I
found myself dwelling on the fact she thought Tyler and I were a couple. Did we
really look like it to everyone else that saw us? That didn't make me nervous like
it should have, it made me get a weird knot of pride in my stomach. People actually
thought I was worthy of someone as perfect as Tyler.

"What'cha looking at?" I tensed, completely freezing as I contemplated who would be

standing behind me. A second later I realized, mostly because he moved forward and
leaned against the locker beside mine. Shane and I hadn't necessarily grown close
so much as we'd grown to be used to being near each other. Sometimes I wondered if
we stuck by each other solely for the safety in numbers aspect or if we were
genuinely friends. I mean, I guess I considered him a friend, we spent time
together and talked lots. I just didn't really have any emotions invested in the
relationship. Who knows, maybe I wasted up all the emotions I've got on my
relationship with Tyler, I honestly wouldn't be surprised.
"A picture." I answered finally, looking back up at him. He's been change his looks
in the past month. He'd lost quite a bit of weight and had gotten his shoulder
length hair cut much shorter, with a big side-swept fringe. He definitely looked
better, but I wasn't so sure of his motives for the change of looks. I just really
hoped he wasn't letting the tormenting get to him and changing who he was around
it. Sure, I didn't have much emotion involved in the friendship, but I'd be upset
if that happened to anyone.

"Care to elaborate? What kind of picture? Pornographic, cute kitten photos, a

creepy stalker photo you took of your crush-"

"A creepy stalker photo someone else took of my cr- I mean, Tyler and I." I felt
like slapping myself over that obvious 'save'. Shane just chuckled though,
considering he was already convinced Tyler and I were dating. I'd started out
rejecting his assumptions or just straight-up ignoring him when he asked questions
about my 'boyfriend', but now I just embraced it. Obviously I hadn't said I was
actually dating him, but if he asked how my boyfriend was I simply said good rather
than getting all flustered. I jumped suddenly, realizing he'd snatched the photo
out of my hands. "Hey!"

"Aw, look at you two. Have you kissed him yet?" He asked, scanning the picture with
a knowing cocky smirk that made me glare at him. How dare him acting like he knows
our relationship better than I do. Well, to be fair, I have absolutely no idea
what's going on with our relationship, but still. I paused, trying to remember what
he'd said before I got lost in my thoughts yet again.

Have you kissed him yet?

I suddenly didn't feel nearly as cheery, my eyes falling to the linoleum floor. My
hands found my pockets, immediately shoving in as I waited patiently for the moment
to end so I could get to my car. I had a free period right now, but I had no
intention of spending the entire thing with Shane. I tolerate him, but I still
prefer to be alone.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Shane asked, handing me back the picture gently. I took it and
felt relief wash over me when I saw he hadn't crinkled it, slightly ashamed of how
protective of a piece of blackmail I had gotten. I couldn't help it, it was just so
real. If we stopped talking forever today, I'd still have this photo. And there was
no way anybody could deny our happiness in that photo and say it was 'faked' or
'forced', because we had no idea cameras were on us. That was just genuinely what
our friendship was like. I just really hope this photo doesn't have to be all I
have left of it.

"Kissing is just sort of a touchy subject right now." I answered finally, repeating
the scene from last night in my head all over again. I'd been so utterly nervous,
like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest, and he just left me hanging.
He could have at least changed the subject or just straight-up told me he didn't
want to kiss me.

"Did he reject you?" His tone was quieter than usual, and much more sensitive.
Usually he tried to turn everything into a joke, I was sort of thankful this was an
exception.

"Something like that."

"Maybe he's just not ready yet, he's obviously just as infatuated with you as you
are with him." He said, pointing toward Tyler's scrunched up face in the photo. I
found myself smiling at just the memory for a second, before coming back to present
time and suddenly getting frustrated with him all over again. I didn't want to play
the blame game, but if he'd just reacted a little bit differently all of this could
have been avoided.

"You make it sound like I tried to take his virginity or something. All I wanted
was a simple peck on the lips, how can you not be ready for that?" I complained,
earning an eye roll and a shove from him.

"Shut-up, stop trying to find fault in my comforting. I'm trying my best, you
know." I did feel a bit bad now, giving him a weak smile and nodding. Sometimes I
forgot he was just as new to this socializing regularly thing as I was, and it was
easy to get short with him over it. But he really was making an effort, the least I
can do is make an effort to appreciate it.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. Look, I've got to get going, I have plans for this
block. Do you want to hang-out at lunch?"

After agreeing on the details, we'd solidified our plans to meet up at lunch. Who
knows, maybe I'd enjoy company other than Tyler's for a change. I was doing it more
for him than me though. I was a shitty friend, but I wanted him to feel comfortable
enough with me that he'd talked to me if he ever needed it. I would never wish
anything bad on him, and if talking to me could keep anything bad from happening,
then I definitely wanted him to see it as an option.

So at exactly 12pm, I found myself sitting at a rickety picnic table by myself as I

waited for Shane to get there. I'd never actually sat at any of the outdoor tables
they had set up for students. Then again, not that many people did. They were
mostly reserved for irrelevant people that weren't cool enough for the cafeteria,
or cocky people that thought they were too cool for the cafeteria. But being the
not very cool people we were, we thought it was the most reasonable place to meet.
Thankfully today they were even less populated than usual, probably having
something to do with the fact it was particularly chilly today. Even in my baggy
jumper I found myself shivering slightly, pouting over how quickly the temperatures
had dropped.

I let out a breath of relief when I finally saw Shane walking over, considering I'd
begun to think he stood me up. As he fell into his seat on the other side of the
table I scanned the bag he put on the table, watching him fish out all his food and
line it up all fancy. I didn't question him on it though, just grabbing a sandwich
from my own lunch and turning to scan the rest of the area. We were alone outside
aside from the table furthest away from us, which was occupied by an array of what
looked to be stoners and burn-outs. One stood out from the rest, obviously. Sawyer
Hartman was the only person in the school who managed to not hangout with any of
the popular kids, and still be all anyone talked about. I guess he was just that
exciting, or maybe the bad boy vibes drew people in. Who could really tell how
teenagers minds worked? Well, aside from me, but I'd really rather not know.

Other than the stoners, there were only a few people out in the field, but they
were too far to hear anything we said. They looked to be cheerleaders practicing
routines, but that was stupid considering the season was over for the year. If they
are seriously just getting prepared for next year, I have lost all faith in
humanity. Then again, I don't know how cheer leading works either.

"Checking out the cheerleaders, Mellet?" I snapped my gaze back to Shane, glaring
at him for the sarcastic tone he used. He had that same smug grin on from earlier,
making me feel almost spiteful as I stared him down.
"For all you know I could very well be interested in girls, I've never said
otherwise." I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest. He blurted out a laugh at
this, before quickly composing himself again and wiping his expression blank.

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong. You say you're gay all the time, just not with
your mouth." I quirked my eyebrows at this, silently asking him to elaborate. I did
not act gay. I had absolutely no clue how he could tell, but no one else had ever
brought it up. Well, maybe no one else ever cared but... "Like when you seen that
spider in the hallway and had a mini flip-out, or that photo of One Direction in
your locker-"

"Hey! Straight boys can like One Direction too! Bands don't determine sexuality's."
I defended, raising a finger to point it at him accusingly. He just giggled though,
reaching down and pulling a phone out of his pocket.

"But the amount of shirtless photos of said bands saved to your phone can." He said
cheekily, typing in the pass-code that was scarily familiar. I knew it was my phone
then, watching in horror as he opened up my sacred collection of shirtless guy
photos. Not to mention the creepy, horribly blurry, zoomed in photos of Tyler while
he was playing football.

"When did you take my phone? Give it back you little gremlin!" I demanded,
snatching it from his outstretched hand as he fell into a fit of laughter. I just
scowled though, immediately changing my pass-code and stuffing the phone deep into
my pocket. I don't know how he managed to get it out of my pocket in the first
place, or knew my pass-code, but I'm not going to make that same mistake twice.
With a second's hesitation I decided we were at the point in our friendship where
we could begin insulting each other and not offending one another. Which was a good
thing, because I really felt the urge right now. "I don't know why I hang-out with
you."

"Lack of other options, likely." He laughed, making me laugh in response despite

how hard I was trying to be mad at him. After we'd finished laughing we went back
to eating our lunches for a while, until a random question struck me.

"Why do you care anyway? If I'm gay or not?"

"I don't care, it'd just be nice to know. I feel like there are certain boundaries
I can't cross with a straight friend, and I'd just like to know for sure one way or
the other."

"What kind of boundaries?" I asked curiously, trying to read his expression for my
answer. He seemed to think for a minute before smirking and nodding over his
shoulder, making my eyes fall on the stoner table behind him.

"Well, if I knew you were gay for certain... I'd most likely try to start up a
conversation about how good Sawyer's butt looks in those skinny jeans." A smile
broke out across my face as I listened to the words, my eyes remaining on said
butt.

"It does look really good, I'll give you that." I sighed, looking back to him now.

"And then I'd be able to rant about boy problems to you, while you do nothing but
brag about how lovely things are in paradise with the hottest boy in the school
wrapped around your finger-"

"It's not paradise, at all. If you only knew half of the things going on right
now-"
"Uh, uh, uh, I said boy talk was one of the things we could do if I knew you were
gay. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable-" I cut him off by raising my hand
and sighing loudly. I'd already came out to my family, what's one more? Besides, if
that photo gets leaked the entire school's gonna think I'm gay anyway, Shane might
as well hear it for sure from my mouth now. I didn't want some sappy emotional
moment though, trying to come up with the most casual way to drop the news.

"Fine, I'm strictly dickly, now can I rant?" He didn't bother to hide his satisfied
smile, but I didn't bother to dwell on it as the urge to rant about Tyler Oakley
rose in my chest.

"Feel free."

"He is so... frustrating! He flirts with me all the time, and then he says these
really sweet genuine things about like my smile or my eyes, and just when I'm
absolutely sure he must have feelings for me he has to go and mess it up somehow."
I groaned, sinking down against the table and burying my face in my arms. I had
planned on ranting much more than that, but I'd gotten too angry to continue as I
heard my own words. I was right, and hearing it out loud only solidified it. I
could sit here blaming myself for trying to initiate the kiss, but he gave me every
reason to try. If he didn't want to kiss me he shouldn't have taken me to a
romantic drive-in theater and offered to cuddle up with me in the back seat.

"It's always his fault? You're never the one to mess it up?" He asked, the obvious
unsurity showing in his voice. I lifted my head slightly to glare at him.

"I thought you said I could rant, stop interrupting-" My phone interrupted me this
time and I was suddenly a lot less fed up with a certain boy, granted this was him
texting me right now. Who else would it be? Shane and Aflie were my only friends
other than Tyler that knew my number, Alfie only because he'd demanded it. My
family definitely had no excuse to text me during school, I never talked to Alfie,
and Shane was right in front of me, that left one person. I hurriedly took my phone
out, grinning until I saw the unfamiliar number on the screen. I clicked it,
opening the text.

"Hey Troye, it's Sage. I'm on my friend's phone, mine died. Where are you at right
now? It's important." My eyes went wide as I scanned the text, my morbid mind
automatically assuming the worst. What if she'd gotten herself in a fight or
something? With her annoying wit and constant teasing I wouldn't be surprised, but
I'd still feel utterly horrible. I hurriedly punched in a response, nervously
chewing on my bottom lip.

"The picnic tables behind the school. Where are you? What's wrong? Can I call you?"
I stared at the screen with wide eyes for nearly an entire minute before I felt
Shane kick my foot under the table.

"What's wrong? Who are you talking to?"

"M-My sister, I think she's in trouble." I said worriedly, flickering my eyes up to

his. He gave a sympathetic frown, the gears in his head obviously turning as he
tried to come up with a way to attempt comforting me. When he obviously came up
short, he instead pushed a chocolate bar toward me. I couldn't help but giggle at
this, wordlessly accepting his offering but not bothering to eat it right now.
She'd text back in a minute, I just had to calm down and take deep breaths. And if
she doesn't text back, I'll call Mom or go looking for her around school. The tenth
grade floor wasn't that huge, surely I could find her if I searched hard enough.

I was still panicking about a minute later, on the brink of calling Mom, when my
eyes fell on a group of people walking across the field. They were close enough now
I could make out the faces, though I really wished I couldn't.

"Is that Caspar?" Shane asked, just now deciding to follow my gaze. I nodded
dumbly, still trying to figure out why on Earth he was walking over here. He barely
ever left the cafeteria during lunch, and when he did it was only to do sports
related things or go and flirt with the cheerleaders. The popular kids did not go
to the picnic tables, that was for sure. "Do you think he's coming over here to
beat me up? Things have been pretty mild lately, maybe I should make a run for it."

"And leave me here?" I squeaked, turning to him with wide eyes. He sighed then, not
moving an inch despite the fact we could now hear their quiet conversation. They
were talking about the cheerleader's asses, not surprisingly. Shane and I both
stared down at the table like it was the most fascinating thing we'd ever seen, not
daring to look up or even breathe as they approached. Maybe they are going to see
the druggies, maybe they just want to buy some weed or something for a party, or
maybe they-

"Mind if we sit here?" I really felt like melting into the cracks of the ground
now, as I felt a shiver wrack my frame at Caspar's hostile tone. I flickered my
eyes up just slightly, not daring to look in their direction but instead locking
eyes with Shane to see his stance on the situation. He wasn't even brave enough to
look up at me, so I guess he wasn't going to help me out here. "Hello? Are you two
deaf?"

"N-No, you can sit here if you want." I stuttered out, cursing myself for cracking
so easy under pressure. Suddenly the table was flooded with the entire group of
them, one of the twins even jumping up to sit on the actual table part because
there wasn't enough room for him. To my horror Caspar sat down right beside me,
immediately reaching over and grabbing my lunchbox to trifle through it. I watched
him turn to me with his eyebrows raised and my juice-box in his hand, as if
silently asking me if it was alright to steal it. I just nodded obediently,
completely submissive in favor of not getting beaten up. I watched him begin to
chug it down, jumping suddenly when I felt the first sign of movement on the other
side of me. I looked to my right, letting out a breath of relief when I saw it was
Tyler who'd set his hand on my thigh. Absolutely anyone else and I would have been
terrified they were trying to force a move on me or something. He wasn't looking at
me, instead staring off in the direction of the parking lot so I couldn't see his
expression, but even just his hand rubbing my thigh gently was enough to comfort
me. I suddenly didn't care that I was 'mad at him' or that things were 'awkward
between us', all I could think about was how amazing it felt to finally have him
with me again.

"So, boys, what were you talking about before we got here?" Caspar spoke up again,
making me reluctantly look back in his direction. I stopped mid-way first though,
feeling bad when I saw Shane still hadn't even looked up from the table. At least
he had Joey and Marcus sitting on either side of him, the two nicest of the group.

"We were just talking about boring private stuff-"

"Private, you say? How interesting, why's it private?" Caspar asked, making me look
back up at him despite how badly I wanted to avoid his cold gaze.

"It's not, I just... I didn't f

Chapter Thirty-Six
*Tyler's POV*

I still hadn't entirely gotten over what had just happened, despite it being about
twenty minutes since the incident took place. Could I even really call it an
incident? That seemed like too small of a word to capture what I'd just done. Sure,
it might not sound like much. I'd stood up for my friend when he was getting
bullied, you'd have to be an idiot not to do that. But that's just the thing, I am
an idiot. I've spent half of my life with these people, listening to them make
homophobic slurs and acting like I could care less. It's only when you realize I
didn't even have the guts to stand up for myself, that you understand what a big
deal this was.

Even now, knowing very well what kind of shit I was going to have to put up with
the rest of the school year, I couldn't bring myself to regret it. I guess that
might have had something to do with how Troye was cuddled up against me, animatedly
chatting with Shane and Marcus like we'd all been friends forever. Nobody mentioned
how close Troye and I suddenly were, leading me to believe Marcus may have had his
suspicions all along. I was thankful for it though, the last thing I wanted was
someone to question it and for Troye to back off. I was still sitting with my legs
on either side of the bench, but he'd taken advantage of the position and was now
leaning back against my chest, the top of his head tucked right under my chin. He
was leaning most of his weight on one of my legs, meaning it had fallen asleep, and
occasionally his hair would tickle my neck and I'd have to resist the urge to
laugh, but it was definitely worth it to have him this close.

The closest he'd came to moving was when he jolted upward suddenly, panicking
slightly as he started feeling around his pockets for his phone. We were all rather
confused until Shane let out a knowing sigh, saying one word that had everything
making sense for us; Sage.

"Troye." I said levelly, reaching around him in an attempt to snatch his phone. He
just slapped my hand away though, going write back to dialing some number into the
screen like he had been earlier. "Troye, Sage is fine. That was Caspar earlier."

"W-What?" He asked, freezing in his tracks. I was thankful for Marcus once again as
he took the job of explaining the entire situation to Troye. Caspar had gone to the
person he knew best that might have Troye's number, which was Alfie, seeing as he
had no idea Troye and I interacted like we did. Alfie had been doubtful at first,
but had given in when Caspar bribed him by saying he could be invited to his
'popular kids only Halloween party'. I'd yet to break the news to him that I
wouldn't be attending, but I was hoping it was just implied now that I'd chosen
Troye over him once. I mean, given the choice between having to grind on drunk
girls all night to appear straight or being cuddled up with Troye and free to act
as gay as one pleases, it was a pretty easy decision. Actually, there was very
little that could make me give up time spent with this boy.

So I guess you can understand my loud groan of disapproval when the bell rang. We'd
already had our only class together today, and we hadn't even talked throughout it
so we'd basically wasted a chance to interact. I didn't make a move to get up as
the seconds ticked by, watching as Marcus and Shane got to their feet and looked at
the two of us questioningly.

"Are you two skipping class together?" Shane asked, his tone innocent like he
didn't want to imply anything. I got the feeling he was still a little bit
intimidated by me, but I couldn't really blame him. I mean, I had beat his face in
not even a month before now. I'd never apologized either, despite knowing Caspar
had probably made up whatever it was he said about my mother.

"I, uh, not sure. Just go ahead without us, I'll text you or something." I stared
down at the top of Troye's head curiously, eager to hear him elaborate on what he'd
said. I looked back to the others just in time to watch as the two of them turned
around, continuing their earlier conversation as they started toward the side doors
of the school. It wasn't until the two metal doors had swung shut behind them, that
I started to shift under Troye. He took the hint, awkwardly ambling away from me,
only to turn around and face me, mirroring my position. I winced, stretching out
the leg he'd been leaning on and trying to ward off the pins and needles.

"You could have just told me to move, you know." He said quietly, watching my
struggle. I just rolled my eyes at him, considering how wrong his words were. There
was no way I could have asked him to move, that'd be the stupidest decision of my
life.

"Whatever, it's too late now." I murmured, watching as he got to his feet and
stretched his arms above his head. After he was satisfied he turned and started to
clean up his things off the table, leaving me to mentally debate what to say to
break the silence. I mean, there was the obvious question, but I didn't want to
appear too over-eager. Ah, fuck it, I am too over-eager. "What'd you mean a minute
ago? You know, when you said you 'weren't sure' if we were skipping class?"

"How'd I know you were going to say that?" He chuckled, looking up just as he
finished his cleaning. We locked eyes and I couldn't help the stupid lopsided grin
I got from seeing how happy he looked. It had killed me seeing him moments ago,
with tears running down his flawless face.

"Lucky guess, probably." I offered, deciding to go along with his attempt to avoid
answering my question. If he didn't want to talk about it, fine. Anything to make
sure he never loses that light in his eyes again. He picked up the lunchbox,
swinging it goofily as he stared down at me. I stared back just as expectantly,
waiting for him to choose which direction he wanted the conversation to go. He
sighed suddenly, straightening up and letting his eyes trail over to the direction
of the parking lot. He looked almost longing, though it faded when his eyes met
with mine again.

"We really shouldn't... Skip class, I mean. I just, I really don't feel like being
around people right now." The annoying little shit side of me debated pointing out
that I was, in fact, a person, but luckily the rational side reminded me now wasn't
really the time for joking. If I wanted to spend the afternoon with him, I was
going to have to act like an actually desirable companion, not an annoying one.

"Then don't." I said hopefully, my eyes scanning his face as I tried to see which
option he was leaning toward more. He turned, walking ever-so-slowly toward the
school. I sighed, hoping the speed of his steps was a hint that there was still a
chance to change his stance on the matter.

"Easy for you to say. All the teachers love you and your grades are amazing, you
could afford to miss weeks at a time if you really wanted to." He replied finally,
turning around to stare at me until I got to my feet as well. I reluctantly
followed him toward the doors, my frown growing with each step. I was biting my
bottom lip, trying desperately to come up with some sort of response to get him to
turn around.

"My offer to tutor you still stands, all you have to do is ask." I said quietly,
knowing I'd lost even as I spoke. I knew it was probably for the best, and that he
definitely had a point, but that irrational side of me from earlier was making
another cameo. I just wanted to be near him, to the point that everything else lost
it's relevancy.

"No, we should go to class." He sighed out, making me feel a bit better when I
heard the reluctancy in his voice as well. At least I wasn't the only one
struggling with the separation.

"Okay." I breathed out through my teeth, my tone showing how unimpressed I was
despite myself. I didn't want him to feel bad about his decision or anything, he
was right to make it. School should come before relationships. School set you up
for your entire life, and there was no foretelling whether or not the person next
to you would be there for you even tomorrow, let alone that long. I hoped so
though, God, I really hope so. If today had taught me anything it's that my life is
absolutely colorless without Troye in it.

We stayed silent as we walked down the empty halls, considering everyone else had
already made it to their respective classes. I wanted to talk to him, and take
advantage of the time we had together, but I was also fairly certain I'd end up
trying to coax him into skipping class again, and I didn't want that. I mean, I do
want that, but I don't want to force him to go back on his decision, especially
considering it was the right one.

We both came to a stop at a fork in the road, knowing this was the place we had to
switch directions. I shoved my hands into my pockets, staring down at the scuffed-
up floor instead of looking up at him. I wasn't nervous or anything, I just wasn't
looking forward to the goodbye. Little did I know he was about to say the exact
words to turn the entire situation around.

"What are you doing after school?" I grinned, my head snapping up so I could stare
at him with wide eyes.

"Nothing!" I beamed, cursing myself silently for practically shouting it. I

couldn't help it, I wore my heart on my sleeve. And right now, my heart was hella
excited. Troye just grinned cheekily, my words only enforcing his growing ego. I
guess that was a good thing though, lord knows the boy has every reason to be full
of himself. He's perfect.

"Well, as long as you're free, we could probably hang-out then." He offered, still
sounding tentative despite how obviously into the plan I was. It amazed me how
anyone that perfect could be so unsure of themselves, especially when I went out of
my way to show it everyday. I'd be continuing it too, until he realized how perfect
he was for himself.

"Sounds great! I'll see you in a bit?" I asked, eyeing him cautiously as I waited
for him to finalize our plans. He nodded, smiling so hard it looked like he had
trouble uttering his next words.

"I'll text you." I watched as he started to turn away, my brain screaming at me to

hug him before he left again. I wasn't as stupid as last time though, avoiding
pouncing at him when he least expected it in favor of actually leading up to the
hug like a normal human.

"During class? You rebel, no wonder the teachers don't like you." He turned around
now, pointedly rolling his eyes at me before taking a step closer and shoving me. I
bounced right back, hopping forward so we were so close our chests basically
touched. I looked up at him expectantly, immediately greeted by his arms wrapping
around my shoulders. I grinned, contemplating how often we'd be able to hug now
that the school knew about our friendship. We could hug in front of people,
whenever we wanted really. I let my arms snake around his waist, my forehead
resting on his collar bone as I tried to bring myself to leave the embrace. We were
already approaching ten minutes late to class, any later would just be pointless.
"Hey, on the off-chance the news has already spread, don't let anything people say
get to you, okay?"

"I'll try not to." He whispered back, keeping our tones quiet as if someone else
could hear us and ruin the intimacy. I wasn't complaining though, the way his voice
sounded in a whisper was absolutely seductive. I furrowed my brows, realizing I'd
gotten caught up on the voice itself and not the words it had spoken. After a
second I remembered, my hands immediately turning into fists and knotting pieces of
his shirt in them.

"No, you're not going to try not to, you just won't. They don't even know you, how
can anything they say hold any meaning?" My tone had raised slightly, sounding
almost angry. I wasn't angry with him though, but the thought of anyone hurting him
was enough to make my blood heat up in my veins. He didn't deserve that, especially
not over something so stupid. I didn't want to hear him say he'd try not to let it
hurt him, trying was a start, but it wasn't reassurance. It meant there was still a
chance they could hurt him, and that was the last thing I wanted. I couldn't stand
up for him in class, or cuddle him better, he'd be all on his own. If I hadn't been
with Caspar earlier I might never have found out that exchange even happened. Troye
wasn't one to ask for help, but not because he didn't want it, he just didn't
realize he needed it.

"They know I'm gay." He whispered back, both astonishing and angering me with the
amount of self-loathing in his voice. Did he really think there was something wrong
with it?

"Troye. There's nothing wrong with being gay." Even as I spoke the words there was
a nagging voice in the back of my mind, taunting me.

If there's nothing wrong with it, then why haven't you come out yet?

"I know that, obviously, but they don't. They think there is and there's no
changing their opinions. They're going to believe what they want to, and they're
going to act on those beliefs. I was just correcting you because you said they
didn't know me, but they do. They know one of the most personal things about me." I
felt absolutely horrible as he spoke, realizing what it must have been like for all
the people that came out before him. I mean, obviously I'd thought on the topic a
lot, but I'd never heard it first-hand. All those poor kids that ended up
committing suicide in the past fifty years, just because our community is full of
bigots. I bit my lip, suddenly thankful my face was buried into his chest and he
couldn't read my emotions.

"It's going to be okay though, Shane is out of the closet and he's doing fine." I
said, trying to convince myself just as much as I was trying to comfort him. What
if it was really bad? What if he couldn't even walk in the halls without people
teasing him? I don't know how things would go for him, but I can guarantee you I'd
be expelled in a matter of days for punching a few people senseless.

"Fine? He's already started changing himself to fit in more. Look at the haircut
and how much weight he's lost, there's no healthy way to lose that much that
quickly." My heart dropped as he explained this, knowing very well he was telling
the truth. I hadn't really thought of it until now, but suddenly Shane's sudden
change of looks made a lot more sense. I could only imagine how much he was
hurting, considering he didn't even outwardly show it. What if Troye was like that?
What if he didn't tell me when things affected him and just kept to himself? He
bottled it all up inside and tried to deal with it on his own? How could I help him
then?

I couldn't.

Which is exactly why I have to ensure he stays open with me.

"Yeah, but he doesn't have a best friend willing to do absolutely anything for him
like you do. And as my first official duty of best friend, I'm kidnapping you for
the rest of the day! You're obviously way too stressed to get any school done
anyway." I beamed excitedly, happy with my own plan to ensure his happiness. He
didn't seem nearly as impressed, eyes going wide as I swung an arm around his waist
and started dragging him down the hall.

"W-What? Tyler! No!" He protested, causing me to immediately slap my free hand over
his mouth.

"Shh, keep it quiet, you're going to get us caught!" I snapped, eyeing the closed
classroom doors warily as we walked past them. He squirmed in my arms, his eyes
narrowed into an obvious glare of disagreement. We were about three-quarters of the
way to the front doors when he tried a new method of protest. I jumped when his
tongue snaked out, licking my hand in an obvious attempt to get me to remove it. I
did as I was told, bring my hand down to wipe it off on my jeans.

"Keep your tongue in your mouth, Sivan, there's a time and place." I snapped,
smirking when my teasing succeeded in making his cheeks flush. Unlike I'd expected,
he didn't take advantage of his newly-gained freedom. He stayed just as silent as
he'd been with my hand over his mouth, following me to the front doors. I opened
one, backing up against it so it stayed open for him to walk out. This was it,
silently questioning if he was going to go through with my plan or not. He gave a
particularly dramatic sigh before walking past me, making me smile broadly as I let
the door fall shut and followed behind him. After we'd made it down the steps, was
when he turned to me.

"I swear, Tyler, this is the last time. And I'm only doing it because we're late
enough to have been marked as absent already anyway." He explained, his tone fakely
cold as he tried to come across as reluctant. He was doing a pretty good job too,
aside from the familiar blush spreading across the back of his neck. I didn't
notice it until he'd turned around and started walking though, finally replying
when I had that to reassure me he wasn't actually angry.

"Right." I confirmed, falling into step behind him.

"And if my parents ask, I'm blaming you." He said, looking over his shoulder with
raised eyebrows to check if I was okay with this. I nodded eagerly, bouncing
forward so I could walk beside him instead of behind.

"That's okay, they love me." I smirked, the smile quickly fading when I remembered
my last encounter with Shaun. He probably thinks I'm really weird now. That, or he
thinks I was trying to pull a move on his son and he interrupted, which is actually
exactly what happened.

"And we're taking my car, not yours." Troye continued, bringing me out of my
reverie. I nodded, remembering the fight I'd had with my car this morning.

"Reasonable."

"-And you're not driving." He added, sounding slightly nervous like he thought this
would be the final straw for me. I sighed heavily, leaning into his side and
letting my head fall to rest against his shoulder. It fit perfectly considering his
height, and I was overwhelmingly happy when his arm snuck around my waist and told
me I was more than welcome to stay in that position.

"Harsh, but fine." I replied finally, though I was still pouting slightly that I
wouldn't be able to drive. I guess that was a good thing though, considering I
hadn't even fully decided where I was taking him.

"And you're going to let me pay, without any fuss." He concluded finally, removing
his arm as we were now standing in front of his car. This, was where I had a
problem.

"Why?" I whined pathetically, turning to look up at him with pleading eyes. With
anyone else I wouldn't even think twice, more than happy at the chance to save some
money. It was different with Troye though, I wanted to pay for him. I wanted to
impress him and I wanted to make him happy.

"You stood up for me, knowing it could end up with you getting hurt. You're amazing
to me, and you deserve something in return." It was my turn to blush at his words
now, looking down at the pavement as they started to play on repeat in my head. I
realized a few seconds later how dumb I probably looked, hurrying to think of
something I could say to make him blush as well.

"I have you, don't I?" I purred, earning both my blush and an eye-roll.

"Not what I meant, dickwad."

"Fine, I'll let you pay." I sighed out, only because I wanted to see his triumphant
smile he'd get upon hearing it. As expected, it did not disappoint. He seemed a bit
shocked at first before quickly regaining his composure and letting his lips
stretch into a huge smile, not even bothering to remember to smile without his
teeth like he usually did.

"Good, you can choose where we go then." I had half a mind to suggest the park,
knowing he wouldn't have to pay anything there. I know he'd purposely reject that
idea though, so I did the next best thing; tried to think of other places he
wouldn't be stuck paying a lot for me. When the answer hit me, I felt like an idiot
for not planning it from the beginning.

"Okay, there's this really cute restaurant on Prince St. Let's go there." I
offered, trying to contain my grin as I turned on my heel and headed toward the
passenger's side. I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my head, obviously
wondering about my semi-suspicious behavior. I was nothing like him, sadly. My
acting skills were fairly limited, meaning my best option was to turn around and
run to hide in the car before he questioned me.

"Sounds good?" It was meant to be a statement but his confused tone made it sound
more like a question. I didn't want to leave him completely lost so I held up a
hand above my head, giving a simple thumbs up before ducking into the car.

A/n: I planned on this being longer but then I realized the next half is going to
be much cuter in Troye's POV so badda boom, this is what you get. Sorry about the
wait between updates, I guess mom chose the last quarter of the summer to actually
do stuff and go places. Also, I'm sort of easing y'all into a different updating
schedule. It won't be every two days anymore, I don't think, maybe very rarely.
School's coming up and I need to focus on it this year so yeah. IT'LL DEFINITELY BE
ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK THOUGH, I SWEAR. Okay, hmm, what else... TRXYE!!!!!!! What's
everyone's favorite song? Mine is definitely definitely Touch, like
ughomgtheperfectisunrealis2gicannoteven. OKAY IF THE NEXT UPDATE IS LATE IT'S
BECAUSE I WANNA WORK ON STOLEN SO IF YOU NEED READING MATERIAL GO READ THAT. IT'S
MY OTHER TROYLER FIC AND THERE'LL BE MORE SMUT IN IT OKBYE. DONE PROMO-ING... FOR
NOW
ACTUALLY I LIED, I HAVE ANOTHER FIC I WANT TO PROMO. I JUST STARTED READING IT AND
ITS REALLY REALLY COOL AND INNOVATIVE. TYLER IS AN INCUBUS, MEANING HE LIKE EATS
PEOPLE'S SOULS TO STAY ALIVE. AND YEAH ITS WRITTEN REALLY WELL AND THE PLOT IS
SUPER COOL AND ITS JUST STARTING SO GO READ IT. It's called "Soulless Affection"
and it's written by @troyewithan_e. UGHGHUHH ILL DEDICATE THE CHAP TO HER SO YOU
CAN GET THERE FASTER. I SWEAR ITS AMAZING.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
*Troye's POV*

There was no denying Tyler was acting suspicious, from the way he refused to let
his eyes roam in my direction while I was driving, to the way he hadn't even tried
to mess with the control panel of the car once. He never drove in silence, the
radio was his best friend, yet today he seemed more than content to just stare out
his window.

"So, have you been to this restaurant before?" I asked, eyeing him the best I could
manage while still paying attention to the road. He seemed to think for only a
second before shrugging noncommittally.

"A couple times." He mumbled, eyes still staying focused on the trees flying by
outside. I sighed, deciding to attempt to get him to talk yet again.

"Is the food good?"

"Delicious." Wow, a one-word response. This conversation is going swimmingly.

"Cool." I replied, deciding to give him a taste of his own medicine. He didn't seem
nearly as fazed by my lame response, just nodding in agreement. I gave up then,
realizing there likely wasn't anything I could do to get him to talk if he didn't
want to. Tyler was a lot of things, and stubborn was definitely one of them.

I guess that's why I'd been so shocked when he stood up for me earlier. I mean, I
guess deep down I knew he cared about me a lot, whether I was riddled with self-
doubt or not, he made that pretty damn clear. It's just, he'd never cared about
anyone enough to stand up for them in the past. There'd even been a short time
where Marcus was bullied and I didn't see him raising a hand to help the guy out.
The closest he'd come to standing up for someone was his own mother but that made
sense, and it's not like he was going to be ridiculed over that. This however, he
definitely was. I could see the rumors about us dating spreading now, people
pointing in the hallways every time we went in for a hug. Yet, somehow, that still
sounded better than the low-key relationship we've had so far. I hated being
noticed and the center of attention, but I hated having to hide my relationship
with Tyler even more. It wasn't even so much I wanted to show it off, I just wanted
to be able to interact with him when I wanted, without consequences. And now, well,
I guess I'd be able to. I'm assuming so anyway, if he still wants to try and keep
it low-key after this I might have to slap him.

By the time I pulled into the restaurant I was about ready to scream at the
annoying tension he'd let fall over us. We were still both silent, though I was
really hoping he'd find the will to speak up now that we'd reached the diner. I
swear, if he makes me sit through the entire meal without so much as a word of
conversation, I will leave him sitting alone at that table.

"Ready?" He beamed, practically as soon as I'd turned off the car. I opened my
mouth to reply, but promptly snapped it back shut the second his door slammed
closed behind him. Someone is a little over-eager. I'm not sure if it's over the
food or something else, but I guess I was about to find out. I got out of the car
as slowly as possible, smirking as I watched Tyler rock on the heels of his feet
impatiently. "Hurry up!"

"Look, I know you're passionate about food but this is taking it to a whole new
level." I teased, purposely taking too long fumbling with my keys to lock the
doors. Just as I pressed the button in I felt an arm wrap around my waist, causing
me to jump. I didn't even have time to get my footing before Tyler started dragging
me across the parking lot, panting slightly under his breath as I struggled against
his embrace. I didn't actually have a problem with following his orders, it was
just funny watching him get frustrated with me.

"Troye, please. We have to hurry." He pleaded finally, looking up at me with his

best puppy dog eyes. I raised my eyebrows, silently asking him to elaborate on the
why of this. He didn't look like he was going to any time soon though, his eyes
falling on the ground between our feet. I rolled my eyes at his hesitance, reaching
up to mess up his hair affectionately. That was it, just messing up his hair, it
definitely had nothing to do with any mind reading I may or may not been trying to
attempt.

If we don't hurry up we're gonna miss her!

"Fine." I sighed out, picking up pace as I followed beside him into the building. I
was still overly suspicious about his behavior, but I also realized my curiosity
would go in vain if I didn't go along with it and let him show me whatever it was
he had planned.

His arm was still draped around my torso as we walked into the small space. I tried
to keep walking to where the tables were but he tightened his grip around me,
nearly throwing me off-balance as he pulled me back against his side. I was pouting
until I noticed he was pointing at a sign right beside us, stating clearly that we
were to 'wait here to be seated'. I rolled my eyes, leaning further into Tyler as
my eyes began to scan the restaurant.

I recognized the place from the outside, considering there wasn't much you don't
see when you live in such a small town. I'd never actually been inside though, my
family had always been more for the chain-restaurants than individual ones. It was
decorated strangely, with an array of random non-related objects strung up on the
roof and a ton of sports-related posters and pictures adorning the walls. It was
nice, but not nearly as cute as the first place we'd gone out to eat together.

"Hey boys, would you rather sit at a booth or a table?" I immediately recognized
the familiar drawl, my eyes snapping back to the space in front of me instead of
examining the entire room. The woman was staring down at the little notebook in her
hand, obviously running through some things and concentrating on them instead of
us. I felt the stupid smile of anticipation for what Tyler was about to say on my
face before he spoke, knowing it was going to be something adorable. Come to think
of it, everything he says is.

"Ouch, you don't even recognize me? I'm offended." Tyler gasped, throwing a hand
over his heart and feigning actual offense. Jackie's head snapped up then, her eyes
wide as they flickered between Tyler and I.

"Tyler! What are you doing skipping school?" She snapped, taking a step closer to
Tyler and playfully hitting him upside the head. Even when she was mad at him you
could see how much she cared about him in her eyes. They honestly had the best
parent-child relationship I'd ever witnessed.

"Going out to eat, clearly." Tyler sassed, smirking when it got him an exasperated
sigh from Jackie. She let her hands drop back to her sides, slapping her thighs
dramatically and making it clear where Tyler got his drama-queen persona from.

"I should ground you, I really should." She muttered under her breath, looking up
to cast him one last glare before turning her attention to me. She gave a warm
smile then, and I couldn't help but notice the almost smug look she got on her face
when she seen Tyler's arm around me. Or maybe I was just reading into it too much.
"Hi, Troye, how have you been?"

"Good, thank-you." I replied quietly, giving a smile that was far from as casual as
hers. She didn't seem to notice or care about my awkwardness though, just nodding
and continuing to smile. Once she was certain that was all I had to say she turned
back to Tyler, her smile dimming slightly and her eyes narrowing. I gave a lopsided
grin, watching them silently communicate with a mixture of glares and pleading
looks. Eventually she seemed to give up reasoning with him, just shaking her head
in disappointment before looking back down at her notebook.

"Well, seeing as you're already here and I can't force you back to school... Would
you rather a booth or a table?" She sighed out.

"Booth, please." Tyler answered, his tone oddly polite now that he'd gotten his
way. She started toward the right side of the restaurant then, Tyler and I
following in tow. Between the sound of her heels clicking against the floor and all
the interesting decorations on the walls, I was way too distracted to notice the
'watch your step' sign until it was too late. I jolted forward, stumbling over my
own feet and nearly dragging Tyler down with me. Thankfully, considering he wasn't
a total idiot, he managed to grab on to a nearby chair before we both face-planted.
I sensed it coming before his cackle erupted out of him, but that didn't stop me
from blushing when it actually happened. I stared down at the floor I was now
sitting on, trying to hide my bright-red cheeks from him as he stood up beside me.
I only moved when he extended a hand to me, waving it in front of my face until I
had no choice but to take it. I sighed, weaving my fingers through his and bracing
myself as he yanked me up off the floor. Once I'd finally caught my footing, and
managed to tone-down the blushing, I looked up to see Jackie's reaction. She was
standing in front of us, turned around to face us. She had all of her weight on one
hip, a knowing smile on her face as she seemingly held back a giggle.

"Are you two sure you can make it to the table on your own?" Her quip made me blush
harder, but it only made Tyler roll his eyes before following after her. I couldn't
even hide my content smile when I noticed he hadn't made a move to pull his hand
away from mine, even cheekily swinging our interlocked hands between us. I realized
that was taking it a bit too far after I did it, quickly clearing my throat and
looking in the other direction.

We continued in silence until Jackie stopped in front of us, gesturing widely to

the table beside her. Judging by the excited squeak Tyler let out before sliding
into the corner seat, I had a feeling there was more to this table than what met
the eye. I didn't hesitate before plopping down onto the bench myself, blushing
when Tyler gestured for me to slide over closer to him. Of course I listened
though, folding my hands in my lap and looking back up at Jackie.

"You're off soon, aren't you? Do you want to eat with us?" Tyler asked, making me
turn to him with another one of my stupid smiles. They seemed to be a permanent
sort-of thing, I just couldn't wipe them off my face when I was around him. But how
could I not smile at someone so cute? How many teenage boys do you know that'd
willingly invite their mothers to hang-out with them and their friends?

"Are you sure I wouldn't be intruding on anything?" This had the smile disappearing
off my face, my eyes going wide as I looked back at up at her. She was giving me
'the look' now, that made it very clear she was a lot better at reading people's
lovesick grins than her son was. Tyler, as always, seemed completely oblivious to
all of that, just glaring at her as if she'd said something totally inappropriate
with no cause.

"Mom." He said levelly, though there was no denying the underlying threatening
tone. Jackie just grinned, sliding a pair of menus in front of us before looking up
to lock eyes with Tyler.

"Yes, Ty, I'll join you in when I'm off in fifteen. Figure out what you want to
eat." And with that, Tyler engrossed himself in the small paper menu. I'd expected
her to just turn and leave, but instead she locked eyes with me. She raised her
eyebrows, nudging her head toward Tyler with a smirk. Please tell me I'm wrong and
Jackie hasn't realized I have feelings for her son in a mere three minutes of time
spent with us. Am I that easy to read? God, what has he done to me?

After realizing she wasn't going to get a response from me, aside from my cheeks
lighting up and my eyes darting down to the floor, she turned on her heel and
headed back to the kitchen. I let out a quiet breath of relief, not wanting Tyler
to think anything was up. He didn't notice, his face still buried in the menu. I
promptly picked up my own, happy to find all of the foods had recognizable names
and not weird fancy ones. I scanned it deep in thought, biting on my lower lip as
my eyes found the section titled 'main dishes'.

"You don't mind her eating with us, do you?" I furrowed my brows, looking up at
Tyler as I tried to remember what it was he'd just said. I'd been pretty caught up
in my food-choosing. It clicked a second later that he'd been talking about his
mother, and I immediately shook my head.

"No, not at all." I was going to leave it at this, but as I watched him turn back
to his menu I realized how badly I'd wanted him to break the silence before now. I
just liked talkig to him better than sitting in silence, understandably. I wracked
my brain for a moment in hopes of coming up with somehting that'd actually start a
conversation, smirking over my own idea seconds later. "Who knows, maybe I'll even
get to hear the elusive bed-wetting story."

"Don't even think about it, twink." He growled, the low tone momentarily making my
breath hitch. I quickly regained my composure, blinking rapidly and watching as he
looked back up at me. I studied his eyes for a moment, repeatedly reminding myself
the entire time that I was not allowed to get lost in them.

"Wait a minute, did you just call me a twink?" I blurted suddenly, my eyes wide and
inquisitive as I stared him down. It was his turn to be bashful now, blushing and
shrugging simultaneously. I watched emotions flicker across his face, before he
ultimately ended up scoffing and looking back into my eyes challengingly.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Oh, nothing. I just wasn't aware straight brutish football players were supposed
to be up-to-date with their gay slang." This was the first time I'd ever seen Tyler
Oakley at a loss for words. He opened his mouth immediately after I'd finished
speaking, only to promptly snap it back shut and glare down at the menu in his
hands for a couple seconds. I didn't even try to hide my cocky smirk as I watched
him in his obviously flustered state, noticing the way his blush spread across the
back of his neck before it found his cheeks. It gave you an odd sense of pride,
being able to render someone speechless like that. I guess it made sense now why
Tyler was constantly dropping one-liners and flirty jokes on me, if this was the
reaction he got from it I couldn't really blame him. Still, it's not like I'd
purposely set this up. He'd brought it on all on his own. It's not like my response
was uncalled for, it was genuinely surprising to hear him say something like that.

"What are you implying?" He replied finally, his tone almost tentative as he
studied my eyes. I could have answered this truthfully. I probably could have
called him out on it right now and forced him to explain how he knew what a 'twink'
was, and why he'd cared enough to include it in his vocabulary, but I wasn't going
to. Sure, I'd love to watch him blush and stutter his way through some explanation
about a gay friend telling him, or even better, him noticing it on a porn website
or something, but I wasn't that cruel. I wouldn't want him to force it out of me,
and I know he wouldn't, so the least I can do is pay him the same courtesy.

"Nothing." I answered finally, watching as he noticeably relaxed upon hearing my

response. I know I shouldn't assume things, especially after what happened last
time I did with that stupid almost-kiss, but why would a straight boy get so
flustered over the topic? They'd just laugh it off and come up with some stupid
excuse, and then there's Tyler.

He didn't respond to me, instead turning back to his menu and fixing his gaze on
the dessert section. I picked my own back up, but only for a second before
realizing I might have just screwed everything up all over again. Okay, well it was
him that did it, and it wasn't everything, but the atmosphere had definitely gotten
a lot tenser. Without even really thinking I slid closer to him, until the sides of
our bodies were pressed up against each other, and pointed to a random thing on his
menu.

"Is that good?" I asked, plastering on the biggest grin I could manage in hopes of
evaporating any awkwardness. He raised his eyebrows, his gaze slowly shifting to
whatever it was I'd pointed at. He smirked, his eyes flickering up to meet with
mine as he answered.

"The mushroom burger? I mean, sure if you're into a burger that has more toppings
than meat." His sarcastic tone made it clear he was calling me out on just using
the menu as an excuse to get close to him, but a surge of confidence hit me knowing
that I'd caused him to blush earlier, and suddenly I didn't care.

"Uh, I meant to ask about that." I backtracked, pointing at the spaghetti instead.
He just rolled his eyes knowingly, setting the menu down on the table.

"The spaghetti's alright, the sauce isn't very flavorful though."

"Okay, what are you getting then? Seeing as you clearly know more than I do." I
responded, my tone slightly sassier than I'd intended. He didn't seem annoyed with
this though, looking almost impressed with me as he leaned back in his seat. I
didn't miss the way he stretched his arms out on either side of the bench, almost
like he was putting his arm around me, but not.

"The turkey burger meal, with fries instead of the mashed potatoes."

"That's it? A normal-sized order?" I asked skeptically, raising my eyebrows at him.

I half-expected him to come back with some sort of reply about saving room for
dessert, surprised when he just shrugged.

"Yeah, Mom yells at me about my unhealthy eating habits if I eat too much while
she's working." That made sense. Of course Tyler wouldn't voluntarily eat that
little, even if it was just so he could eat more dessert.

"Oh, how heartless of her." I replied sarcastically, jumping when he pinched my

shoulder in response. I'd almost forgotten his arm had settled behind me. I laid
back further, successfully pinning his arm against the wooden back of the bench. I
purposely pushed all of my weight back, squishing his arm to the best of my
ability. He didn't push back or anything, just acting as if he were indifferent as
he used his other hand to pick up a menu and continue thumbing through it. I
narrowed my eyes, about to try and apply even more pressure, when the sound of
Jackie clearing her throat had me sliding back into my seat politely and looking up
at her with innocent eyes.
"Alright, are you guys ready to order?" She beamed, for once acting like she hadn't
noticed my antics. Thankfully, because I'm pretty sure I've blushed enough for one
day.

"The usual." Tyler mumbled, his eyes still focused on the booklet in front of him
and leaving me to deal with his mother all on my own. I looked up, thankful her
expression was solely welcoming and not curious like she'd looked earlier. It was
clear she saw something in Tyler and I's friendship that he didn't, whether she saw
it as one or two-sided, I'd never know.

"I'll have the same as him."

"And to drink?"

"Coke-"

"Pepsi-" We'd both answered at the exact same time, cutting each other off and
immediately turning to exchange incredulous faces. Before either of us had the
chance to speak up and bash the other's taste in cola, his mother did.

"Well, if it isn't the first thing you two disagree on. I'll be back with your food
soon." As soon as she snatched her menus up and turned away, Tyler and I both
turned to each other with the same disgusted expressions from earlier.

"First of all, Pepsi-"

"No." And with that, started one of the arguments that had been common in the start
of our friendship but had grown slightly rarer with time. I missed them though,
watching Tyler get frustrated over stupid things was a hilarious experience in
itself. Plus it wasn't actually fighting, it was light bickering and it was
definitely better than sitting in silence.

A/n: EEEK HELLO. Okay, first of all I realize this is rather short. I intended to
have it go through their entire meal but then I realized the next half will just
click better from Tyler's POV and you guys will probably enjoy to see where his
thoughts are at during this. Anyway, the next update will be soon considering this
and it where basically one chapter split in two. Now I have something important I'd
like to address in this author's note (something important in my author's notes,
wow, that's a first) so yeah. PAY ATTENTION.

My real life sister has entered the Young Writer's contest on here and you have no
idea how excited I am for her. We've both watched each other grow a following on
here and share our love for writing/reading so if she won that publishing contract
or even came close to winning, it would be the coolest thing in the entire world. I
know it'd mean everything to me to win something like that, and I even intend to
enter an original work in it when I'm older, so if you guys could take a minute out
of your day to go and just vote for the first chapter of her story it would be
GREATLY appreciated. Her name is @CourtneyClark061 and all you have to do is vote
for the FIRST chapter of her story "Taming The Familiar." Pleasepleaseplease. I s2g
this means so much to me. Also, just saying, I MAY feel inclined to update that
next Tyler POV chapter tonight if I see her votes go up by a lot ;)

Chapter Thirty-Eight
*Tyler's POV*
Come to think of it, it was probably pretty weird to purposely seek out your mother
when you were skipping school. It had been a kind of spur-of-the-moment decision,
but I didn't regret it. I was in an amazing mood, I'd just found out amazing
information, and I was with the most amazing guy out there, excuse me for wanting
to share it with her. I couldn't exactly let her in on the entire situation, it'd
be too obvious if I brought up Troye coming out at the dinner table. But I'd tell
her later and we could celebrate, likely with a lot of ice cream and stupid
brainwashing television shows.

Right now, I just planned on enjoying their company. It was going well so far,
aside from my mother's initial crankiness at seeing me skip school and my
accidental slip of gay slang, but hey, nothing can be perfect. I was actually
surprised with how easily Troye let that go, because he had every reason to be
curious. I wasn't sure what I would have said had he pushed an answer out of me,
but the fact was he hadn't. He just went with it, for my sake. When I eventually
come out, I'm going to make sure he realizes how much I appreciated him being so
patient with me. Surely he suspects it. I mean, I'm not sure, but I'm still telling
myself he'd been trying to initiate a kiss last night.

"Here you go." I looked up, grinning as I watched my mother slide two plates across
the table. Troye lurched forward to catch his, while I stayed leaned back, knowing
it would land exactly where it should anyway. She hadn't spent ten years waiting
tables and got nothing out of it. She gave us both a quick smile before turning to
leave, shouting her next words over her shoulder. "I'll be back in a minute! Gonna
change out of my uniform and go get my meal."

"Alright!" I beamed after her, watching as she walked off back toward the kitchens.
Once she was out of sight I turned to face Troye, grinning like an idiot as I
watched him pick at his food with his fork.

"Eat it, it's good." I demanded, actually a bit insulted by the way he was turning
his nose up at my favorite dish. He crossed his arms over his chest, pouting his
bottom lip out even further as he looked over at me skeptically.

"There is way too much gravy on this, it's gonna be soggy and gross." He whined,
making my arm I'd had strewn behind him wrap around his shoulders, squeezing him in
my annoyance.

"You're soggy and gross. It's delicious, try it." I snapped, only sounding slightly
offended over the stupid food. What can I say, I'm passionate about food. With my
arm that isn't wrapped around his shoulders, I reach forward and pick up his fork.
It doesn't really click what I'm doing until I've already gotten the bite of food
halfway through the air, but at that point it's too late to back out anyway. So
instead I hope for the best and bring the bite to his lips, watching his quick
eyeroll before he opened his mouth and let me feed him. I didn't even think to look
away as he chewed, blushing when his eyes met with mine and obviously caught me
staring. I didn't look away though, and he didn't either, continuously widening our
eyes until we were both staring at each other looking like a pair of lemurs or
something. "Am I right or am I right?"

He exhaled loudly through his nose in response, his annoyance seeping into the
simple gesture. I waited patiently though, knowing if I didn't say anything else
he'd actually answer my question once he finished chewing. He swallowed a moment
later and I couldn't help but let my eyes wander to his Adam's apple as he did so.
They flickered back up to his lips then, smirking at the stray trail of gravy on
his chin. Woops, maybe I'm not as good at feeding people as I thought.

"You're right." He sighed out finally, making me clap my hands together in success.
"I know I am." I beamed back, giving the cheekiest smile I had. He just rolled his
eyes, stretching tall as he started to scan the table.

"Did she give us napkins?" He asked quietly, blushing as he cupped his hands under
his chin, trying not to make a mess. I turned back to the table, not even really
having to look to know where she'd sat them. I was used to eating here, I knew how
they set their tables like the back of my hand. I grabbed a handful of napkins,
intending to pass them to Troye, when an even better idea spawned in my mind.

"It's my fault, here." I offered, stretching my hand out and grinning when he
removed his from his face. I cleaned his chin off quickly, purposely brushing over
his bottom lip despite there not being anything there. I couldn't help it, I liked
watching the way his cheeks flushed as I did so. I was trying not to get my hopes
up again, I really was. I'd promised myself not to let last night's situation
repeat itself, to get my hopes up that he liked me when there was still a chance he
didn't. I didn't want to constantly search his eyes for something else and then not
find it, I wanted to be happy with just our friendship until he made a move to turn
it into something else. But god, how could I not suspect something when he was
blushing crimson every time I touched him or even so much as locked eyes with him?

"Is it good?" We both froze, the only part of our bodies to move being our eyes.
Both of us flickered our stares away from each other, just now acknowledging how my
mother had joined us again. I wasn't sure at what point she'd gotten here, but I
was definitely sure she'd been here long enough to assume stuff with that smug
smirk decorating her features.

"Uh, um.. Yeah, it's delicious." Troye answered finally, his fumbling over his own
words doing absolutely nothing to get her off our backs. Whatever, it's not like
she's just going to assume stuff out loud. I mean, later I was obviously going to
be bombarded with questions, but I had a little bit of time before I had to deal
with that.

I slowly moved away from Troye, tossing the soiled napkins to the far unused corner
of the table and settling back against the seat. I didn't bother throwing my arm
behind Troye now, though of course I craved the closeness, my mother was already
counting every hint of flirting she saw between us.

"I swear Tyler would order five helpings of it if I let him." She gave a bubbly
laugh then, causing me to roll my eyes. She had this wonderful talent for
embarrassing me without even realizing it. I mean, yeah, I eat a lot, but there's
no need to bring it up and try to make a joke out of it.

"Well, in his defense we left before eating lunch, so he has reason to be hungry...
this time." I rolled my eyes yet again at Troye's addition, not missing how much
emphasis he'd put on the words 'this time', like I had no reason to be hungry any
other time.

"Tyler left before he got his lunch into him? Was there a bomb threat or
something?" I looked up to glare at her then, but Troye seemed to find her crude
humor entertaining, giggling adorably beside me.

"No, just some stupid drama we wanted to get away from as quickly as we could." He
mumbled quietly, stuffing another bite of food into his face. I followed his lead,
concentrating on my own meal while their conversation carried on.

"That's high-school for ya. Who's the talk of the school today?" My mother asked,
her eyes looking away from her food to stare at Troye. I realized where the
conversation topic was drifting now, my hand instinctively moving to rest on his
thigh like it had earlier. It was a simple gesture really, but it seemed to comfort
him earlier and that was all that mattered. I was pretty surprised though, when his
hand came down to rest on top of mine. I didn't pull away though, just looked
across the room in hope's of making it look less suspicious. The last thing I
needed was my mother calling us out for holding hands under the table and then
insisting we were dating or something.

"Me, actually." Troye answered finally, using his free hand to scoop more food. I
couldn't help but notice he'd used his dominant hand to hold mine and was making a
general fool of himself trying to control his other one, but I wasn't about to call
him out on it. Not right now anyway.

My mother seemed a little taken-aback by Troye's response, choking slightly on her

food before promptly reaching for her water and washing it down. Once she'd
composed herself she looked back to Troye, concern flooding into her eyes. Of
course the situation was less than appealing, but it felt nice to know she cared
about him that much.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, her words jumbling together in her rush to get
them out. I'd heard that worried tone so many times before, but Troye on the other
hand, seemed a little bit shocked by how much she seemed to care. He blinked a
couple times before turning to face me with a shy smile on his face, squeezing my
hand under the table.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so." He stuttered out, blushing and running his other hand
through his hair as he looked away from me. I rolled my eyes at his response,
pinching his leg lightly under the table.

"You mean you know so." I corrected, refusing to believe the situation was anything
less than 'alright'. I wasn't going to let him get hurt, not any more than he had
before he met me. If I had to take the ridicule or whatever from him, then I'd do
it.

My mother seemed confused by all of this, looking back and forth between us with
her eyes narrowed and her mouth hanging slightly agape. Eventually she settled on
my face, tilting her head to the side in a silent question. So much for not having
her think we were a secret couple, because it's very clear that's what direction
her thoughts are going in.

"Are you guys going to include me or is it a private thing?" She asked finally, her
eyes not once breaking away from mine. I looked away from hers though, turning to
study Troye's expression. I didn't want her to force him into saying anything he
didn't want to. He didn't seem to notice my staring though, his eyes remaining
glued to where our hands were locked. He still didn't look up even as he replied.

"I, um, I unintentionally outed myself to the biggest homophobe in the school
today, so that's exciting." I wanted to watch and make sure he was okay for a bit
longer, but I couldn't resist the urge to look up and see my mother's reaction. She
didn't seem that shocked honestly, making me want to roll my eyes at her ability to
know everything in advance. She did seem worried about him though, setting her
glass back on the table so she could give her undivided attention to the
conversation.

"Oh god, are you okay?" Troye smiled down at our hands in response to this, looking
up finally and letting me look into his eyes. I let out a breath of relief seeing
how calm his looked, finding myself getting lost in them despite the fact we
definitely had a pair of curious eyes watching us. I couldn't help it, there was
just something about his eyes. Something about him in general, really.

"A lot better than I would have been if Tyler wasn't there to stand up for me when
he was, that's for certain." His words only really registered a few seconds after
he'd said them, and after my mother had already started to reply, but I still
didn't bother to hide my delayed reaction. My lips curled up into a huge smile,
both of us staring at each other like complete lovesick idiots as my mother rambled
on.

"-take my advice and don't listen to a single thing any of them say. They're all
irrelevant anyway. In ten years they will all be living in trailer parks and
married with eight kids-"

"I should hope not, the last thing the world need is that many little devil
children running around." I interjected, watching Troye's face light up as he
giggled in response to my interruption. Jackie wasn't nearly as impressed, sighing
heavily before continuing her rant.

"Whatever. What I'm getting at is that you have a thousand times more potential
than any of them do. I haven't met many of Tyler's friends, but I've seen a lot of
the neighborhood kids coming in here to eat. You are by far the best friend Tyler
could have picked out of the bunch."

"Mom, stop being such a sap." I whined, breaking my eyes away from his to give her
an annoyed glare. Troye didn't seem annoyed by her words though, even blushing
slightly as he contemplated his response.

"Thanks, Jackie, I'll keep all that in mind." He answered finally, slowly sliding
his hand off of mine so he could go back to eating. I couldn't blame him for
wanting to eat, especially not when I was practically starving myself, but I'd also
by lying if I said I didn't miss his skin against mine the second he pulled away.

We ate in a comfortable silence for a while after that. There'd be the odd 'pass
the salt' or 'how do you like the food' type of thing, but no actual conversations
as we started to finish up our meals. Not surprisingly, Troye was, of course, the
last one to finish. Jackie and I settled back into our seats, my arm coming up to
rest behind him now that I didn't have to use it to eat or anything. He leaned back
against my arm, as if calling me out on my possessive behavior. I didn't mind
though, especially because him settling back into it meant he didn't either.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, when did you realize you were gay?" We both
looked to my mother with matching shocked expressions, not expecting her sudden
question. Troye swallowed the food he'd had in his mouth, shrugging his shoulders.

Of course I wanted to know the answer to this question, but there was also a limit
to how much she could question him without it seeming weird and suspicious. Plus
the fact she was smirking and winking at me practically every time he looked away,
was not helping.

"Just recently, but I mean, I haven't really had a reason to think about it before
now." Troye answered, absentmindedly shifting food around his plate with his fork.
I quirked my eyebrows at this, not being able to hide my intrigue despite myself.
Before now? What had changed now?

"Oh, so there's a boy in mind?" She obviously had the same train of thought as I
did, the difference being I had the common sense not to ask out loud.

"Mom! Stop it! You're making him uncomfortable!" I snapped, giving her my best
death glare. She wasn't fazed in the slightest, just keeping her attention on Troye
and smiling at him encouragingly.

"No, it's fine. Uh, yeah, there's somebody." He answered, making a rush of both
excitement and anxiety flood through me. He has somebody in mind. That could either
mean what I hope it means, or something entirely different. It'd be pretty shitty
to find out he's head over heels in love with Shane or something.

"What's he like?" Wow, Mom, way to not make it obvious at all. Still, I couldn't
really find the will to be mad at her when she was asking all the questions I
wanted to for me. Troye seemed to think for a minute, looking up at the decorations
on the roof and biting his lip in thought. I watched the way his eyes lit up, and
how he tried to no avail to fight off a stupid grin, even noticing the little
things like how he was twiddling his thumbs in his lap. Whoever the guy he likes
is, is one lucky chump, because he obviously has it pretty bad.

"Dumb." My eyes went wide at the single word he chose to describe this guy, causing
him to giggle when he looked back and seen my expression. Dumb. The one word he
chose to describe him with was dumb. I swear, on the chance this guy does turn out
to be me, I'm going to hit him for that.

"Aren't they always?" My mother's bubbly laughter filled the room then, obviously
quite impressed with his choice of words. I rolled my eyes, sinking down in my
chair just slightly and refusing to meet either of their gazes. I guess that's why
I didn't see my mother's next interjection coming until she spoke up. "But you like
him though, so there must be something special about him, huh?"

"Yeah, he's definitely something special, just a very dumb something special."
Troye answered immediately, clearly not having to think twice about calling the guy
special. I know it was probably vain to think of the guy as me, but I couldn't help
the stupid grin that spread across my face in reaction. I quickly moved to cover it
up though, thinking of something I could say to get their attention away from my
blushing face.

"If I find out you have a secret crush on like Caspar, I'm disowning you." I
blurted, watching as Troye glared at me and shook his head quickly.

"It's not Caspar." He answered, his strict tone making it very clear he meant
business. I thought for only a second before suggesting the next option.

"Shane?" I asked, my tone slightly hopeful like he really would just tell me if I
kept guessing. He only shook his head though, reaching over to shove me lightly.

"Tyler, I'm not going to tell you even if you guess it so you might as well give up
now."

"Rude." I pouted, withdrawing my arm from around him. He seemed just about as
impressed with that as I'd been with him refusing to tell me, grabbing my wrist and
purposely lifting it up. I watched him drape my arm back around him, this time
directly on his shoulders instead of the seat behind him. Way to go, Troye, you're
not encouraging my mother's obvious theory that we're dating or anything.

More silence followed that, the only sound Troye's fork scraping against his plate
as he cleaned up the remains of his meal. There was definitely more going on than
just that though. I was using my free hand to text under the table, glaring at the
screen as I watched my mother spam me with smirky emojis. She was so immature.
Occasionally I'd look up at her across the table and we'd lock eyes, she'd stick
her tongue out and I'd give her another death glare. Troye seemed completely
oblivious, his attention remaining on either the food or his own phone screen. For
a fleeting moment I worried he was texting his crush or something, before
recognizing the three-letter contact name and letting out the breath I'd been
holding.
"Are you two getting dessert?" Jackie asked, causing the both of us to look up from
Troye's phone screen.

"I was going to but actually my Dad just texted me and he's not very impressed with
the whole skipping out on school thing." Troye mumbled, sounding like he genuinely
felt bad as he looked over at my mother. That made me feel a little bit bad,
knowing I'd practically drug him off school property. He didn't really protest that
much though.

"Ah, so you're gonna head home?"

"Yeah, I'd better." I wasn't really paying attention as he answered her, already
knowing what his response was going to be. Though when he cupped my knee a second
later I immediately looked up at him. "Do you need a drive back to school to pick
up your car? You know, for work?"

"Uh..." I looked over at my mom, not really asking for permission so much as
gauging her reaction to it. She just smiled, though there was no hiding the
underlying mischief in her eyes. Of course she was going to let me go with him, but
I was definitely going to be interrogated when I got home tonight, that was for
sure. "Yeah, that'd be great."

"Alright, well, here's the money for the food." He mumbled, awkwardly lifting his
hips off the seat to reach his wallet out of his back pocket. I silently cursed
myself for letting my eyes follow the movement so intently, forcing them back to
the table and refusing to let them look until he'd settled back into his seat and I
seen his hand reaching across the table with a wad of bills.

"Oh no, I already paid, Hun. It's fine." My mother giggled, making me smirk as I
knew how annoyed with this Troye would be. It was his turn to pay, and yet I'd
still found a loophole by taking him somewhere we'd get the food for free.

"Oh, okay." He laughed quietly, shoving the wallet back into his pocket as he began
to shuffle his way out of the booth. I followed, instead scooching down the seats
so I didn't end up knocking anything over like he was surely going to. It wasn't
until we were both standing beside the table that he spoke up again. "Bye, Jackie!
It was nice seeing you again!"

"Bye!" She beamed, waving at us before we turned around. The second our backs were
to her I elbowed him in the ribs.

"You are such a suck-up to my mom." I whispered, letting my arm snake around his
waist like it had earlier. It wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking initiating things
like this now that I knew for certain he was okay with it. We were already out the
door and in the parking lot by the time he finally replied.

"So? I want her to like me." He muttered, sounding slightly nervous like he didn't
like me calling him out on his suck-up behavior. I rolled my eyes, tightening my
grip on him as a car pulled out in front of us. Of course I knew he was capable of
avoiding it on his own, I just wanted to be sure.

"Trust me, she already does. You're all she talks about around the house." I
laughed, recalling all the times she'd tried to start up conversations about him
and I'd straight-up refused to let her. I adored talking about him, but even I have
my limits.

It was when the car had drove away and we started walking again that I realized
Troye hadn't replied, so I looked up at him with curious eyes. I knew I was in for
it the second I seen the familiar mischievous smirk on his face.
"So, in a way, you're saying that I'm all you talk about as well?" He purred, his
eyes refusing to meet with mine as we continued toward his car. I bit my lip at his
flirty tone, not used to hearing it. Just since he'd came out earlier our
relationship had obviously changed noticeably. He was a lot quicker to flirt or
initiate anything physical. I guess maybe just because he knew for sure I was okay
with it or something, but I definitely wasn't complaining.

"So what if I am?" I asked, deciding to play along with his game for now, solely to
see what his next response would be.

"Nothing, it's just cute you care about me that much, that's all." I beamed,
actually looking down at me now with a cheeky smile. I rolled my eyes, debating
whether it'd be totally uncalled for to tickle him right now as revenge. I mean, my
hand was already resting on his hip anyway.

"I liked you better when you had no ego and were scared to talk to me." I huffed
out, deciding I'd better not risk it. The last thing I wanted was him mad at me
again, even if it was just sarcastically over something as stupid as tickling.

"That's a lie and you know it."

What felt like seconds later, we were both sitting in his car in the school parking
lot. Most people had already left, though there were still enough straggler's that
he had a bit of trouble maneuvering through the people pulling out and leaving.
Eventually we'd landed in his usual parking spot though, exactly three down from
where I'd parked.

We were both leaning back in our seats, likely both wracking our brains for some
conversational topic to use as an excuse to stay together longer. I was coming up
blank, but apparently Troye thought of something because he was shifting around in
his seat, turning his entire body to face me and bringing his knees up against his
chest.

"So, um, about Monday..." He mumbled, his flirty demeanor from earlier completely
absent as his shy one came back into play.

"What about it?"

"What do you, I mean, are you going to-"

"Troye." I said levelly, deciding to interrupt his stuttering before he made a

complete fool of himself. He seemed thankful for this, giving me a shaky smile and
taking a deep breath before starting again.

"Where do we stand? Like, are we gonna hang-out at school now or should we keep our
friendship on the down-low to avoid rumors spreading?" Just his tone as he said the
second option made it very clear which one he was hoping for. It gave me a bubbly
sense of pride knowing I was actually gonna be able to answer with that one.

"The rumors have already spread, dumbass. You're stuck with me now, during and
after school hours." I said cheerily, reaching across the center-console to shove
him lightly. He lost balance though, grabbing onto my forearm tightly for support
to keep himself up.

"Great, I can't wait." I scoffed at his sarcastic tone and the way he drug out his
words, prying his fingers off my arm only to shove him again.
"Don't lie, you're just as excited as I am. We can eat lunch together every day,
and wear our friendship bracelets, and braid each other's hair during class-"

"Shut-up." He groaned, cluing in that I was teasing after the first suggestion. He
leaned back in his seat again, draping his arm over his eyes dramatically and
making me immediately miss the bright blue color of them.

"I should get going, I've got work at 4pm." I sighed out eventually, after about a
minute of sitting together in silence. He nodded against his arm, still not doing
me the honor of removing his arm and letting me see his eyes again.

"Alright, seeya, Ty." I turned to reach for the door then, before ultimately
deciding I just couldn't leave on that note. It was needy of me, but I genuinely
couldn't see myself leaving without something more final than that.

"One last thing, can you at least tell me if it's Shane you like. I feel like it's
just necessary I know, what if I slip up and blurt something I shouldn't when we're
all hanging-out?" I pried, looking back to him with my best convincing smile. He
lifted his arm, though his eyes remained closed at first as he shook his head.

"I'm not telling you. Now get out of my car."

"You are so mean." I pouted, crossing my arms in protest. He didn't notice though,
considering his eyes were still fucking closed. I decided the only way I was going
to get what I wanted is if I was forward, sighing before reaching over and messing
up his hair affectionately. "Do I at least get a hug goodbye, or?"

This had his eyes opening immediately, and I couldn't help but smirk at how quickly
he sat up in his seat and opened his arms for me. It was a nuisance ambling the
embrace over the console between us, but I didn't care, it was worth it to have him
near. I nuzzled my face into his neck, half impressed with myself for getting a hug
out of him and half annoyed with myself for being so damn thirsty.

"I'll text you." He whispered, his breath hitting my ear and making me shiver
against him. I prayed it wasn't noticeable though, quickly speaking up to cover it.

"Call me you mean." I corrected, causing him to squeeze me against his chest even
tighter in obvious annoyance.

"I'll call you then." He confirmed, both of us backing out of the hug at the same
time. I gave him another smile and turned toward the door, definitely satisfied
with that goodbye. I opened the door and got out, an idea sparking in my mind just
before I closed the door. I leaned back in, locking eyes with his confused ones. He
was obviously curious to see what I had left to say.

"Seeya later, twinkbottom!" I shouted, watching his jaw drop and eyebrows furrow
before slamming the door shut and rushing back toward my car. I was about halfway
when he rolled his window down.

"Dick!" He shouted after me, making me giggle as I turned around and blew him an
over-the-top dramatic goodbye kiss. Through the small slither of space where he'd
rolled down his window I seen him lift his hand and give me the middle finger, only
making me laugh harder as I fell into my own car. I was still cackling as I watched
him drive away. The only thing that managed to interrupt it was my phone going off,
and only because I thought it might have been him. Sadly, it wasn't. I glared at
the contact 'Mom' lighting up my screen, clicking the text and getting ready for a
simple smirky emoji. Instead, I got the sentence I'd been expecting all day.
"Are you guys secretly dating yet or just oblivious as hell to each other's
feelings?"

A/n: Ughughh, I was a rebel and wrote this instead of doing the dishes so pray for
me, my momma ain't gonna be happy with me. Anyway, first of all can I just give a
MAJOR MAJOR URSULA MAJOR thank-you to you guys? SO many of you went and voted for
my sister and I was genuinely shocked how many of you did and just ughh <3 I love
you all a whole bunch. This chapter was meant to be up last night as a thank-you
but I got a head ache and yeah, sorry. But hey, I think it was still less than
twenty-four hours after the last update soo. Okay, next chapter I think will be a
timeskip to the day BEFORE Halloween, as long as there's nothing you guys suggest
to fill the space between now and then that you're in dire need of having. (IF you
say you're in dire need of the kiss I WILL ignore you) Okay hmm, I love you all a
ton, I know I already said that but I'm saying it again because we are also
celebrating reaching TWO-HUNDRED-THOUSAND READS, LIKE HOLY CRAPOLAS BATMAN THAT'S A
LOT. Okay byebye, comment and ogote, like you do.

Chapter Thirty-Nine
*Tyler's POV*

I held up my two shirt options for today, narrowing my eyes as I glared into the
mirror. I'd always been the type to take forever to get ready in the mornings, but
since meeting Troye, I'd only gotten a hundred times worse. It wasn't just what I
thought looked cute anymore, I had to worry about what outfits he'd prefer as well.
I mean, obviously I didn't have to consider it, he wasn't shallow enough to
actually judge a person based on their outfits. But if it meant catching his eyes
lingering on me for just a few seconds longer or earning an adorable shy compliment
from his lips, then of course the extra effort was worth it.

Speak of the devil, a familiar ringtone was filling my room seconds later. My
mother was also hollering for me downstairs, but priorities. I tossed the shirts
carelessly onto the floor, rushing over and collapsing onto my bed. I only let
myself rest for a second though before my hand was shooting out, retrieving my
phone from under the pillows and bringing it back to my face.

"Less than twenty-four hours!!" I groaned out loud as I read what the text was,
rolling my eyes in time with the sound. Normally I ignored his little update texts,
but judging by the amount of exclamation marks he'd decided to include, he figured
this one was a pretty big deal. Which gave me all the more reason to make fun of
him for it.

"You are a total loser." I punched in quickly, smirking as I pictured what his
reaction would be. I hadn't expected him to take that one conversation so seriously
that he actually went through with his words and gave daily update texts, but yet
here he was. It had started out with me teasing him and saying that I was willing
to bet he was counting down the days until I came over. He'd taken it quite
literally though, sending me daily update texts stating how much longer we had
until Halloween. To some it might have been annoying, but considering there was
nothing I loved more than his attention, I actually didn't mind it at all.

My phone went off in my hand and my train of thought was immediately abandoned, my
curiosity to see what he'd respond with absolutely overwhelming.

"Says the idiot who just dropped everything he was doing to reply to me." I sighed
heavily upon reading this, my eyes drifting away from the screen to peer at the
forgotten outfit choices on my floor. That wasn't even talking about the fact I'd
directly ignored my mother yelling, not even knowing if it was to say goodbye to me
before work or what. He was definitely right, I had dropped everything to reply to
him. I wasn't going to let him know that though, the last thing that boy needed was
one more thing to tease me about. If one thing had changed in the last two weeks,
it was the fact our teasing relationship was no longer one-sided. He seemed to
always know what to respond to make me blush when I was trying to get him to, and I
both hated and loved it. Of course I hated to be made a fool of, but I couldn't
help but love that accomplished grin he got every time he made me stutter.

"Shut-up." I replied simply, convincing myself that I was not going to reply to him
until I got to school. I could do that. Surely I wasn't so obsessed that I couldn't
stand twenty minutes not knowing what he had to say.

He texted me back almost instantly, but I grit my teeth and refused to answer it,
trying to prove to myself that I could put myself before him. I managed to choose
an outfit, style my hair, and even eat breakfast, all while ignoring the now
constant buzzing of my phone. I guess he didn't like being ignored, considering it
had only encouraged him to spam me.

I stuffed the final bite of my breakfast into my mouth, getting up and sliding on
my sock-feet to the counter. I picked up my phone then, grinding my bottom lip
between my teeth as I resisted the urge to just make that one click of the touch
screen and see what these fifty-eight missed texts were. I was willing to bet
emojis or random letters, but how would I know if I didn't check?

I surprised even myself when I ended up just pocketing it, smiling proudly at my
own self-discipline as I turned to head toward the door. I snatched my backpack off
the kitchen table, humming quietly as I practically skipped toward the front door.
I made it about three steps out the door and across the porch, when the sound of
someone clearing their throat had me gasping and spinning around. What was
originally fear quickly turned into annoyance upon seeing Troye leaning against the
small wall beside the door, his lips quirked up into an obviously amused smile.

"Troye! You dick! I thought you were a kidnapper or something!" I shouted, trying
to pass my shaky voice off as anger rather than shock.

"A kidnapper? Who the hell would want you?" His tone was teasing but it only took a
few seconds of staring into his eyes to recognize his usual concern that he'd
actually offended me or gotten on my nerves. He was a lot quicker to tease me, but
I got the feeling he hadn't gotten any less cautious around me. And the only way to
reassure him it was fine? To tease him right back.

"You would, clearly. What are you doing here?" I giggled, gesturing to the way he
was leaning against the side of my house. He smirked, his confidence seemingly
regained as he pushed off the wall and started toward me. He didn't stop until he
was directly in front of me, his arms coming up to clasp his hands together at the
back of my neck.

"I'm here to drive you to school, obviously. I texted you saying that I was just a
little bit ago, is your phone dead or something?" He asked, his eyes going wide
with what was clearly fake innocence. He knew damn well that there was nothing
wrong with my phone. I let his act carry on only a few seconds longer, shoving him
off when he started to bat his eyelashes.

"Or something." I muttered under my breath, refusing to feel bad about ignoring him
for barely twenty minutes. I don't want to be as obsessed with him as I am, it's
unhealthy. Then again... He did drive to my house to see me after just this long
without talking, who's the real obsessed one here?

"So, you do want a drive?" He asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets, clearly
not bothered at all that I'd shoved him off. It was when he asked stupid questions
like that, that I remembered he wasn't as sure of himself as he let on.

"Do you even have to ask? Your car has hella comfy seats and it means not having to
pay for gas, of course I want a drive!" I beamed, hopping down the steps ahead of
him. I waited patiently for him to catch up then, noticing that his steps weren't
nearly as enthusiastic as mine were as he scuffed his feet against the concrete
behind me. He stopped beside me, and I was about to sling my arm around him, when
he responded.

"Right." He muttered, his tone sounding oddly hurt. I furrowed my brows, thinking
back to what I'd said last. I frowned when I realized how differently he could have
taken that, looking up at him and feeling even worse upon seeing how withdrawn he
looked, staring at the ground. I sighed out loud, reaching out and tugging on his
wrist until he let me pull his hand out of his pocket. As soon as I was able I
laced my fingers through his, looking up at him with my mouth bent up into such a
huge smile it was probably anything but attractive. I wiped it off my face abruptly
a few seconds later, opening my eyes and getting a sense of happiness upon seeing
how much cheerier he already looked.

"I don't exactly mind your company either, you know." I added, squeezing his hand
without breaking my eyes away from his. He nodded, his cheeks deepening to an
adorable shade of pink.

"Right." He repeated himself, though the one-word statement sounded much different
now that his tone had changed.

"Someone has a very limited vocabulary today." I teased, expecting him to shove me
in reaction. Instead, he simply scoffed and rolled his eyes, swinging our hands
between us just slightly. If I wanted to be really vain, I could say he just didn't
want to break our hands apart and that's why he hadn't bothered to shove me, but
it'd be foolish to believe that, right? Not so much foolish because it was
unlikely, but foolish because it'd freaking suck if I found out that wasn't the
case after I'd let myself believe it.

Despite the oddly high amount of traffic on the roads, the drive to school still
felt like only seconds passing. I guess time flies when you're trying to
procrastinate doing something you really don't want to. It's not that school had
been horrific compared to usual or anything, it was just an undesirable place in
general, and the odd homophobic slur definitely didn't make it any better. It could
have been worse though, I could have had to go through it without Troye by my side.
Besides, I was just getting whatever ricocheted off of him, he was the one who had
actually came out of the closet, it was probably a thousand times worse for him.
Yet he didn't seem too downhearted by it, especially considering I still complained
more than him when it came to getting out of the car for school.

"Come on! We're gonna be late for class." He groaned, reaching over the console to
swat at my thigh. I didn't outwardly reply at first, just silently shifting my eyes
up to glare at him through my lashes. But when his swats turned more into punches,
repeatedly on me kneecap, I realized he wasn't going to back off until I told him
too. Damn him and his growing confidence around me.

"I don't wanna!" I pouted, flailing my own hand out and knocking his away. He let
out an indignified huff, crossing his arms as he sunk back into his seat. You could
physically see the gears turning in his mind as he tried to come up with some sort
of scheme to get me up, which was why I was so surprised when he ended up sighing
and running a hand through his hair dejectedly.

"Fine then, I'll just leave you sitting here in my car. Don't break anything." He
sassed, giving me a pointed glare before slowly reaching for the door handle, like
he expected me to stop him any second.

"Troye." I blurted, deciding to make him believe for a second his stupid pity plan
had worked.

"Tyler."

"You're annoying." I giggled, surprised when any trace of a smile vanished from his
face, leaving behind a cross between an angry and sad expression. He opened his
mouth as if he was going to reply to me before just slowly shaking his head and
hurriedly opening his door. He grabbed his bag and hauled it out with him, slamming
the door roughly considering how much he babied this car. He was promptly starting
across the parking lot and leaving me sitting dumbfounded in his passenger seat,
unsure of where to go from here. Was he actually upset? Shit. I hadn't actually
meant he was annoying, it was a stupid playfight! Before I could even think it
through I, too, was grabbing my bag and quickly jogging to catch up with him. I was
panting as I caught up to his side, immediately scrambling to explain myself. "Hey!
I was kidding, dork!"

"I know, but what better way to get your ass out of the car than to storm off and
leave you feeling guilty?" He replied without missing a beat, looking up from the
ground with an annoyingly cheeky smile. I guess he had a right to wear it though,
he'd gotten his way exactly. I groaned, gently shoulder-checking him and strutting
ahead of him grumpily.

"I don't like how easy it is for you to manipulate me, it's not fair." I pouted,
trying to look sad and failing when I felt his hand brush against mine that was
hanging between us. If it weren't for the whole 'being at school surrounded by
homophobic peers' thing, I liked to believe he might have even tried to hold it.

"And I don't like hearing you whine before class everyday." He replied finally as
we walked through the doors into the school. He didn't actually sound annoyed
though, just like it was the first thing that had come to mind when he was trying
to come up with a reply to me.

I continued to drag my feet as I silently trailed behind him to his locker,

watching as he started to sort through it was an expression of pure-concentration.
After about a minute he'd managed to dissect it's contents and pull out an armful
of his obligatory books for today, using his back to lean on his locker door until
it shut. After he'd heard the definitive click he finally turned back to me, giving
me a lopsided smile.

"Your locker next?" He asked, raising his eyebrows intuitively. I sighed heavily,
nodding despite how eager I really was for it.

"We don't even have any classes together today." I mumbled, like that was a perfect
explanation for my less-than-attractive whiny behavior. He rolled his eyes,
scuffing his feet along the worn floor as he walked beside me.

"Oh you poor thing, what ever will you do without me?" He replied finally, looking
up to wink at me. My eyes went wide and I shoved him, huffing quietly as I came to
a stop in front of a familiar locker.
"Probably get some peace and quiet." I muttered, wordlessly tearing off the piece
of paper on the locker stating simply 'fag' that looked suspiciously like Caspar's
messy scrawl. Before I'd had nightmares about dealing with this sort of thing, now
it just didn't feel like such a big deal. You know what did feel like a big deal
though? My ever-growing affection for the idiot next to me. I doubted anything
could even compare to that, everything else just felt like background noise. Who
knows, maybe he feels the same and that's why he's been taking all this as well as
he has.

"Dick." He giggled, leaning against the locker beside mine as I impatiently tugged
out textbooks, letting garbage fall to the floor and not even glancing down at it.
Troye, however, still had his overwhelmingly nice guy persona, bending over and
gathering it up for me. He even set his own books down to deal with it, making me
feel slightly bad. Then again, I didn't feel bad when I thought about what a
perfect view of his ass I had when he was bent over like that.

After he'd straightened back up and I'd gathered all my things, it was dangerously
near to the dreaded time the bell would ring. Half of me wanted to rush off toward
my first class before everyone else started rushing through the halls, but I also
couldn't bring myself to leave Troye before I absolutely had to. I shifted the
books higher up on my waist, looking down the hallway as I continued to ponder over
whether it'd be worth it to leave right now.

"Hey, Tyler?" He sounded almost tentative, making me quickly turn around, my first
suspicion that someone might have been shooting him a weird look or something.
Usually they knew better to do so when I was around him, but there was always an
idiot or two that decided to challenge it. I hadn't beat anyone up over their
pestering or anything, most idiots I could set in their place with just a dark
glare. I wasn't exactly that popular guy everyone looked up to and wanted to be
anymore, but I guess it took a while for them to stop addressing me like I was. I
wasn't complaining, especially if it made it easier to get them off of Troye's
back.

However, my eyes found no one looking even mildly suspicious or rude in the
hallways, only a few people scrambling to get ready for their classes. I looked
back to Troye then, slightly confused, but the blush in his cheeks and the way he
refused to meet my gaze made me realize this wasn't that type of uncomfortable at
all.

"What?" I asked, my tone slightly hushed like I expected other people to listen in.
Of course they wouldn't be, but I also felt like it made the moment more intimate.
And if Troye was about to utter something along the lines of what I'd been waiting
for for over a month now, I definitely wanted it to be intimate. I didn't really
have any set reason to believe he was about to, other than the fact he was blushing
like mad and that he'd already so long being oblivious it was only a matter of time
before he figured something out.

"Look, this is really stupid, and it's totally okay for you to say no, but..." He
trailed off, laughing at himself like he'd messed up his words horribly or
something. It was adorable seeing him so flustered, but I was also about to die
from curiosity, rushing to prompt the rest of his question out of him.

"But?"

"My, uh, my mom wants to know if you'd dress up tomorrow to pass out the candy.
Like I said, if you don't want to it's fine, just let me know. It's sort of her
favorite holiday and she takes it way too serious." He mumbled and stumbled through
his words way too quick, but I got the just of it. I watched him rub the back of
his neck awkwardly, trying to ward off a smile as I thought about how stupidly
nervous he was getting over this. Did he think I was going to call him a nerd or
something? It was actually crazy cute, much like anything he does. I mean, it was
no love confession by any means, but it was still cute.

"I would, I swear, but I don't have anything to wear unless it's something stupid
like my pajamas." I sighed, biting my lip and feeling almost guilty. Who knows,
maybe he'd offer me a hand-me-down costume of his or something. I mean, I
definitely wouldn't mind wearing anything he had before.

"You don't have a costume left over from past years?" He asks, still sounding
slightly unsure like he thought I was making this up to get out of having to wear
one. I decided to just be honest with him and tell him why I didn't have a costume.
I'd do it sarcastically though, in hopes of not making the mood too serious and
awkward.

"I'm a certified cool kid, Troye, we didn't wear costumes, we just went to parties
and got blackout drunk." I scoffed and rolled my eyes after I said this, like it
was information he should have already known. He just laughed, rolling his eyes
right back.

"That definitely sounds 'cool'." He scoffed, his eyes dancing with mirth as they
met with mine again. I decided not to comment back, not really wanting another
fight so early in the morning, even if it was a playful one. Instead I forlornly
looked up at the clock on the wall overhead, watching the seconds tick by to the
time our class was scheduled to start. I was actually pretty into watching the
second hand tick along, when Troye spoke up again.

"If you're serious about wanting to wear a costume, I'm actually being forced to
take Sage and Tyde and go get all of ours tonight. You're free to come along, if
you think you can survive a couple hours with my siblings." His tone was once again
nervous, but I had a feeling it was more to do with the idea of spending time with
both of his siblings and me at the same time that had him worrying rather than my
reaction to his suggestion. I grinned cheerily, looking back down at him and
nodding.

"I'm sure I'll pull-through, it sounds like fun. I'll call Bruce and let him know
at lunch that I'm going to reschedule a bit and work tomorrow instead. Then I'll
just come over tomorrow after I get off?" It was more of a statement than a
question really, but my quirked eyebrows and inquisitive tone insisted otherwise. I
was just checking back to make sure our plans were still in tact, the last thing I
wanted to happen was them to get cancelled over bad planning. As much of a dick as
he'd been about teasing me over it, I really was insanely excited for tomorrow
night. I mean, any night I get to fall asleep in the same room as Troye is bound to
be a good one.

"Okay, sounds good. See you in a bit?" He asked hopefully, though as he spoke I
couldn't help but to notice the familiar head of hair in the halls behind him.
Caspar was surrounded by his usual goons and though I didn't want to leave Troye on
his own with him so close, I also knew he'd feel even more inclined to bother us if
he saw us together.

"Yep." I whispered in answer, my eyes locking with Caspar's as strolled past us. I
guess you could say he was the king of the school now or whatever, but people
didn't really respect him like they had me, they more-so feared him.
Understandably, after seeing what he was capable of doing to a person.

Before either of us had the chance to say anything more, the cringe-worthy soud of
the bell ringing was filling the halls. Everyone seemed to scatter at once of the
remaining people dwindling, and not surprisingly, Troye was one of them. He gave me
a sympathetic smile, likely because of how shitty our goodbye had been, before
turning on his heel and taking off in the other direction. I sighed quietly, though
I couldn't really be upset knowing he'd just avoided a possible run-in with Caspar.
That was the last thing I wanted to happen. But when I turned around I was
pleasantly surprised to see Caspar and a couple of other slacker goons slipping
into the men's room, clearly to skip class. I bit my lip, slightly embarrassed that
my first thought in reaction was using it as an excuse to call Troye back. I mean,
he wasn't that far away, I could still easily see the back of his head. Without
giving myself time to think it through I snatched my phone out, smirking to myself
when I seen Troye's messages were still open. I didn't give myself time to read
through them though, knowing we were already late for class.

"Hey, just so you know Caspar's skipping class in the bathroom so you should
probably avoid it." I watched him come to a full stop after I'd sent the message,
taking his phone out and reading it. After a second, I got my reply.

"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind." I found myself frowning at it though. I wasn't sure
what I'd been hoping for but this wasn't it. I looked up from my screen, unable to
hide my grin when I seen he'd turned around to face me again instead of continuing
on. Upon seeing how adorably misplaced he looked standing there all on his own, his
jumper at least two sizes too big, I knew damn well what I was missing out on. I
sighed, deciding to give in to myself. It was gonna bother me all day if I didn't.

"Would it be really needy to ask for the hug we just skipped or?" I typed out,
biting my lip nervously before sending it. I watched Troye as he looked down at his
phone and read it, letting out a breath of relief when I seen him smile at the
screen stupidly. He pocketed it again after presumably texting me back, and I watch
him open up his arms just as I felt my phone go off in my hand.

"Not if you hurry the hell up." I grinned down at the text before hastily shoving
the phone into my back pocket and speed-walking/jogging to where he stood. If
anyone else asked I was just walking fast, partially because it'd be embarrassing
for them to see how eager I was to hug Troye, but also because it was technically
against the rules to run in the halls. I didn't even stop as I reached him, instead
just barreling into him and trying to keep my cackle quiet when we both stumbled
slightly. He managed to get his footing before I did, encasing me in his arms so
tightly I wasn't capable of falling over. After we'd gotten our balance I let my
forehead fall against his shoulder, saturating in the moment despite the fact
Biology class was looming over me for as soon as it ended. I was beginning to
suspect Troye wanted me to back away, considering we were missing class right now,
when he bent over and whispered in my ear.

"Definitely a certified cool kid, the kind that can't cope without hugging his best
friend before they separate." I rolled my eyes at his teasing tone, subtly bringing
a hand up between us and shoving him. It was only lightly though, not enough that
he'd have to stumble away from me, god forbid that. I wrapped my arms back around
him then, grabbing tiny fistfuls of the back of his shirt as I let my head fall
back against his chest.

"Are you complaining?" I replied after I'd situated myself, immediately feeling
Troye shake his head against the top of mine in response.

"No, never." He whispered back, his tone strangely intimate. It definitely wasn't
the sort of voice people would use hugging their best friend goodbye, but then
again, most people don't have to hug their best friend goodbye before class. He
realized it too, he'd have to be blind not to see how different our friendship was
than the average one. Yet he didn't seem stressed by it, if anything he was
encouraging it with all the sappy whispering and subtle flirting he'd done
recently. It was kind of nerve-wracking to think about, but what if he's waiting
for me to make a move just like I am him? I'd really feel like an idiot then. I'm
still not going to though, I can't risk messing up our friendship. But, I could
make it a lot easier for him to make one. I can't really expect him to make a move
on me if I haven't even come out to him, can I?

"Tilly, I do have to go to class sometime today." I tensed in his arms upon hearing
his sudden words, realizing I'd completely zoned out about him while in his
freaking arms. I wonder how long we've been standing here. I backed out of his
arms, risking a quick glance toward the clock before I met his gaze. I could
physically feel my cheeks heating up into a rosy blush upon seeing we were already
ten minutes late, a good portion of which we'd probably spent nuzzled into each
other.

I was almost reluctant to look back at Troye, knowing he'd surely see my blush and
know he had something to do with it. But at the same time, I couldn't keep hiding
things like that if I wanted him to get his butt in gear and make a move. As scary
as it was, I wanted him to suspect my feelings, or we'd never get out of this 'just
friends' rut we'd gotten ourselves into.

I turned back toward him before I looked at him, giving him a good few seconds to
observe how flustered I was without me having to see his reaction. Sure I was
curious, but I was also nervous. What if he really was completely oblivious and
just straight-up asked me what I was doing blushing as red as a tomato over a
platonic hug? When no question came after about five seconds, I finally let my eyes
drift back up to meet with his. He didn't look confused so much as intrigued, his
eyes warm but it was also clear his thoughts were running wild inside his head. I
tried to read what he was thinking through his facial expressions, but it was soon
proved useless. He was impossible to read when he didn't want you to. After what
felt like forever of just staring at each other with our mind's in completely
different places, his eyes focused again. He squinted, raising a hand and setting
it on my shoulder.

"Tyler? Are you okay?" He asked, his tone cautious. I wasn't sure if he was
genuinely asking or trying to get me to elaborate on my current state, but I wasn't
about to tell him anything. Mostly because I wasn't sure I'd be able to speak right
now even if I wanted to.

"I, uh, I gotta get to class. I'll see you at lunch!" I blurted, turning on my
heel and silently cursing myself the entire way to my next class. I hadn't even
looked back at him once and he was probably confused as hell, but I wasn't about to
come out in a school hallway, much less admit my feelings for him. Like I said,
he's going to be the one to take that plunge first, assuming he does feel the same.
I would come out soon though, he'd have to be an idiot not to at least suspect it
by now, it's not like it'd be that much of a risk to just confirm it. Who knows,
maybe it'll be one of those picture perfect moments where I come out and he just
kisses me in response.

A/n: First of all, I apologize for the wait for this chapter and that its just
filler. I don't even really have an excuse. I mean, yesterday I was at the zoo all
day and snuggling llamas and camels, but other than that I've just been kinda
struggling with this chapter. So if it's really rambly or whatever that's because I
wrote it in different mindframes over the course of a week instead of just sitting
down and writing it all. Also, this was meant to be longer but the second half
needs to be Troye's POV now so we can see what's going on in his head and I figured
you guys would appreciate having this now so maybe I'll post the next one later
today if I find the time. Yes, this means the coming out chapter is now 42 instead
of 41 for y'all simpletons. Sorrysorrysorry, I'm rambly. Yeah so comment and vote
and stuff okbye

Chapter Fourty
*Troye's POV*

To say that my mind was in another place during would be a complete understatement.
Honestly, I couldn't even tell you what class I was in right now. It fascinated me
what a horrible student I was becoming since getting close to Tyler. Then again, I
was doing excellent in math all thanks to him so it kind of evened out in the end.
Not really, but I was going to continue telling myself it anyway to make me feel
better about my dropping grades in the other classes.

Between staring at the clock counting down the minutes until I got to see him again
and trying to decide what the hell to do when I did see him again, there were a lot
of things more important than whatever that was jumbled all over the whiteboard.
Part of me was thrilled with seeing him so flustered and blushy earlier, knowing
damn well people don't get like that over platonic hugs and that it meant we were
making progress of some sort. But I also couldn't help but worry things might have
changed so much it'd be overly awkward between us at the sleepover or something. Of
course I wanted him to like me, I just didn't want to go through that awkward
blushy stage where we could barely talk to each other. I wanted to skip straight
over to flirting and kissing- Fuck, now I'm going to be stuck dwelling over the
thought of kissing him all over again, like I hadn't spent a good half of my
conscious time today doing that already.

"Alright, class, that's it for today. You can all either finish it up now or start
cleaning up and do it for homework." I let out a breathy sigh of relief upon
hearing the teacher's orders, immediately slamming my textbook shut and leaning
back in my seat. My first move was to grab my phone to text Tyler, before
remembering our exchange earlier and wondering if that was the best move after all.
What if he was expecting some huge reaction and would be disappointed with a simple
'I'm bored in class' text? Or what if- Shit, I'm doing it already, I'm initiating
that awkward stage without even realizing it. I forced my fingers to fly across the
keyboard before I could overthink it again.

"Hey, what are you doing?" His reply was almost instantaneous.

"Definitely not school, it's not like I'm in class or anything. What are you
doing?" I rolled my eyes at the obvious sarcasm seeping through the typed-out
words, though there was no hiding my stupid smile as I tried to come up with the
least-lame thing I could say about my current activities. 'Oh, nothing, I'm just
wasting time texting this really cute boy when I should be paying attention in
class' may have been the truth, but it definitely wasn't my best option.

"Counting down the seconds until I get to see you again, obviously." I bit my lip
as I hovered my finger over the send button, wondering if this could be considered
too flirty, and also wondering if it'd be such a bad thing if it was. As much as I
was glad we were making progress, I was a complete, well, virgin, when it came to
these sort of interactions. I just didn't want to come on too strong and scare him
off or say something really stupid and make it clear how oblivious I really was.

Ultimately I ended up sending it, deciding it was one way to test the boundaries.
If he replied and seemed weirded out, at least I'd know not to say anything of the
sort again. The seconds waiting for his reply actually felt like days, and I
suddenly understood all those whiny scenes in romantic comedies where the girl is
sitting around waiting for his call back on a spiritual level. And when I felt my
phone go off in my hand, I understood that stupid lovesick grin they all wore to a
T.
"There's roughly four-hundred and eighty. Until the bell rings anyway." I silently
scoffed at his know-it-all reply, surprised I hadn't suspected something like that
from the get-go. I wasn't sure if I was relieved or disappointed he hadn't replied
to me with something equally as flirty. Maybe it was his nice way of backing away
from that sort of thing? Just to be safe, I decided to at least keep my next reply
pretty bland. God, I really was overthinking all of this.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, I figured I'd help you out considering you suck at anything even
mildly math related." As annoyed with this response as I was, I was also happy to
see how easily we could slip back into our usual banter-filled friendship. Maybe
this change wasn't as dramatic as I was making it out to be.

"I hate you." I typed in hastily, knowing even before I read the following text
what it was going to be. It was the same thing he always said when I said I hated
him, ever since that day in my pool. He just didn't realize how unbelievably true
the words were, and he wasn't going to anytime soon either, not until I was
completely sure I'd hear it back.

"You love me."

"Now what ever would give you that idea?" I grinned even as I typed out this
response, just picturing his cute little offended glare he'd get as he read it. If
it were in person he'd probably even cross his arms and pout, upping his adorable
levels infinitely. It wasn't fair really, for a teenage boy to be that cute, how
was anybody in this town still straight with him around?

As if to make a point, he replied immediately after I thought this, causing me to

jump and awkwardly hit my knee of the desk in my haste to see what he'd replied
with.

"Your eyes. They completely give it away." I stared at the text blankly after I'd
opened it, trying without success to read if it was supposed to be sarcastic or
not. This is why I like talking on the phone or in person. Tyler's voice is easy to
read, but it's pretty much impossible to tell what anyone is getting at through
texts. Either way, I had to deny it. If I didn't text back or even just tried to
avoid talking about it it'd be suspicious, and I wasn't exactly ready to confess my
feelings for him, much less through some stupid text.

"They do not! There's nothing to give away!"

"Mmmhmm, right." I groaned at this response, letting my head sink down against the
desk while still observing my phone down by my lap. I hate not knowing if he's just
trying to make a fool of me or genuinely trying to flirt. He knew he was confusing
me too, I bet he was sitting there snickering wherever he was right now.

"I'm glaring at you right now through the walls of the school." I decided this was
my best option, glowering slightly as I settled back in my chair. His reply took
some time this time, and I liked to think I'd rendered him speechless, if only for
a moment. But when my phone did go off and I did read the message, it was me that
was left speechless with a dumbfounded expression.

"Can't keep your eyes off me, can you?" How could he say something so flirty so
casually? I mean, we had been getting flirtier lately but nothing like that. I
wasn't really complaining, but I also didn't want him trying to turn the flirting
into something casual and trying to pass it off as normal friend behavior, because
normal friends, one of them being 'straight', did not say things like that. And
what better way to ensure he doesn't make a joke of it than to call him out on it?

"Stop flirting with me." I bit my lip after I'd sent it, immediately regretting it
and wishing I could take it back. What if he thought I was being serious and
actually did stop flirting with me? I didn't want that, I just wanted to hear him
address it as flirting, or at least not to deny it when I did.

But as the seconds ticked by and I went longer without a response, I was beginning
to wonder if I was going to get even that. By the time the bell rang announcing the
end of class and the start of lunch hour, I was a bundle of nerves. Partly nervous
ones, partly angry ones. How could he flirt with me so shamelessly then just ignore
me when I called him out on it? Sure, it was a pretty forward move, but he'd sort
of been acting like forward was what he wanted. Ugh, he was just so frustrating.
And now I was going to have to spend lunch with him, and it was probably going to
be awkward if he couldn't even muster a reply to my text.

I gathered my stuff up quickly, my mood completely soiled as I hastily shoved

things into my binders, not even taking time to sort everything out like usual.
Maybe I could ignore him and pay attention to Shane as a form of revenge, he seems
like the jealous type. I was still scheming ways to get back at him as I walked out
of the classroom, which is exactly why I didn't notice the less-than-average-height
gremlin leaning against the wall beside the classroom door until I'd already fallen
into his trap. I took one step out the door, not even being the last one to leave
for a change, and I'd been immediately attacked by a pair of clingy arms.

"How was class?" Tyler's cheery voice filled the air a moment later, along with
what sounded like a scoff from someone behind us, either at our show of affection
or the fact we were blocking their way. Just to be safe I wrapped one arm around
Tyler and hauled him off to the side, after that letting it fall back to my side. I
didn't want him to think we were okay and I still wanted to hug him after that
earlier stunt of his. It didn't take long for him to realize his embrace was more-
or-less one-sided, sighing heavily before sliding his arms off of me and back to
his sides.

"What's wrong?" He asked, how dejected he felt obviously seeping into his words.
Good, now he knew how I felt when he refused to admit he was flirting with me. I
hoisted my books up to get a better grip before starting to weave my way through
the halls, hoping not to touch anyone.

"You didn't text me back." I replied finally, when the crowd cleared enough for me
to calm down and catch my breath. Tyler seemed happy with even the delayed response
though, skipping forward so he could turn around and walk backward, facing me.

"Well, you were the one who told me not to flirt with you." I frowned when I heard
him say this. Was he saying it was my fault I didn't get a text because I brought
that up or what? God, why does he have to talk in such riddles, I just wanted a
straight-up answer.

"And your point?" I asked, raising my eyebrows pointedly in hopes of encouraging

him. He smiled happily though, making me wonder why he was so happy about being
asked something like that.

"I can't compose a text to you without being flirty, who do you think I am?" He
said it so smoothly I couldn't hide the faint blush on my cheeks that followed,
though I tried to keep my expression composed and silently insisting it had nothing
to do with how smooth Tyler Oakley may or may not be. I am a cool and collected
person and I do not freak out over charming one-liners that- "So I've been
thinking, and we should totally get matching costumes. Like, not the exact same
ones, but ones that'd go together."
"Oh?" My voice was more of a squeak than an actual response, but he seemed to get
the just of it as he eagerly nodded and continued on to list all the costume ideas
he'd had so far. I wasn't really listening though, still a little caught up on the
fact he'd more or less just said we should get couple costumes. I mean, he hadn't
technically said it, but surely he knows that's what everyone is going to think of
them.

We'd actually reached the cafeteria when I zoned back in to what he was saying,
actually listening to the words as they flew out of his mouth at the speed of
light.

"I feel like Bert and Ernie is too weird though, like it really seems like a couple
costume. So I was thinking of costumes that kind of go together but don't really
imply a romantic kind-of vibe and I'm kind of leaning toward police officer and
criminal. Mostly because I bet I'd look fine as hell in a police uniform-"

"Oh yeah, definitely." I scoffed, trying to leak as much sarcasm as I could into
the words so he didn't find a way to turn them into some sort of compliment. What
he didn't know was the very thought of him in any sort of uniform had my heart
racing. Firefighter, police officer, sailor, male nurse, fuck, I'm pretty sure he
could make a McDonald's uniform hot as hell.

"Well, do you have a better idea?" He snapped suddenly, making me look down at him
and immediately shake my head. Not only did I not have a better idea, but I really
didn't want to discourage the cop idea now that I'd pictured him in that uniform.
Talk about fantasy come true. "Good. Plus I bet you'd be cute in black and white
strips with a little black eye-mask on."

"You think so?" I blurted, my tone almost tentative as I repeated what he'd just
said in my head. I had to make sure he actually had. Cute, he said he'd bet I'd
look 'cute'.

"Yeah, if we really want to go all out I could get you handcuffs too." My eyes went
wide at this suggestion, my newly-developed dirty mind taking it completely out of
context. The way I took it definitely had nothing to do with costumes, or clothes
of any sort for that matter.

"Y-Yeah, sounds great." I stuttered out, certain my cheeks were fluorescent pink by
now. I refused to look up from the dirty linoleum floor, just like my mind refused
to stop picturing compromising situations involving Tyler and handcuffs. Totally
not school appropriate, Troye. On the other hand, who knew I was so creative. Maybe
he could even incorporate a police baton- to the costume I mean! Not to my, uh,
fantasy.

"Troye? Are you okay? You look a little hot or something." I resisted the urge to
roll my eyes at Tyler, not sure if he was joking around or seriously that
oblivious. Either way, given why I was actually red in the face and sweating, it
was a pretty embarrassing situation. "We could go eat outside if you'd rather."

"O-Okay, let's go find Shane and Marcus." I definitely didn't mind his suggestion,
the cool autumn air likely exactly what I needed to cool down. Let's just hope this
doesn't come back to haunt me with another one of those dreams. Not that it was
entirely unenjoyable, it was just, um, awkward.

"Alright, I will as soon as I get my food. You can go ahead without me if you
want." He offered, turning around to gesture toward the open doors that led
outside, way over on the other side of the cafeteria. Did he think I was crazy? No
way was I walking through the bulk of the crowd without him by my side. Besides, no
way was I wasting time I could be spending with him in general.

"No, I'll wait."

"Good, I didn't actually want you to leave. So, what kind of exciting activities do
you have planned for tomorrow?" He asked, his cheery tone making it clear he was
just trying to start a conversation. But, as I was trying to come up with my
answer, I realized I had absolutely nothing planned. Shit. Am I supposed to plan
these things out? What if he gets bored and leaves early? Or worse yet, what if I
panic and do something really weird like show him Tyde's rock collection?

"Exciting... activities? I'm supposed to schedule what we do?" Tyler turned to me

slowly after I'd asked this, the mischievous glint in his eyes and the devilish
smirk giving away that I'd made an idiot of myself before his response did.

"Babe, your anti-social loser with little-to-no sleepover experience is showing a

bit." He cooed, reaching up to run his thumb over my cheek. I hated him sometimes,
partly for all of the teasing, partly for how he had my knees threatening to buckle
solely over his thumb on my cheek.

"I hate you." I breathed out, watching as he turned around and starting listing off
the mountain of food he considered a lunch. I didn't really expect a reply,
surprised when he gave me one anyway as soon as his tray was full.

"That's not true or you wouldn't be inviting me to sleep in the same room as you."
He beamed, a cocky grin on his face as he led me toward the exit. I made the
mistake of looking away from my feet for a second, my eyes locking with Jenna's for
a fearful three seconds before Tyler cleared his throat and had me scurrying along
after him, weaving between the tables and trying not to trip this time. I didn't
reply until we were both outside and I was certain I was in the safe zone.

"Maybe it's only so I can strangle you while you're unconscious." I muttered,
watching as his eyes lit up in a familiar teasing light the second I'd finished
speaking.

"Kinky."

After a surprisingly-not-awkward lunch and a few more painstakingly boring classes,

I was stuck trying to locate a misplaced Tyler Oakley. He hadn't replied to any of
my texts, but given he was the least organized person I'd ever met, he'd probably
forgotten to charge his phone and it had died on him. So far I'd checked the
bathrooms and by his locker, purposely avoiding the bathrooms and places Caspar was
known to lurk. I loved Tyler, but not quite enough to risk that. Okay, well, enough
to risk that, but only if it was an absolute last alternative. I was actually about
to risk the first possible Caspar-risk zone, when my phone finally went off in my
pocket. I was thrilled for a second, before seeing it was Sage's name on the screen
and not a certain missing person. I wasn't about to ignore her though, knowing she
was likely wondering where the hell I was. I had agreed to drive her to the costume
store after school and I doubt she'd be happy having to wait around rideless while
all her friends left. I sighed, tapping the answer call button while simultaneously
hiking my backpack further up my shoulder.

"What do you want, Sage?" I barked, my tone giving away just how much of her shit I
was willing to put up with today.
"Is that any way to greet your loving little sister?" She replied, her sing-song
voice giving away just how little she cared whether I was going to put up with it
or not. God, she was such a brat sometimes.

"I repeat; what do you want?"

"Just wondering where you're at. Your boyfriend's beginning to get antsy waiting
around for you-"

"I'm not his boyfriend, Sage!" My heartbeat had sped up in dread when she said the
word boyfriend, but it wasn't until I heard him interject that I let out a sigh of
defeat. She wasn't kidding, she really was with Tyler. Oh god, imagine what she's
said to him already.

"Mmmhmm, right." She purred in response, though it was clear she'd put her hand
over the speaker so I couldn't 'hear' her. My legs started moving before my mouth
did, scurrying toward the parking lot where they'd surely been waiting for me.
Where else would they run into each other than at my car? Why hadn't I checked
there from the get-go?

"Sage, I swear to god, if you brought up anything to him-"

"What's that? You don't want me to tell him that you have a heart next to his
contact name in your phone? Okay, I won't, big brother." She beamed, her tone full
of mischief like it usually was. I sighed heavily, just picturing what Tyler's
reaction would have been. He'd either be smirking cockily or wide-eyed and taken
off-guard by her words. Either way, this was not something I wanted him to find
out, and definitely not from Sage.

"I fucking hate you." I muttered into the phone as I reached the school exit. I
shoved the doors open crankily, scanning the parking lot and finding my usual spot
in a matter of a couple seconds. Not all that surprisingly, I could clearly make
out the two people standing by my car. Well, one was standing with his hands shoved
in his pockets awkwardly, Sage was sprawled out on the hood of the car like I'd
left her waiting for years and she was decomposing. Whoever says gay boys are drama
queens clearly hasn't spent enough time around teenage girls.

"No you don't. Why would you hate me when I haven't even mentioned all the times
you've skipped supper solely because you were too invested in conversations with
Tyler? Or how you-" I was running across the parking lot now, which was pretty
significant considering how much I loathed anything that involved physical
activity. Well, maybe not anything, it's not like I've tried everything, yet.

I managed to reach Sage before she uttered the next secret, slamming my hand over
her mouth so hard she nearly slipped off the hood. She let out a disgruntled squeal
that had Tyler looking up from the pavement, his eyes lighting up when saw I'd
arrived.

"Hey!" He beamed, taking his hands out of his pockets and rubbing on his jeans. He
walked toward me then, stopping within arm's reach. I cast one last warning glance
toward Sage, locking eyes with her in a challenging glare, just daring her to say
something more on the topic. I let her loose then, turning all of my attention to
Tyler and giving him a broad apologetic smile.

"Hi, Tyler." I greeted, sure my cheeks were bright red now that I was actually
facing him after Sage said all that. I wonder if he believed her.

"Don't you mean Tyler with a heart next to his name?" He purred, winking at me. I
groaned loudly at this, bringing a single hand up to cover my eyes. Well, whether
he believes it or not, he obviously intends to tease me about it. Great, just what
I needed, one more thing for Tyler to tease me over. In my defense, I'd only
recently added the heart, it wasn't some obsessive thing I'd had there since we
first met. It was a few days after I came out at school and the first time he'd
bluntly stood up for me in the halls. How was I supposed to not fall for him a
thousand times over when he let me cower behind him while he lectured some idiot on
how wrong his opinions on my sexuality were? He was like a personal superhero, and
the really hot kind.

I'd never in a thousand years let him know that was how I thought of him though,
likely not even if we did start dating. It would be obsessive of a boyfriend to
think like that, it'd be downright creepy for your gay best friend to let his
feelings for you run that deep.

"I hate both of you, and you have no proof that's true." I muttered, my entire body
heating up in a fervent blush as I trained my eyes on the small amount of pavement
between Tyler and I's feet. After a few seconds I was actually ready to risk
looking back up, slowly trailing my eyes up the length of Tyler's body before
coming to a stop at his eyes. Except we hadn't locked gazes because, much to my own
personal horror, he was looking at something behind me. Someone behind me.

Despite knowing it was coming I still squealed when Sage grabbed my arms, holding
them behind my back and giggling wildly in my ear. I squirmed to get loose but it
was a pretty useless effort, giving my non-existent muscles and the fact Sage was
in a never-ending list of sports and academic activities. Damn my sixteen-year-old
sister for being stronger than me, and especially for showcasing it in front of my
crush. How embarrassing.

It was Tyler's turn to do his part of the plan then, or at least I assumed as he
advanced even further, until he was standing directly in front of me. We locked
eyes and I pouted my bottom lip out, a futile silent plead to get him to take pity
on me. It didn't work, clearly, and I watched with wide-eyes and crimson cheeks as
he reached forward and dug my phone out of my jeans pocket. I didn't miss that he
seemed just as bashful about having his hand so close to my crotch though,
practically snatching it back to his side and cradling the phone against his chest.
He looked behind me at Sage then, clearly unsure of the next step in their plan.
Plan. I wonder if they fucking planned this while I was running around the school
looking for him.

"His password's literally just 8888." Sage chimed from behind me. I watched as
Tyler pulled the phone back from his chest, holding it out and just staring at it,
clearly unsure of whether he wanted to follow through or not. Good, at least he
feels the slightest bit guilty about it. Maybe all he needs is a push in the right
direction to turn back.

"If you open that, I swear to God, I won't talk to you for a week." I snapped,
trying my best to sound fearsome despite the fact I was more or less rendered
useless by my baby sister at the moment. He had the decency to give me a bashful
smile before his fingers started flying across the screen, clearly typing in my
lock code. It wasn't even so much the heart I was worried about, Sage had already
said it and he more or less knew about it already. What I was worried about, was
the fact my background was a photo of us. Not just any photo though, the one that
we'd both gotten taped to our lockers and I'd felt inclined to take a photo of the
photo, solely so I could look at how cute it was wherever. I sighed, watching
pathetically as it presumably unlocked, watching his eyes widen as they were met
with the photo of the two of us holding hands. He definitely seemed surprised,
practically dazed as he stared at it unresponsively for a few seconds. Sage wasn't
having that though, her grip on my wrists tightening as she let out an impatient
huff.
"Is it there or what?" She demanded, causing him to look up with a lost expression.
He seemed to return to Earth moments later though, looking back down at the screen
and hurrying to open my messages. He grinned down at it before looking back up at
the two of us and nodding.

"Yeah, there's definitely a heart." He replied, though his voice was strangely shy
now. I couldn't decide if it was more likely something to do with feeling guilty
for invading my privacy or something to do with his reaction to the photo and
heart.

"Told you so! Five bucks, pay up." Sage ordered, her hands disappearing as she
skipped past me to stand between Tyler and I. My jaw dropped, watching as he dug
into his pocket and held out a bill to her. She snatched it before looking over her
shoulder and smiling cheekily at me. "Unlock the doors, brother."

I debated not listening to her order, before realizing that would only make it so
she had to stay standing next to me longer, so I grabbed my keys and clicked the
button. She gave one last grin in my direction before wordlessly slipping into the
backseat, half-surprising me that she hadn't tried to fight Tyler for shotgun. Now
that she was gone, Tyler stepped forward and held my phone out to me. I just glared
at him before snatching it and turning on my heel, starting around the car back to
the driver's seat. I made it halfway when I felt his hand grab mine, tugging my arm
in a desperate attempt to keep me from going any further.

"Oh, come on, don't be mad at me for being curious. I think it's cute." He pleaded,
absentmindedly cracking my knuckles when I still refused to turn around. I didn't
pull away though, I didn't have quite enough self-discipline to willingly pull away
from Tyler's touch. I probably should have though, especially after nearly half a
minute had passed with neither of us really interacting. We were literally just
standing in front of the car holding hands, unsure of whether Sage or anyone at all
was watching us. I was about to speak up when he cleared his throat first, adding
on to what he'd said earlier. "...Especially because I have the same background."

"W-what?" I stuttered out, betraying my promise to myself not to talk to him for a
week. Wow, that really was a pathetic attempt. Still, it didn't stop me from
turning around and watching as he pulled his phone out and held it out to me. I
took it, listening as he listed off his passcode and typing it in as he went. After
he'd finished the screen loaded practically instantaneously, and I couldn't even
try to hide my grin when I seen the exact same photo I had as my background. Well,
not the exact same, he'd obviously edited his and took it at a slightly different
angle considering the glare, but it was clearly the same photo aside from that. He
even edited it, holy crap. After staring at it dumbfounded for a while longer I
looked back up at him with the expression I always made when I seen adorable
things, the feeling only intensifying when I seen how cutely nervous he looked.

"I still hate you." I whispered, watching his eyes flicker up to meet with mine. He
didn't look offended by my words, which was a good thing, considering that wasn't
my intention at all. I didn't hate him, not at all. But I had this horrible
disability where I had no idea what to say during moments so perfect and intimate,
which is really something I should work on now that I think about it. It might not
have been a problem for me before but if this relationship goes where I think it's
going, where I hope it's going, I'm gonna have to brush up on my intimate moment
skills.

"But you're talking to me?" He asked, his inquisitive tone making the statement
more of a question. I just nodded, rolling my eyes at how unsure of the moment he
sounded. Was I really that hard to read? You'd think it'd be blatantly obvious
there was nothing he could do to make me stay away from him at this point, not for
an hour, and definitely not for an entire week.

"Regrettably, yes." I mumbled, the way I trailed off into a giggle totally
conceding my words. He grinned, not even trying to hide how happy the words
obviously made him as he took a step closer, wrapping his arms around my torso and
squeezing me against his chest.

"Progress." He whispered, making me blush as I buried my face into his shoulder,

muttering something that sounded sort-of similar to 'shut-up'. He just chuckled in
response, his grip on me tightening to the point I could actually feel his heart
beating against my chest through the thin t-shirts we were wearing. I would have
been content staying in that position for the rest of my life, and Tyler seemingly
was too, but after a few minutes the cringe-worthy sound of the horn blaring had us
both jumping backward away from each other. I turned and glared at the tinted
windshield, knowing very well Sage was sprawled across the console, half in the
backseat and half in the front. I'm beginning to realize my entire family are
horrible cockblockers.

"We probably should get going, Tyde's waiting for us at his school." I told Tyler,
earning a simple understanding nod before we both walked over to our respective
sides of the car. I slid into my seat, happy to see Sage had already found her way
back into hers and had her attention focused on her phone screen. Good, maybe
she'll stay quiet the entire drive. Tyler stumbled into his seat awkwardly, hitting
his head in the process and cursing as he sunk down in his seat. I just smirked,
reaching over to distractedly mess up his hair, gently massaging his scalp as he
clicked his seatbelt into it's socket.

"Ugh, you guys are like an old married couple. He hit his head, he's going to
recover. Now start the car and hurry up before all the good costumes left are
sold." Sage demanded from the backseat, reaching up to ironically smack me on the
back of the head. I grumbled under my breath before returning my attention to the
steering wheel. Thank god drives with Sage aren't a regular occurrence.

After a short stop at the local middle school where we were introduced to some of
Tyde's idiotic friends who made catcalls at Sage, we were promptly on the road
again. Tyde had at least had the decency to look bashful as his friends went full
neanderthal, while Tyler had simply bellowed at them to fuck off. Believe it or
not, to an array of thirteen-to-fourteen year olds, Tyler can be pretty
threatening. Or at least I'm assuming because they all scattered after he yelled at
them to, whispering among themselves as they jogged away. I was really grateful for
Tyler actually, considering he had the confidence to actually stand up in
situations like that when I couldn't. They were all four years younger than me at
least, and I still couldn't bring myself to even glare at them as they treated my
sister like some sort of dog. Maybe someday I'd be able to though, especially if I
continued spending so much time with Tyler, which I plan to.

The drive actually was surprisingly quiet, the only exchange being between Tyde and
Sage as they fought over something under their breath. Considering they were
whispering when Tyler and I were the only other ones in the car, I was willing to
bet it was about us. It came to a stop the same time the car did though, both of
them hopping out before I'd even managed to turn my engine off. I sighed quietly,
thankful when Tyler reached over and gave my hand a supportive squeeze.

"You're not very good with kids, are you?" He asked, running his thumb just lightly
over the soft skin of my palm. I shook my head, withdrawing my hand from his to run
it through my hair, checking out my hair in the mirror.
"People in general, actually." I replied finally, after I'd finished messing with
my quiff. I turned back to him then, giving a warm smile.

"I don't know about that, I'm a person and you're quite good with me." He seemed to
realize just how little sense his words made after he said them, cackling and
blushing at the same time. I couldn't help but laugh as well, actually very
thankful for his senseless input. I don't know, it was just something about him, he
put me at ease when nothing else could.

"Tyler and Troye! Stop whatever you're doing behind those tinted windows and get
out here, there's a time and place!" I groaned at Sage's shout from outside,
sinking my face into my hands. God, she had a way of making everything awkward,
didn't she?

"Why don't you go ahead without us, we're not quite finished yet!" I gasped at
Tyler's shout, reaching over ad shoving him roughly before hurrying to correct his
words.

"Yes we are! Ignore him!" I shouted, looking out to make sure neither of my
siblings had left. Once I found them both standing in front of the car, snickering
beside each other, I deemed it time to address Tyler. I turned to him with a glare,
whisper-shouting my next words like there was a chance they still might hear us
outside. "Damn it, Tyler, don't encourage her. She's bad enough as it is."

"Yeah, but you're adorable when you're flustered." He snickered, opening his door
and darting out of the vehicle just in time to dodge my next swat directed in his
direction. Ugh, what a jerk.

A super charming, goofy, hot, and lovable jerk.

Ten minutes later and a lot of discreet shoulder-checking and glares in Tyler's
direction, we were standing outside of the biggest costume shop our area had. And,
it being the day before Halloween, it was freaking packed. Just looking through the
glass panes at all the people buzzing around had me feeling queasy. Tyde and Sage,
on the other hand, were eagerly bouncing as their eyes scanned all the shelves and
racks filled with costume options.

"Let's go!" Tyde beamed, rushing in ahead of the rest of us. Sage had the decency
to look up at me for permission, but I just nodded and dismissed her with a wave of
my hand, leaving them free to do whatever it was actually social teenagers did when
at the mall. We could always meet up later, we all had our cellphones on us. Well,
aside from Tyler, but I had absolutely no intention of letting him out of my sight.

"So, shall we?" He asked quietly, gesturing grandly to the open-doors in front of
us. I eyed the crowds rushing around, the children throwing tantrums, and the
intimidating punk teenagers for approximately three seconds before gulping loudly.
He's going to think i'm so freaking lame.

"Uh, do you want to go get a coffee or something first? There's just a lot of
people and I-

"I was kind of hungry anyway, let's go!" He interrupted, his arm snaking around my
waist and steering me to the right, toward the food court. I was tense at the
outward show of affection, before realizing I had absolutely no reason to be. If
someone saw us or said something, I could trust that Tyler would deal with them.
Besides, having him close mattered more than any irrelevant's opinion anyway. That,
and it'd be heartless of me to push him off after he'd just clearly breezed past
the topic on purpose for my sake. He didn't make me explain my hesitance to go into
the store, he'd just went with it. He'd never realize just how much I appreciated
simple things like that.

We walked in silence, save for the occasional time we'd see something that stood
out to us and we either pointed it out or just turned and shared a knowing
expression. Our eyes scanned the windows of every shop, but we didn't go into any,
instead keeping our path straight toward the food. We could check all of that out
on the way back.

He didn't remove his arm as we entered the over-crowded eating area, instead
tightening his grip like he just knew how uncomfortable the mass of people was
making me. I practically melted against his side, leaning on him slightly when we
came to a stop in front of some doughnut shop. It wasn't Starbucks or anything, but
surely their caffeine would be drinkable. Plus watching Tyer's eyes scan the food
display like he was in utter heaven wasn't something I'd be willing to miss. He was
definitely pretty invested in his food choice, especially because I was now getting
the occasional thought where he'd compare his options. The thoughts ranging in
coherence from 'that one looks too chocolatey' to 'I wonder how well the lemon
filling would mesh with the vanilla icing'. I swear, it was like it was his first
time getting a doughnut.

"Having trouble deciding?" I observed, grinning when he looked up at me and smiled

adorably, nodding. I decided to help him with his silent struggle, giving him my
opinion. "Get multiple then."

"Says the guy that accuses me of over-eating." He muttered, pouting slightly as he

slid his arm off of me to cross both of his. I studied his face for a moment,
surprised when there was no hint of mirth in his eyes. Was he actually bothered by
me teasing him about that? Surely he knew I didn't mean it, right? The very thought
of me hurting him unintentionally had my stomach churning, and before I knew it I
was slipping my arm around his waist, pulling him closer to me and bending over
just enough to whisper in his ear.

"Hey, I didn't mean it seriously. I don't think you're fat or anything, your
appetite is just comedic." He didn't seem to find it comedic though, just smiling
and nodding, but in a slightly less intimate way than earlier. I should have been
happy with that, considering he was smiling after all, and not frowning, but it
wasn't enough for me. I wanted the big smile back, and as we reached of the front
of the line, I had an idea on how to achieve that.

"Hello, what can I get you two?" After a second spent smiling at the way she
addressed us together and not individually, I hurried to answer her question before
Tyler did.

"A coffee, one milk, two sugar. Also a dozen doughnuts." i ordered, handing over
the money once again before Tyler could. After that I watched her flutter around
the kitchen before listing all the doughnuts I wanted, getting the ones Tyler had
thought of and a few others that looked like he might like them. After she'd handed
the food over I reluctantly removed my arm from Tyler's side, picking up the box of
pastries in one hand and my coffee in the other. It wasn't until we'd turned around
and were out of earshot that Tyler let out a frustrated whine.

"Troye! I didn't want that many!" He groaned, snatching the box from my hands. He
opened it before we'd even settled down at a table, his eyes scanning his options
yet again and making it quite hard to believe he hadn't wanted that many.

"Who said they were all for you? Gosh, so self-centered." I muttered, taking a sip
of my coffee and watching him roll his eyes at me. He went back to deciding then,
picking up both the chocolate one and the lemon one from his thoughts and scanning
every angle of them like it really mattered what they looked like. He was in the
process of sticking his tongue out and dabbing it into some of said vanilla icing,
when his eyes locked with mine and he blushed.

"Stop staring!" He commanded, causing my eyes to immediately dart away to the table
next to us. It was an older couple, chatting animatedly over coffee and smiling at
each other in the way only couples that had been together for years could. I hoped
someday I could find some

Chapter Fourty-One
*Troye's POV*

Surprisingly, the store was still in-tact when we arrived in front of it. It was
also still booming with people, if not even more than before. I sighed heavily,
watching a particularly bad child running around and waving a costume above his
head while his mother yelled at him to put it back. This was not going to be a fun
endeavor at all, was it? Tyler shifted next to me, and I tensed a moment later when
I felt his hand on the small of my back, traveling lower and grabbing my keys out
of my pocket.

"They don't allow food in the store. I'm going to drop these off in your car, I'll
be right back. Locate the nuisances." He promised me, smiling broadly before taking
off at a quick pace toward the doors we'd came in from. Well great, now I get to
face it all on my own. I could wait for him to go back, or go after him, but
imagine how pathetic that would be. I'm eighteen, not ten, I'm fully capable of
going into a store on my own and not getting lost or overwhelmed.

That was the train of thought I had as I determinedly walked into the store, though
it vanished when I was suddenly surrounded by people, encased in a crowd of them. I
kept my limbs tucked tightly against my body, only looking up from my feet to make
sure I wasn't going to run into anyone. No one looked particularly happy about
their last-minute shopping in the small and busy store, and I really didn't want a
near-repeat of the Jenna incident. I gnawed on the inside of my bottom lip,
glancing over my shoulder like I expected Tyler to rush up behind me. When I didn't
see him I let out a quiet sigh, continuing through the destroyed aisles and
maneuvering my way through people. I was doing pretty well too, until I tripped
over a stray pitchfork and had to catch myself on a woman standing in front of me.

What the fuck. Is someone really trying to cop a feel here of all places?

My eyes went wide realizing where my hands had landed, one on her hip and the other
on her butt. Oh god, leave it to me, accident prone Troye strikes yet again. She
turned around with a glare in her eyes, before actually taking time to take in my
appearance. I wasn't sure if I was relieved or disgusted that that had her
expression changing to a welcoming one, but I was one-hundred percent sure I was
getting out of there.

"Sorry!" I blurted, darting around her and into the next aisle in a jog. I let out
a breath of relief when I realized this one was nearly empty, before taking in the
contents and realizing it was all scanty lingerie and sexual costumes of things
that should never be sexual. Well, on the upside, things could have been worse, I
could have run into Sage in this aisle. I turned on my heel, eyes going wide when
they fell on the approaching group of people. Why the hell Caspar, his goons, and
Jenna were headed toward the sexual aisle suddenly didn't matter, my only thought
to get the hell out of there before they saw me. Oh god, I could just imagine the
things they'd imply about Shane and I now. I rushed in the opposite direction,
running out and catching myself before I ran into anyone. Which was a pretty huge
accomplishment, considering I'd just ran into the bulk of the crowd; the discount
section.

I gasped, swallowing the lump in my throat and looking around at them wide-eyed. I
was also aware of the fact Caspar's gang was getting closer, considering I could
hear them chatting and Jenna giggling femininely. But the people were literally
everywhere, making a quick escape next to impossible unless I actually wanted to
shove my way through. Imagine all the thoughts I'd hear if I did that, I couldn't
risk it. I couldn't risk turning around either though, Caspar's cruel laugh ringing
in my ears. I actually felt like I was going to cry, before my eyes fell on what
seemed to be my only escape; a girl walking out of the changing room. It wasn't the
girl herself, obviously, but more-so the closed-off private space that was the tiny
changing cubicle. I lurched forward, running faster than I thought possible. I
reached it just as someone else did, our eyes locking before I gave her the cold
shoulder and ducked into the room. I heard an annoyed grunt as the door clicked
shut, but I also didn't care, locking it and walking to the wall furthest from the
door.

After a few seconds of just solely standing there and listening to my own labored
breathing, my heart was finally beginning to stop racing. I sunk back against the
wall, sinking down onto my butt and letting my face fall into my hands. Wow, Troye,
way to prove you're capable of being in a crowded store on your own. I tugged at my
hair, groaning as I considered just how sad this really was. I was letting this
stupid thing control my life. And it wasn't even a recent thing, I had been for
years, I guess it just took meeting Tyler to realize it. He was everything I'd
needed, his personality complimented mine in every way possible. But what if he
didn't think the same? Or what if we did get together only to break-up? I needed
him so much more than what was healthy to need another person.

What if he doesn't even need me at all?

I was interrupted from my own dark thoughts by a knock on the door, and though I
wasn't even sure my voice would work right now, I also realized whoever it was
wouldn't go away unless I told them it was occupied. They'd assume it was empty and
someone accidentally locked it behind them or something.

"I'm in here!" I explained, cursing my voice for sounding so shaky. Normal people
do not cry while trying on Halloween costumes.

"I know you are, doofus, let me in before someone gets suspicious." My eyes went
wide with understanding when I heard Tyler's voice, not even considering the
situation for a second before pushing off the floor and scrambling to unlock the
door. After I had I pulled it open just slightly, immediately met with Tyler's
concerned eyes as he pushed it open further and crowded into the small room with
me. He closed it behind him, immediately locking the door. It wasn't like a closet
or anything, slightly bigger than the average bathroom stall, but that didn't
really matter considering how close he crowded to me anyway. I backed away from him
until my back hit the wall, but he continued advancing until he was standing
directly in front of me, bringing his hands up to either side of my head and
leaning against the wall.

"Are you crying?" He asked softly, his huge eyes flickering over my face behind
their frames. I shrugged my shoulders, trying to find somewhere to look other than
into those pools of dark bluey-green. I didn't really want to admit it, but
technically the tear stains on my cheeks already had, so it's not like I could try
to deny it.

"Oh, uh, yeah, just a little bit-" He cut my off, actually bringing one of his
hands down between us to clamp it over my mouth. I promptly ripped it off, though I
did stay silent as I waited to hear what he had to say.
"Did Caspar run into you? Because I swear to god I will rip-"

"No! No ripping necessary! It was just the crowds in general, they kind of got to
me. It's fine, really, I'm just being an over-sensitive little baby." I muttered,
my eyes falling to his chest for lack of anywhere else to look. Not that I was
complaining, actually taking a split second to get distracted from my problems and
admire how nicely that tight t-shirt hugged the planes of his chest.

"No, you're not, Troye. There is nothing wrong with not liking crowds." He
reassured me, his hands coming down to rest on either side of my face. I was still
tense, but I didn't pull away or anything, just sighing contently and letting my
eyes fall shut as I concentrated on the feeling of his soft palm against my face.

"There's a difference between not liking something and being terrified of it to the
point you run away and cry, Tyler." I said levelly, trying not to let how bitter I
really was over the situation show. I didn't want him to feel sorry for me, there
were people out there that deserved his pity more than I did. Still, his eyes
flooded with concern and he slowly shook his head, clearly disagreeing with me yet
again.

"There's also a difference between being afraid of something and having a genuine
inability to do it. So many people have the same problems you do, Troye, you
wouldn't believe it." So many people have the problem of being forced to read
other's minds, I'm sure. That's definitely why there's absolutely no support
groups, cures, or mind-readers anonymous sites.

"You're right, I don't believe it." I spat, tearing my face away from him in a
random bout of bitterness. It wasn't fair, that I had to be the only one stuck
dealing with this. Sure there were billions of people in the world and there was a
good possibility I wasn't alone, but it still felt like I was, and I still wanted
to wallow in self-pity.

"Well, it's true, whether you want to believe so or not."

"Assuming it is, how do they cope? Do they just avoid situations like that or is
there like a medication I can take and make it all go away?" His lip curled up in
obvious distaste when I said this, his hands coming back to my body yet again
despite the fact I'd just pushed him off. They came to rest on my hips, squeezing
them slightly as he pulled me into a tighter embrace. I decided it was useless to
fight it at this point, even hunching over slightly to let my forehead rest against
his shoulder.

"They all do it differently, I guess. I don't know how much I like the thought of
you just numbing yourself with some pill though." He muttered, his breath hitting
the top of my head as he spoke. I was aware of the fact my hair was probably
tickling his chin and annoying him in this position, but I was too comfortable to
care.

"Well, if it makes me happy then who cares."

"I care. There's better ways to achieve happiness, you know." He whispered, making
me roll my eyes as I realized exactly what kind of conversation this was becoming.
It wasn't just him comforting me now, he was going to do one of those 'giving you
advice' talks that had never helped me in the past. And trust me, I'd heard many of
them, on things from my social anxiety to my inability to do simple math equations.

"Like what?" I asked, deciding to give him the benefit of a doubt. Who knows, maybe
hot best friends give better advice than concerned parents.
"Sports, partying, food, hobbies, pets... people." My eyebrows quirked up at how
shyly he'd said the last option, though he couldn't see that considering our
position. What was it exactly he was getting at here? Please tell me it's a really
awkward way to ask me out, because that would most definitely be the best form of
cheering up anyone has ever done for me.

"People?" I pried, lifting my head off his shoulder to lock eyes with him,
practically begging him to elaborate.

"Yeah, like someone who matters so much to you that you just forget about
everything when you're around them. You get lost in them, sorta like a healthier
substitute to a pill." He explained, not once breaking his eyes away from mine. I
didn't look away either, still clinging to the hope he was going to add more. Even
just a simple 'I could be yours' would be enough for me. But when he didn't, I let
out a loud sigh, shaking my head and looking away from him down at the floor.

"Except people can leave you and medication can't." I mumbled, narrowing my eyes
into a glare at the floor. Tyler reacted immediately to my words though, pulling me
even closer to him to the point our entire bodies lined-up. I didn't have the time
to be bashful about it though, considering he was replying to me already.

"Just be careful who you put your faith in, I assure you there are people out there
that'd never leave your side... Not in a million years." Okay, so he might not have
said he was talking about himself, but he heavily implied it. I guess that was
enough for me, for now. Besides, whether he knew it or not, he'd already been my
personal happiness in human form for weeks.

I was going to voice that too, and make it an even sappier moment, when the dreaded
noise of someone knocking on the door loudly and impatiently had us both sighing
quietly.

"We should go, people are waiting out there." I mumbled first, knowing Tyler wasn't
going to back away unless I assured him that was what I wanted him to do.

"Yeah." He sighed, sliding his arms off of me and stepping aside. I took his hint,
moving forward so I could be the one to open the door. I unlocked it slowly, almost
worried for who's face was going to be on the other side. Even if it was just some
stranger, the fact had just set in that it probably looked pretty suspicious being
in here with Tyler.

I opened the door just a crack at first, and the second I seen the face on the
other side I tried to slam it back shut, but it was too late as Sage's palm came
down on the door and she fought against me.

"What the hell, Troye? Get out, I need to try on some costumes!" She growled, using
the majority of her body weight as she leaned against the door. I could only
imagine the confused and panicked expression Tyler would have on right now behind
me as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on. As expected, Sage won the
battle after a matter of seconds, though I was slightly proud of myself for holding
out that long. I stumbled out of the way as she swung the door open, watching her
through my eyelashes guiltily as she reacted to the boy standing behind me. First
she just looked confused, furrowing her brows and looking over at me in obvious
disbelief. Though, she must have found some sort of confirmation in my expression,
because then hers changed to something completely different. Something I'd been
both expecting and dreading. Mirth danced in her eyes, a wicked smirk invading her
face before her giggle filled the room.

"Holy shit! Troye! I am so telling Mom!" She shouted, pointing at Tyler like I'd
forgotten he was there or something. I did take the opportunity to look at him and
gauge his reaction though, blushing crimson as I watched the realization dawn
across his every feature.

"It's not what it looks like you awful little gremlin." I snapped after I was sure
Tyler wasn't going to freak out over the assumptions she was making or anything,
turning to her and watching as she stepped toward me. I eyed her warily, confused
as she simply reached up and sat her hand over my heart. After a couple seconds,
her knowing smirk returned, and she locked eyes with me again.

"Your breathing's heavy, your heart's racing, you're crimson in the face, and
neither of you actually took a costume in there with you to change. I'm pretty sure
it's exactly what it looks like." She purred, her tone laced with mischief as she
reached into her pocket to retrieve her phone. I bit my lip, realizing how
incriminating the situation probably would look to someone else. My breathing was
heavy from crying, my heart racing from panicking when I found her standing outside
the door, my face red from embarrassment over the topic, and the costume thing
having to do with how I ran in here to hide. I couldn't explain all that to her,
and even if I tried she wouldn't listen. She didn't hear anything she didn't want
to, that was simple Sage logic.

"Sage, please don't." My voice was void of anger now, just solely pleading as I
searched her eyes for any flicker of compassion.

"Calling her right now." She muttered simply, making it crystal clear that there
was none there to find. Okay, pleading isn't going to work, I'll have to try
begging and bribery.

"Sage! I'll buy your costume for you or I'll-"

"Get out or I'll call the store manager over and say you're sexually harassing me."
She snapped, successfully banishing any of my lingering hopes of getting my way. I
hung my head as I walked out the door, followed closely by Tyler. I looked up just
in time to lock eyes with her as she greeted my mother with 'guess what?!', glaring
and uttering the most familiar words spoken between us.

"I fucking hate you." I growled, watching her roll her eyes and close the door, not
impressed by the squeal I heard her make a moment later. Were they excited over me
presumably doing Tyler Oakley in a changing stall? I will honestly never understand
girls.

I marched away from the door with my lips in a tight line, glaring challengingly at
every pair of wandering eyes that landed on me. Honestly, Caspar could walk up to
me right now and I'd probably end up telling him off. I was not in the mood to put
up with anyone. But Tyler, being the utterly amazing friend he was, wasn't going to
leave it at that. He was going to try everything he could to cheer me up, whether
it worked or not.

"Hey, cheer up. Is it really so bad? Let them assume things." He whispered,
carelessly slinging an arm around my shoulders. I just shook my head though,
looking up at him and locking gazes.

"Let them assume things? Do you realize now my entire family is going to try to
give me the sex talk yet again and stare at you weirdly every time you're around
the house? God, they're gonna think I let you take my virginity in a changing
stall!" I groaned, watching his eyes go wide at how loud my tone had been. I
noticed some girl give us a sideways glance, but once again, I couldn't be bothered
to care as I continued dragging my feet as I walked beside him. At first he seemed
at a loss for what to reply to that with, clearly realizing his stupid comforting
wasn't going to work. I was beginning to think he'd given up hope altogether when a
cheeky grin spread across his face.

"Who said that was our first time?" I immediately shoved him away, sulking even
harder than usual over his teasing. I shoved my hands in my pockets and stomped
ahead of him, refusing to admit to myself how much his flirty words like that got
to me. I wasn't even aware I was heading to the exit of the store until I felt
Tyler's hand grab my wrist and keep me from leaving. "Let's go get our costumes
real quick, then you're free to make your dramatic stompy exit."

"Fine."

I was somehow still blushing and pouting when we emerged from the store, both of us
with bright-orange shopping bags now in hand. We hadn't even bothered to try them
on, Tyler thankfully understanding my rush to get out of there. I wasn't even sure
if it was more the crowds or my grumpy mood now, but I did know that I wanted
nothing to do with that store or anything similar. I just wanted to be alone. Well,
the version of alone that could include Tyler. My version of alone.

He had been surprisingly quiet since the whole changing stall ordeal, only speaking
up once to sarcastically hold up a sexy maid costume and tell me I should buy it.
That had earned him a shove and a smack over the head with my actual costume, the
black-and-white striped burglar outfit. And in case you were wondering, yes, it did
come with fake handcuffs.

Now, he was walking beside me with his hands shoved into his pockets, the bag's
handle resting on his wrist instead of wrapped up in his fingers. We were heading
toward the nearest bench, one directly in front of the store. Tyde was sitting on
it, talking on his phone and looking like a general idiot as he guffawed loudly at
whatever the other person said. That didn't stop us from approaching though, and
seconds later we were both falling onto the bench with him. I sat in the middle,
not wanting to deal with my sibling but also wanting Tyler to even less. He was too
good to me as it was, he didn't deserve to play babysitter too. After only a few
seconds I heard Tyde utter the words 'they're here, gotta go' and I knew exactly
who was on the other end of the call. Before I could warn Tyler, he was already
hanging up and speaking to the two of us.

"Sage just called me. Two weeks out of the closet and you're already getting some-"

"Don't even say it." I cut him off, glaring at him challengingly. I didn't want him
to elaborate on something like that, I didn't even want him talking about my non-
existent sex life.

"Say what?" He blurted stupidly, tilting his head to the side and looking genuinely
confused. I couldn't tell if he was joking around with me or actually curious, but
I guessed being blunt was the quickest way to deal with either.

"Ass." I stated blandly, watching as his eyes went wide with obvious distress. He
looked very uncomfortable as he rose from his seat, blurting some excuse about
having to go pick something up at the electronics store before darting off to his
left. I giggled after he was gone, strangely amused at his misfortune. I guess I
was just in a sadist mood right now, wanting everyone else to be as miserable as I
was. For a second I wondered if Tyler was uncomfortable as well, but one glance in
his direction had that thought flying out the window. He didn't look uncomfortable
at all, only curious as he seemingly tried to study my face to find something.
"What?"
"Soo, you are, uh... you're saying that you're a top?" He asked, his words coming
out in a jumbled mess and his tone strangely quiet given how loud it usually was. I
understood all of it though, much to my dismay as what he was actually asking sunk
in. Shit. Had I really let something like that slip? I wasn't sure why, but it felt
like crossing some sort of boundary to have him know something like that. Oh yeah,
the boundary where 'straight' best friends show interest in what happens in the
bedroom of their gay best friend. Or, what doesn't happen in their bedroom, if
we're talking about our individual situation.

"Well, I mean, I don't really know. I've never really done anything before, but, I,
uh, I'm leaning toward that, yeah." I mentally cursed myself for how broken-up the
sentences had came out, realizing I was only adding to the awkward vibe. But how
was one supposed to say something like that without it being awkward?

"Cool." I rolled my eyes at his stupid response, realizing he was making it awkward
much worse than I was.

"Yeah, Tyler, definitely 'cool'." I laughed sarcastically, earning a quiet huff

from him as he crossed his arms and leaned back against the bench.

"What else do you want me to reply with? 'Oh, looks like Caspar celebrating you
taking it up the butt was in vain!'." He made dramatic arm gestures as he said the
Caspar thing, but it didn't make his sarcastic joke any more entertaining. I just
shook my head, locking eyes with him and giving him a stern look.

"Too soon. Inappropriate. Never talk about this again." I stated, watching as he
nodded in agreement to everything I said. I thought I'd heard the end of the topic
after that, not-so-pleasantly surprised when he cleared his throat a moment later.

"Well, you don't have to know right now anyway, it's not like you've got to figure
it out any time soon... Right?"

"What are you asking? If I plan on fucking anyone soon?" I blurted, letting my
confusion by his words outwardly show. His eyes went wide at how bluntly I'd put
it, earning one of those rare elusive Tyler Oakley blushes you barely ever seen
because it was near impossible to make him feel bashful.

"No! I just meant, like, is there a chance it'd be soon? With your crush, sorta
thing." I rolled my eyes at this, partly because how adorably oblivious he was, but
mostly because he was more-or-less asking the exact same question I'd accused him
of asking, just in a nicer way. Part of me wanted to cut the conversation off and
refuse to tell him, before realizing he was asking because he was genuinely
interested. Whether he was being a protective best friend, scoping out the
competition, or getting downright jealous, that was an adorable thing when you
thought about it, that he actually cared that much.

"I wouldn't bet on it, he's not even out of the closet yet, assuming that he
actually is gay." I answered honestly, watching his eyes light up more than
necessary at the new information.

"Oh."

"Which I am assuming, because if he's not gay then he is just the thirstiest man
alive." I added, watching him blush like he just knew it was him I was talking
about. It was cocky of him to assume that, but I guess I had made it pretty clear
at this point. Honestly if he accused me of liking him right now I'd own up to it.
I'm not going to bring it up on my own though, hell no.

"Who knows, maybe he's both." He added, a cheeky smile finding it's way to his
features. I just rolled my yes, stretching and pulling the classic cheesy move of
letting my arm come back down around his shoulders.

"Probably." After that we sat in total silence, but a comfortable one. We were just
saturating in each other's presence as we took in the hectic lives of other people
around us. Some looked like they were ready to murder people, others like they were
on cloud nine. It was weird how much their moods varied actually, considering they
were all in the same atmosphere. It really had me thinking, about how they all had
previous events that affected how they were acting right now. Each and every one of
them had their own life, own thoughts, and own struggles on their minds as they
buzzed around that stupid costume store. That was fascinating to think about, to
say the least.

My train of thought continued like that until a head of long brown hair walked out
of the establishment, immediately spotting us and skipping over.

"Mom wants you to call her." She beamed immediately, looking back and forth between
Tyler and I with some sort of knowing smirk like she knew something we didn't. I
just rolled my eyes, sinking my body further against Tyler's.

"Well, she can wait. Currently, I have a murder to plot." I growled, eyeing her
darkly like I actually intended on following through with my words. She didn't seem
fazed though, instead just standing on her tippy-toes and seemingly scanning around
for Tyde. After spotting him and waving him over, she turned back to us.

"You were the idiot that did it in a changing stall with your siblings in the same
store. Talk about slutty." Her accusing voice and know-it-all attitude was really
beginning to get on my nerves know, to the point I was really thankful I had Tyler
in my arms to keep me grounded. We got up and started walking alongside my siblings
then, hurriedly heading toward the exit. We were halfway there when Tyde and Sage's
constant giggling behind us suddenly became too much for me and I spun around.

"I didn't do anything! Right, Tyler? We didn't do anything?" I asked desperately,

looking to him for confirmation and finding absolutely none. I watched him shrug
his shoulders noncommittally, my blood heating up in anger when I realized he was
gonna tease me too. "This is not the fucking time, Tyler."

"Well, I guess it depends what you categorize as 'anything' because we did do some
things in there-"

"Sexual things. Did we do anything sexual?" I interrupted, being blunt once again
in hopes of surprising him and actually getting him to answer my question. He
remained composed though, reaching up to stroke at his imaginary beard before
looking directly at Sage and muttering his next sentence.

"I really don't think it's Sage's place to know about these things. I like to keep
my private life private, thank-you." I groaned loudly at this, knowing exactly how
they were going to take that. They were rushing off ahead seconds later, singing
the familiar playground song about kissing in trees and baby carriages, this
particular rendition with Tyler and I's names woven into the tale.

Now that they were out of the way I decided to actually address Tyler and his risky
behavior, turning to him and glaring.

"You know, before I met you I didn't think straight boys joked about having gay sex
as much as they do." I snapped, hoping the words were enough to make him stutter or
blush. I didn't get either though, watching his calm and collected face as he
simply wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer.
"Are you implying what happened in that changing stall was a joke, Sivan?" I
couldn't help but laugh at his falsely-offended tone, though still slightly annoyed
with him.

"I have no idea why I put up with you, honestly."

"Because I'm your favorite person in the entire world, clearly." He beamed, holding
me against his side tighter as we walked out into the busy parking lot. They were
cars and I was pretty certain I could maneuver my way through them on my own, but
Tyler didn't seem like he could be convinced. We were about halfway across the lot
when he stopped in his tracks, realizing his last words had gone without reply.
"You're not going to deny it?"

"I figure it's only fair, considering you didn't deny being gay." I replied
smoothly, eyeing his face desperately for some sort of reaction. Shock flickered in
his eyes for a moment so small I had to wonder if it had happened at all, and then
he was back to the cool emotionless mask he seemed to have perfected over the
years.

"Fair's fair, I guess." My eyes went wide at this, realizing he had once again
managed to avoid both admitting and denying my implications. Please tell me he
actually plans to come out soon and stops with the little teasers, it's too much
suspense for my heart.

A/n: Okay hi, how are all you little sugar bumpkin bomumpkins? I'm absolutely
stellar, in case you were wondering. On cloud nine, truly. Eek, I was going to
update in a couple days but idk I'm excited and cheery at 4am so here you go <3
First of all, two things that I know you've probably already commented on. ONE;
that changing room scene was actually not just me being cheeky and referencing his
happy little pill song for a change, it actually does contribute to the plot
because it's showing how later on when he writes the song, Tyler was his
inspiration. TWO, I knowwwwww the scene where he asked if he was a top was awkward,
it was kinda supposed to be can you imagine that not being awkward? Okay idk, so
yeah, Troye's a top this fic. I've never done anything where they weren't both
versatile, I'm idkk, mixed feelings. I might end up making them versatile for at
least one smut, depending how many I do. Also, while we're on the topic of smut and
I'm rambling, I am very open to like suggestions on what you'd like to see and how
much you'd like to see of it. I only have two planned smut scenes but do to popular
request in the comments im considering a lotttttttt more, so tell me if you want
that. (I'll put warnings beforehand for all of you that don't too). Also, yes, next
chapter is finally the halloween ones starting but like you might have to wait a
couple days or whatever bc idk, laziness mostly.

Chapter Fourty-Two
*Troye's POV* (also before you even yell at me, no, Tyler doesn't come out in this
chapter because I had to do some more rearranging shit but he will before the
sleepover's over so take a big old chillpill and relaaaaaaaaaax)

"Mom, you said a 'couple things' not an entire grocery list of stuff!" I
complained, leaning back against the counter and eyeing the ripped-out sheet of a
notepad she'd just handed me. When she'd politely asked me to pick up some things
from the store when I went to pick up Tyler I had not expected this. I'd expected
one, maybe two things at most, and considering what a good mood I'd been in since
waking up, I hadn't thought twice before agreeing to it.

"That is a couple things! It'll only take you a minute to grab them, Troye. God
forbid anything take your time with Tyler away from you." She huffed, turning away
from me to march off into the living room. I rolled my eyes despite the fact she
clearly couldn't see it, listening as she barked at Tyde to help her set up some of
her never-ending Halloween decoration collection. She'd been in full-on control
freak mode all day, so I knew better than to actually seriously argue with the
whole grocery situation.

I decided to just leave it at that, turning on my heel and walking out of the room
after her, grocery list folded-up and tucked in my pocket. I made a point to dart
toward the front door quickly, not wanting her to catch up with me and load any
more of her chores onto me. That could be left for Tyde and Sage, payback for
yesterday. I managed to make it out the door with seconds to spare, considering I
heard her start a sentence with my name before the door clicked into place behind
me. I hurried over to my car, slipping into the driver's seat and immediately
moving to start it. The drive was short but I was already running late to start
with. And as my mother so kindly put it, god forbid anything take my time with
Tyler away from me.

By the time I got there it was already technically time for Tyler to be closing up,
but thankfully he hadn't actually locked the doors yet and I intended to take full
advantage of that last couple of second time window I had for grocery shopping. Not
that I was really that passionate about making sure I got everything, more-so
because I knew it'd frustrate Tyler having to stick around until I'd finished.

I practically jogged to the door, not wanting to get there just as Tyler locked up
or anything. Thankfully that wasn't the case and I managed to slip in pretty
easily, only tripping over my own feet like an idiot once on the way. As soon as
the doors closed behind me I started scanning the room for the familiar head of
blonde hair, pouting slightly when I didn't see him in his usual spot by the
register. Ugh, now I have to find him. I stood on my tippy-toes, just barely being
able to peer over the shelves with the height advantage. I didn't actually end up
seeing anything, but after a couple seconds passed the sound of Tyler humming
softly filled the room and gave away where he was just as easily. My eyes fell on
the office where the supplies closet was, just barely catching a bit of movement
through the door before he walked out of my line of vision. My eyes went wide, an
idea sparking in my mind and my feet moving toward him before I even had time to
think it through.

It wasn't until I was actually standing beside the door, my back against the wall
and my breathing hushed, that I realized that a jumpscare would probably only piss
him off. Then again, wouldn't his reaction make it worth while if he actually did
get scared? I could tease him about it too, earning one of those adorable bashful
blushes he hardly ever wore. No, it'd definitely be worthwhile. Or at least that's
what I thought, until I'd been standing there bored out of my mind for five
minutes. What the hell was he doing in there that was taking so long? Was he trying
to sort out the supplies closet? God, I hope not, we wouldn't get our of here until
midnight if that was the case. Maybe I should just go in there and check on him- My
train of thought was cut off by the unmistakable sound of Tyler's feet shuffling
against the floor, walking closer to the door. He was mumbling under his breath
too, it sounded almost like complaining- Oh shit, right, I was supposed to be here
to pick him up fifteen minutes ago. To be fair, I had gotten here ten minutes late,
he just didn't know that yet. As he got closer I got into a better position,
tensing all of my muscles as I got ready to jump forward. Closer, closer, closer-

"Boo!" I yelled, jumping right in front of his path as he reached the door frame. I
watched his eyes go so wide it was almost comedic, a girly shriek filling the room
a second later as he jumped backward into the door. He cursed then as he hit his
head, rubbing his scalp and pouting slightly as he looked back up at me. I was
laughing uncontrollably up until the point he'd hit his head, concern now flooding
every one of my veins as I took a step toward him.

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked quietly, moving his hand out of the way only to
replace it's spot on his head, weaving my fingers through his hair and trying to
see if a bump had formed. He just glared up at me through his eyelashes, clearly
seething with anger to the point he was silent. That's when you really knew Tyler
was mad, when he actually kept his mouth shut.

"Sorry, it just felt necessary on Halloween. Don't be mad." I whispered, letting my

hand slide down to his cheek. He immediately shook his head though, and with a
dejected sigh my hand fell back to hang by my side. I watched him turn on his heel,
squaring his shoulders slightly and stomping off toward the counter.

"I'm not mad. Just a little irritated that you have the nerve to show up so late
and then pull that-"

"Pull what? A joke? You're just mad because it scared you and you reacted like an
idiot." I said, hoping a more serious response would get him to come to his senses
and forgive me. We were both behind the counter now, him with his back to me as he
busied himself with some sutpid chore he probably didn't even need to be doing.

"Oh great, and now you're calling me an idiot!" He huffed in response, throwing his
hands up in the air before crossing his arms securely around his chest. My eyes
went wide, feeling bad despite how obviously he was blowing my words out of
proportion. It didn't matter whether they were hurtful or not, if that's how he'd
taken them.

"Tilly, that's not what I meant..." I said quietly, stepping closer to his back
tentatively. When he still didn't move away I decided to take the risk, wrapping my
arms loosely around his waist from behind and praying he didn't push me off. When a
few seconds passed and he hadn't I finally let out the breath I'd been holding,
relaxing and pulling him tighter against my chest. I let my forehead fall against
his shoulder, hoping he couldn't feel my smile through the fabric of his sweater.
After a bit he started to squirm in my arms, so I stood back up and loosened my
grip, watching as he turned around to face me with a grin enveloping his entire
face.

"You are so whipped." He cackled, weaving one of his arms between us and reaching
up to slap the side of my face playfully. I rolled my eyes, watching as he
disentangled himself from my arms and went back to counting the money.

"What's that supposed to mean? Sorry for caring whether my friend's mad at me or
not!" I snapped, hoisting myself up to sit on the counter beside his money stacks.
He just not-so-subtly rolled his eyes, not looking up from the task at hand.
Judging from past experiences it was pretty easy to make him lose count of the
money, but I wasn't about to purposely do it. Sure he didn't seem mad anymore, and
at this point I wasn't even sure if he'd been actually mad or if he was joking
around to be a dick, but making him lose count wouldn't benefit me in any way. The
sooner he finished the sooner we could go back to my place.

I was actually starting to doze off by the time he finally finished. I didn't
realize this, but he did, immediately reaching up and pinging me on the tip of the
nose. I jolted upright, genuinely surprised that I hadn't noticed my head lolling
to the side slightly. Great, I probably look like the most lively exciting person
to have a sleepover with. I'm sure he can't wait.

"I hate you." I muttered, scrunching my face up like an angry bear, as if that
would lessen the sting on the tip of my nose. He just beamed a smile in response,
an overly cheery bright one that only succeeded in irritating me further. I'm
pretty sure that was his intention though, especially when I heard his next reply.

"Good. It's the beginning of my payback for you scaring me." He purred, flashing me
another smile before walking away, absentmindedly rearranging some display while
constantly looking over his shoulder to see my response.

"Okay, whatever- Wait... The beginning?" I hadn't realized what he meant at first,
but after starting my reply his words had really sunk in. This isn't all? What kind
of revenge does he have planned?

This must have been the reply he was hoping for, considering he all-together
abandoned the fancy coke bottle display halfway through, instead skipping back to
my side. He leaned over the counter I was sitting on, tilting his head way upward
so we could still keep eye contact.

"Well, I have to scare you back, it's absolutely mandatory. I think I'm leaning
toward a scary movie. Which would you prefer, zombies or possession?" My eyes went
wide upon hearing this, my heartbeat immediately speeding up. He couldn't be
serious. We'd discussed scary movies a couple times in the past, both of agreeing
they weren't exactly or favorite. Well, that's what he said, I said I absolutely
could not watch them under any circumstance. But I guess in the spirit of Halloween
it made sense to suggest it, but that didn't mean I was looking forward to it at
all. I am going to make a total idiot of myself. I can see it already.

"Zombies, definitely." I replied after a moment's hesitation, spending the extra

few seconds to weigh both of my options. Neither actually sounded appealing in the
slightest, but I decided solely because I didn't think zombies would be quite as
scary. They just didn't seem as realistic as ghosts, and therefore weren't nearly
as intimidating. To me, anyway.

"Good, we'll go with possession then." He beamed, my jaw immediately dropping as I

glared at his cheeky expression.

"Why'd you ask if you weren't even going to take my opinion?" I snapped, shoving
his elbows until they went over the edge of the counter, forcing him to stand up
again or fall to the ground. Reasonably, he chose to stand up, though he didn't
seem very happy about it.

"Obviously the one you didn't choose you find scarier, so clearly I'm going to go
with that one." He explained, his tone teasing. I rolled my eyes, ignoring his
obnoxious laugh at how well his plan had worked out. After he'd finally managed to
calm himself down he took one heavy breath, smiling up at me widely and slapping my
knee excitedly. "Ready to go?"

"Actually I've got to pick up a couple things first." I sighed out, only to earn an
even greater sigh from him. I giggled, sliding off the counter to stand in front of
him. "It'll only take a minute, stop pouting."

I'd planned on running through the aisles and gathering it all up as quickly as
possible, but between the constant distractions and the fact I didn't know where or
what half of these things were, that was a lost cause. I did pretty well though,
managing to locate it all in the small store after about fifteen minutes. At least
I thought I did pretty well, but upon heading back toward Tyler with my basket in-
hand, and seeing his utterly unimpressed expression, I had to wonder.
"A couple things?" He asked skeptically, raising a single eyebrow as he stared down
the amount of things in my hands. I wasn't sure if it was over how many items he'd
have to scan or how long I'd took, but either way he didn't seem too happy.

"Shut-up." I mumbled, walking over and hoisting the heavy basket up onto the
counter. The counter he'd taken the liberty of sitting on like I had earlier,
despite the fact he had his own comfortable chair behind it. Then again, the
counter did have a better view of the store, had he wanted to follow me around with
his eyes. Whether that was the case or not, I was definitely going to pretend it
was.

"What are you trying to feed? An entire army?" He asked, his eyes set on inspecting
the contents of my groceries rather than actually looking at me. I thought for a
second at how to get his attention back, my lips curving up into a wicked grin as I
thought of just the thing to say.

"Actually just you, but I'm sure your appetite is near as big." I teased, watching
as he immediately snapped his body back to face me. I thought that'd be it, but a
second later he followed by kicking his leg out, nailing me in the shin just
lightly. It still hurt though, my hand coming down to clutch at it.

"Dick." I breathed out, not bothering to look back at him now until I heard the
unmistakable sound of his feet hitting the floor after he slid off the counter.
Well, that and he'd landed directly in front of me, so I had a pretty clear view of
his sneakers. Not surprisingly, it registered after a matter of milliseconds that
he was standing backward, meaning he was still facing the counter. I stood up then,
curiously peering over his shoulder to see what he was doing. I couldn't resist the
urge to scoff when I found him absentmindedly pulling all the food items out and
inspecting them, almost like he was reviewing my choices.

"What's the verdict?" I asked eventually, actually curious after watching him scan
them all so intently for so long. He shrugged his shoulders, and the indifferent
reaction had my mind going crazy. He didn't like any of it? Surely he'd tell me,
Tyler doesn't joke around when it comes to food, right? I was terrified he was
going to just leave it at that and let my mind continue to roam, when he let out a
short sigh, turning around. I hadn't really calculated how close behind him I was
standing though, immediately blushing when our chests actually touched. I promptly
took a step backward, crossing my arms tightly over the spot his chest had touched
mine, like that'd be enough to get the butterflies under control.

"Well..." He started, trailing off and leaving me on yet another cliffhanger. I

realized immediately he was doing it on purpose, glaring into his eyes when I
noticed all the mirth dancing in them. He giggled then, picking up where he'd left
off. "If you're actually buying for me, I'm genuinely offended by the lack of cool
ranch Doritos in that pile."

I debated shoving him in response, ultimately just turning on my heel and speed-
walking to the familiar back corner of the store. I reached forward, snatching two
bags of said Doritos, and then made my way back to him with one in either arm. It
was meant to be a sort-of spiteful thing, but I couldn't wipe the stupid grin off
my face when I saw how much his eyes lit up just from seeing the stupid chips. What
a loser.

"Happy?" I laughed, skirting around him to toss them in with the rest of the pile.
I was expecting him to walk around the counter and actually do his job then, but
what I definitely wasn't expecting was his hands coming up to brace on either side
of my head, turning it to the side gently. I furrowed my brows, totally confused,
before I felt his lips press against my cheek. It was only for a split second, but
it still had my knees going unnaturally weak and my heart skipping a beat. He
pulled away, but not far, stopping with his lips by my ear to whisper his response.

"Never been happier." He purred, his breath washing over my sensitive skin and
causing me to shiver. I didn't even bother to hope he hadn't noticed, standing this
close behind me with his hands in my hair, clearly he had. He didn't call me out on
it though, instead immediately jumping backward and skipping around to his rightful
side of the counter. He then started scanning items casually, like he hadn't just
left me completely breathless and my heart racing unhealthily fast. I gulped
noticeably, trying desperately to keep my attention on watching his hands fly
through the items and toss each of them in plastic bags. I really didn't want to
see his expression right now. Okay, well, there was never a time I didn't want to
see his face, but I wasn't sure if I was quite ready to see his reaction to how
obviously flustered I was.

Thankfully he didn't make me forcefully distract myself for long, speeding through
the chore before numbly reporting the cost to me. I dug out the bills, wordlessly
forking them over, still not looking into his eyes. But after he tried to hand me
my change back and I insisted he kept it as a tip, the tense mood evaporated as
quickly as it'd fallen over us.

"Alright, let's get out of here."

"I'm warning you now, things are a little bit hectic in there." I laughed, leaning
back in my seat after turning off the car. I was in no rush to head back into the
disaster area my house was today, but Tyler seemed more than eager. I watched him
lean forward in his seat, grinning widely as he scanned the house. "What are you
smiling at?"

"Your siblings with their faces pressed against the windows." I quirked my eyebrows
now, sitting up to inspect if what he'd said was true. It's not like it was
surprising or anything, I just hadn't expected them to have any time to goof around
when Mom was giving them so many chores. But sure enough, they were, their faces
squashed right into the glass. After a second more studying I noticed the shadow of
someone else in the background, recognizing it as my mother's almost immediately.
Wow. Not only did she let them off the hook solely to creep us, she'd decided to
join in. My family are such loving perfect people that are never overbearing in any
way at all, huh? "What are you waiting for? Can we get out now?"

"Remember you were the one that asked for it." I chuckled, watching him flash me a
quick grin before hurrying to unbuckle his seatbelt and get out the door. Why he
was in such a rush to go see those nuts I couldn't understand, just like I couldn't
understand why it made me so happy he was. I mean, I can barely stand my family
half the time, but it felt like it was important he could.

I hadn't realized just how long I was sitting there lost in thought about it until
the sound of someone knocking on my window had me breaking out of the trance. I
looked up quickly, finding Tyler making 'hurry-it-up' hand gestures at me. I rolled
my eyes, grabbing the keys and awkwardly stumbling out of the vehicle.

"I need you to unlock the trunk." Tyler ordered as soon as I got my footing,
sounding like the average over-eager five-year-old. I didn't call him out on it
though, just rolling my eyes before walking around to the end of the car and doing
as I was told. As soon as I'd lifted it up Tyler's hands darted in, grabbing his
school bag I assumed held his overnight materials and throwing it over his
shoulders. What I wasn't expecting was for him to go back and grab the grocery bags
as well, leaving me to carry nothing while he was loaded up like some sort of mule.
I opened my mouth to argue with it, but he just shook his head, winking at me and
leaving me there with my mouth hanging open as he pranced off toward the front
door. I probably would have stayed there a lot longer had he not yelled back and
reminded me I had to get the door for him. I slammed the trunk shut then, jogging
until I'd reached his side then slowing down to the same pace as him.

"You didn't have to carry all that." I mumbled awkwardly, to which I got no
response aside from a sideways glance of indifference. I sighed in defeat, deciding
it was a useless argument and just skipping ahead to open the door for him. I
leaned my weight on the doorknob as it slowly eased open, watching as Tyler
carelessly walked in ahead of me. As soon as his feet touched the welcome mat my
mother had appeared in the entryway, greeting him with a smile so huge it was
actually scary. Especially considering how grumpy she'd been when I left the house,
talk about total opposites. Though, to be fair, Tyler had that sort of effect on me
as well.

"Hi, Tyler! How have you been?" She beamed, leaning against the wall a few steps
away from the two of us. I watched Tyler purposely move out of the way, giving me
room to close the door. I did, though I made sure to listen for Tyler's response
while my back was turned to them.

"Great, Laurelle, and you?" Oh, so they're on a first-name basis now?

"Amazing! I love Halloween, it just puts me in such a good mood." I rolled my eyes
at her sappy tone, knowing she was probably going to turn this into some rambly
conversation about all the reasons she loved it. I really didn't want that to
happen, partly because it'd be boring as hell to listen to, partly because I didn't
like the idea of her stealing all of Tyler's attention away from me. He was my
friend and my crush after all, couldn't she just let me have this?

"It didn't earlier..." I muttered spitefully, not even intending for her to hear.
Obviously she did though, judging by the gasp she gave and Tyler's bubbly giggle
that quickly followed it. I gave a quick thank-you smile to Tyler, knowing his
laugh had definitely lightened the mood and whatever sort of punishment I was about
to get. She still seemed angry though, her hands on her hips and her usualy warm
eyes narrowed into angry slits.

"Don't you have groceries to be putting away?" She asked pointedly, raising her
eyebrows before letting her eyes fall to Tyler's hands. I suddenly felt a little
bit guilty, realizing he'd been stuck holding all that this entire time. I just
nodded, wordlessly prying his fingers off the handle of one of the bags. I went to
grab the other as well but he snatched it away before I got the chance.

"I'll help!" He beamed. Mom didn't seem as thrilled about it as he sounded, likely
because she was looking forward to getting to talk to him.

"You don't have to-"

"No, I want to." He interrupted, giving her another smile before starting to the
kitchen ahead of me in a hurry. I locked eyes with her then, feeling slightly bad
when I saw her confused expression- until I remembered she had been forcing me to
do chores all day and suddenly I didn't feel nearly as sympathetic.

I hurried after Tyler, catching up to him just as he walked through the kitchen
door.

"Still not ready to be left alone with my family?" I laughed, walking past him to
toss the bag on the counter carelessly. He set his down more gently, giving me a
perfect view of his flushed cheeks as he did so.
"I mean, I'm sure I could manage, I just prefer your company." He mumbled, turning
to face me then. It was my turn to blush then, though I wasn't neary as forward
about it as I quickly turned away and started sorting out all the groceries we'd
brought home.

"Cheeseball." I chuckled under my breath, looking back over my shoulder now that
the blush had died down some. He was awkwardly leaning against the counter, his
hands shoved in his pockets and his eyes scanning the room yet again, like he
hadn't been here before. "Hey, I thought you said you were gonna help. Put the
refrigerated stuff away."

"Okay!" He leapt forward, scrambling around me and grabbing the milk carton first.
I smiled to myself as I watched how much of a rush he was in. I saw it coming even
before it happened when the milk carton fell to the floor, not hard to predict when
he was trying to rush through the chore so quickly. He cursed loudly when it
slipped out of his fingers, earning a chorus of 'what happened?' from around the
house. I knew they'd all be running in to check up on us in a second, and Tyler
seemed to too seeing as he was moving to pick it back up so quickly. Thankfully it
hadn't burst or anything, it was just horribly disfigured and dented up.

Just as he tucked the milk away in it's spot on the inside of the door, my lovely
overly-curious and overly-protective family finally arrived on scene. It wasn't
just my Mom though, both of my younger siblings and both parents were here to
torment us now.

"What happened?" My mother asked immediately, looking like she was the only one
actually concerned. The others just looked curious. Sage had half of her costume
make-up done and looked like an idiot with only one half of her face done-up, Tyde
had vampire fangs in but no other element to his costume, and the most horrific
(but clearly not in the way he'd intended) of all, was my father dressed up in what
was probably supposed to be a zombie football player costume. Actually, it was kind
of ironic my mother was the only one not in costume yet considering her love for
the holiday.

"Nothing, Tyler was just being a klutz and dropped your groceries."

"Troye!" Tyler hissed immediately, shuffling closer to me and not-so-discreetly

elbowing me in the side. I rolled my eyes, secretly warding off a smile at how much
he seemed to care what my family thought of him. What he didn't seem to understand
though, was that he could be a psychotic clingy weirdo and they'd probably still
adore him, solely because he was the first person I'd taken any sort of interest in
in the last six years.

"Okay, well, seeing as you aren't capable of doing that, how about you just go
change into your costumes? I want to get pictures of everyone before we all head
out." My mother laughed, sounding a lot cheerier than she had just a few moments
ago. Somebody is having some severe mood swings today. I wasn't going to comment on
that though, learning long ago that was not the sort of thing you mentioned to a
girl.

"I'm sure we can manage that." I replied simply, slinging my arm around Tyler's
shoulders in what I hoped was a careless manner. I wanted to make sure I could
steer him out of here before they tried to make any more conversation, and it
seemed like the easiest way. And I mean, if they want to read more into the simple
gesture, I'm not complaining. The fact they can think I'm Tyler's boyfriend and
believe it is rather flattering.

I gave them a final awkward smile before tightening my grip around him and hurrying
toward the door, feeling a little bit bad when I nearly knocked him off balance
with my unannounced gusto. We'd nearly made it out the door with no further
interruptions, when the dreaded sound of Sage's giggle had my eyes going wide.

"Yeah, they're very good at taking their clothes off." I let out a breath of relief
at the fact she'd just whispered it to Tyde, though she definitely wasn't off the
hook considering she'd clearly said it loud enough for both Tyler and I to hear. At
that to the list of things he'd be teasing me about later when they'd left.

We continued on until we reached the bottom of the stairs, where I reluctantly slid
my arm off his shoulders, knowing we both couldn't fit up them side-by-side. I
gestured for him to go first then, smirking slightly to myself at the fact I'd
managed to get myself a good view of his butt the entire trip up. I quickly wiped
it off my face though as we began to ascend the stairs, not wanting him to turn
around and catch me with such an incriminating expression. What did I really have
to smirk about right now other than his ass in my face?

It still felt pretty weird watching how casually Tyler tossed himself onto my bed,
like we'd been friends for years. I mean, I definitely wasn't complaining, it was
just... new? Plus then I was left awkwardly hovering in my doorway and trying to
decide where I was supposed to sit in my own room. I could fall onto the bed beside
him, but would that be too close? Or I could sit in the chair by my desk, but what
if that offended him for being not close enough? He might think I didn't want to be
close to him or something, which really wasn't the case, I just wasn't sure where-

"Are you just gonna stand there and look pretty all day or do you plan on joining
me?" I blinked, momentarily dumbstruck before what he was asking actually sunk in.
I blushed crimson, looking down at the floor and dragging my feet slightly as I
made my way across the room. I sat at the very foot of the bed, my shoulders tucked
in and head hung low as I tried to hide how flustered I was. It was a pretty
useless effort, considering even a blind man would be able to sense that sort of
thing, but I wasn't listening to reasoning right now. Instead, I was listening to
the adorable giggles slipping past Tyler's lips occasionally, each separated by a
span of seconds as he clearly tried to ward off his laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" I decided to ask the obvious question, hoping it'd
break some of the tension in the room. He sat up then, putting space between us for
only a second before he was awkwardly crawling across the bed to sit beside me.
Once he'd situated himself so close to me his knees were touching my leg, he let
out a happy sigh and playfully shoved me.

"You." He laughed. I didn't find it nearly as entertaining, just rolling my eyes

and scoffing. He could have been a lot more precise about what about me it was.

"Wow, thanks, I couldn't guess that much-"

"At how awkward you are." He elaborated, successfully cutting me off mid-sentence
to do so. I probably would have just rambled useless stuff anyway though, so I
guess it was alright. What wasn't alright, however, was what he'd actually said. I
mean, sure I know I'm awkward, and I know he knows it, but it's kind of different
to point it out. I can't be mad at him for something like that, but it still kind
of stings.

"Gee, thanks Tyler, makes me feel real good about myself-"

"Oh, shut-up. It's the cute kind of awkward, obviously." He blurted in

interruption, his eyes going wide as his mind seemingly caught up with his mouth. I
watched the blush spread across his cheeks, making it clear he took the compliment
even more serious than I had. The cute kind of awkward. I like the sound of that. I
wasn't about to say that though, instead wracking my mind for absolutely anything
else I could reply with.

"Oh." Okay, so it wasn't the brightest thing I could have said, but whatever. There
were worse reply options out there, I'm sure. After that silence enveloped us, but
not really an uncomfortable one. I also don't think it was my fault, considering
Tyler just seemed pretty distracted as his eyes flitted around my room curiously.
Sure he'd been in here before, but I guess it had been over a month ago now so the
image wasn't exactly fresh in his mind. I let him observe it in silence, perfectly
okay with just watching his face as he did so. How his lips turned up into a smile
when they fell on the keyboard in the corner, likely remembering the time I'd
played for him. Or how his eyes widened curiously when they landed on the stack of
papers on my desk. I made a mental note to myself to clean those up before he
actually got the chance to look at them, not quite sure how I felt about him seeing
my song-writing attempts yet. But hands-down, my favorite part, was when he'd
finished checking everything out and his eyes flickered back to mine, his whole
face lighting up and sending a whirlwind of butterflies through my stomach.

"I love your room, it's so... you."

"Thanks? I think?" I laughed, unsure of just how to take that statement. I mean, in
my eyes it meant he was calling my room horribly socially-awkward and only mildly
good-looking, but I had a feeling he viewed me a lot different than that. I hoped
he did at least.

"Oh yeah, it was definitely a compliment." He replied simply, giving me another

smile before hopping off the bed. I watched him casually shift closer and closer to
my desk, making it look like he was observing random things along the way. I knew
what he was really doing though, slowly ambling toward where the papers laid strewn
across the flat surface of my desk. I cleared my throat loudly just before he
reached it, causing him to turn around and look at me with an expression of pure
innocence. I just glared at him though, and eventually he gave in and wiped the
clueless look off his face, sighing quietly before speaking up. "We should probably
get changed before your mother accuses us of being incapable of that too, huh?"

"Yeah! You can change in the bathroom and I'll let you know when I'm decent." I
beamed, trying to sound as cheery as possible in case I'd unknowingly hurt his
feelings by not letting him see what was on the desk. He didn't seem too phased
though, just smiling before making his way back over to where he'd dropped his bag
by the door.

"Sounds good." He replied as he picked it up and slung it over one arm, heading
straight for the bathroom then. I waited until the door clicked into place to hop
up and go to clean off the desk. I shoved the papers carelessly into the first
drawer I could reach, not worrying if they got wrinkled. I'd still have to re-do
and copy them a thousand times over before I was happy with any of them.

After they were all packed away I rushed to get changed, not wanting to make Tyler
wait in the bathroom awkwardly just because I was half naked still when he
finished. Come to think of it it probably would have been normal to get changed in
the same room, it's not like we were getting full-out naked or anything. I mean,
I'd seen him in his swimtrunks and that really wasn't any different than in his
underwear. Well, I guess that depends on what kind of underwear he wears... Or if
he wears any at all...

Damn it, Troye! Not the time!

I decided this internal debate could wait for another time, seeing as it was clear
what kind of direction it was going to go in if I pondered it any longer. I'd just
come to the conclusion that things were different with Tyler, especially because I
was out of the closet now.

I hastily pulled the striped shirt over my head, pouting slightly that we'd grabbed
one so skin-tight in our rush to get out of the store. I usually wore clothes a
size or two too big for me, they were just more comfortable that way. Next I
dropped my pants and hurriedly grabbed the all-black pair off the bed, hopping into
them clumsily. I had them halfway up my legs, when the unmistakably eery feeling of
something crawling on me had me freezing. It was only for a second before I
regained the ability of movement and flipped my arm over quickly, immediately
screaming daintily when my eyes fell on the huge spider on my forearm. I flung my
arm wildly and leapt backwards, ignoring my family and Tyler demanding to know what
the hell was going on.

"Ow! Fuck!" I yelled, realizing I'd smoothly jumped backward right into the corner
of my bedside table. That's definitely going to bruise, badly.

"Troye? What are you doing out there?" Tyler laughed between his words some, but
there was no denying all the concern in his tone. I didn't reply though, freezing
yet again when I caught sight of the wretched creature again.

"Are you two okay in there? What's wrong?" My eyebrows shot up upon hearing my
mother outside the door, before realizing I'd locked it and I didn't have to worry
about her walking in on whatever this shitshow was. After that my attention went
back to the spider, watching in horror as it approached my pillow. I will never be
able to sleep on that again if he even so much as touches it once with those grimy
little-

"A spider? A fucking spider? Are you kidding me?" Tyler's breathless voice right
behind me was probably the only thing that could have gotten me to turn away at
that point. I spun around, blushing furiously when I saw he was still shirtless. He
was standing on his tippy-toes, likely so he could see what I was looking at over
my shoulder.

"It's huge and it was on my arm!" I whined, like that justified my total freak-out.
It didn't, but I was sure going to pretend it did. He just rolled his eyes, pushing
past me and grabbing a tissue from the very table I'd just hit my leg on. Then, as
if it was the most easy thing in the world, he just reached over and plucked the
spider up with it, crinkling it up and walking away to toss it in the trash bin.
The second it made contact with the rest of the garbage he turned back around,
crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes as he stared me down with an almost
skeptical look. I was confused as to why, before I followed his gaze and realized
my pants were still around my ankles.

"New trend?" He muttered through his oncoming giggles, his eyes staying trained on
where my pants should have been covering.

"Stop staring!" I shouted suddenly, using one hand to cover my bulge and the other
to attempt reaching to pull up my pants. I realized after a matter of seconds I
wasn't going to be able to without bending over, locking eyes with Tyler as I did
so so his eyes didn't try to wander anywhere else again. I grabbed the waistband of
the pants, yanking them up hastily and turning around as they neared the top of my
legs. I awkwardly readjusted myself, aware that his eyes were on me but also
momentarily distracted as I tried to get comfortable in the too-tight pants. These
weren't even just skin-tight, they were probably too small on me. I could always
wear another pair of black pants, but right now I really just wanted to get myself
covered before Tyler's eyes lingered on my body for any longer. Sure, part of me
was all for him staring me down, especially because it meant he was showing
interest in my body. But that doesn't make it any less awkward being under his
gaze.

After I'd finally gotten the pants buckled and fitted on in the most comfortable
they were going to get, I turned back around to face Tyler. He had a mischievous
smirk on his lips and every now and then they'd twitch like he was trying to fight
off laughter, but his eyes were oddly emotionless. The mirthful light they usually
held while he teased me was absent, but I wasn't about to dwell on it right now. I
had more important matters to attend to, like trying to make myself look as casual
and composed as I possibly could after letting my crush see my screaming over a
spider in my underpants.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to conceal how surprised I was when he
made his way over and sat down beside me. I wasn't sure if that made things less or
more awkward. But as the seconds ticked by and both of us were still deadly silent
sitting beside each other, I realized it was definitely more awkward. I sighed
heavily, decided to try and mend the moment myself. (Which was actually probably a
horrible idea, considering how good of a job a usually did when it came to trying
to do anything social).

"It's your fault anyway, we clearly agreed that you weren't to leave the bathroom
until I'd announced I was decent." I muttered, squaring my shoulders and sitting
slightly taller as I tried to pass the blame off onto him. I should have known that
wasn't going to work though, considering Tyler couldn't stand to be wrong in any
situation and also because it really wasn't his fault at all.

"Well, excuse me for worrying when you started screaming like a freaking banshee!"
He snapped, actually sounding slightly offended and making me worry I may have even
succeeded in making the situation worse. I turned my head nervously, locking eyes
with him and swallowing with a gulp as I awaited his reaction. His eyes were cold
at first, and I was really beginning to panic, when his lips suddenly curved up and
he burst into his signature cackle. I really should have convinced him to go as a
witch for Halloween.

His laugh seemed to go on forever, to the point he was clutching his stomach and
leaning on me for support. I bit my lip, actually hoping to hear one of his
thoughts. It had been a while and I was curious what was actually going through his
head right now. But I guess it wasn't

Chapter Fourty-Three
*Tyler's POV*

It was actually a little embarrassing how excited I was for Troye to pick me up
from work. Twenty minutes before he was even scheduled to get here I already had
all my closing up chores finished, the only thing left to do was count the money
and lock the doors. I had my backpack slung over my shoulders and was repeatedly
looking up at the clock, like it was going to jump a good fifteen minutes in the
ten second intervals between each time I looked up at it. I wish it would, I really
do.

By the time it was ten minutes until he got here, I was starting to get antsy. I
couldn't stay sitting in my chair, instead getting up and strolling down every
aisle to see if anything was out of place. I knew nothing was, I'd already checked
earlier, but it was an excuse to do something other than sit around waiting for
him.

When the time rolled around that he was actually supposed to be here, at 5pm, and
the parking lot was still empty, I was about ready to lose my mind. I was angry at
myself for getting so creepily invested, but also angry with him for being late.
Okay, that's not true, I could never be angry at him, but I was definitely
irritated. I bit my lip, standing in the middle of the r0om and trying to find
something to do that I hadn't done already. When my eyes landed on the office I
knew exactly the thing I could do, but I wasn't sure it was the sort of task I'd
finish by the time Troye got here. Actually, so what if I keep him waiting, he did
it to me first.

I'm going to clean the supplies closet, and it's going to take forever.

I managed to walk into the office and rearrange about four cleaning products,
before I inevitably got distracted. Something sitting on the paperwork desk had
caught my eye and before I could stop myself I was walking across the room to
inspect it, humming softly. I nearly lost it when I realized it was a photo of
Bruce when he was younger, trying to ward off laughter at the fact his hairstyle
was practically an Afro. After I'd set it back down I realized it was a pointless
effort to even try cleaning the closet. I mean, it was a good idea, but why had I
ever thought I had the patience to follow through with it?

I sighed in defeat, walking over and falling into the chair by the desk. I'd just
wait for Troye to get here I guess, he couldn't be too much longer. I took out my
phone, deciding to use my favorite form of distraction; Tumblr. As the minutes
ticked by I began to get less and less patient. How late was he now... fifteen
minutes? Did he forget he had to pick me up altogether or something? His house was
less than ten minutes away, it's not like he could have gotten stuck in traffic
either. Ugh, maybe I should just lock up and start walking toward his house. At
least then I wouldn't have to put up with straggler customers. I sighed quietly as
I rose from my chair, staring at my texts with Troye as if one would come in any
second explaining and apologizing for how late he was. It didn't though, and I
actually found myself muttering angrily under my breath as I walked out of the
room, slipping my phone back into my pocket just as I walked through the door.

"Boo!" My eyes shot open at the sudden noise, my entire body tensing as my head
snapped up just in time to watch someone jump in front of me with outstretched
arms. I didn't have time to worry about who that someone was before a scream
crawled out of my throat, my body instinctively lurching away from the figure. I
regretted that movement seconds later when the back of my head smacked against the
door, right on the corner so it'd surely form a bruise. I cursed under my breath,
bringing a hand up to rub at the spot. Only now that I had a growing headache did I
realize the person was laughing like an idiot. Only after their laughter cut off
abruptly and they took a tentative step closer to me, did I realize who they were.

"Hey, are you alright?" Troye whispered, his voice so meek it was barely audible.
Someone clearly feels horrible about scaring me. It wasn't actually that big of a
deal, and the headache was already beginning to subside, but I might as well milk
the injury for what it's worth. Maybe I'll get something out of it, like Troye
offering to nurse me back to health or something. A guy can dream, right?

When I didn't immediately reply to his question he didn't hesitate to lift his hand
and gently push mine put of the way. I went along with it, fighting the urge to
give a satisfied hum as he wove his fingers through my hair and started to massage
my head. I tried to keep my stare cold as I looked up at him through my eyelashes,
which was incredibly hard considering how dreamy he looked today. It was clear he'd
taken extra time on his appearance, his quiff even more perfect than usual and his
skin practically glowing. God, I wanted to just melt into his touch and bury my
face in his chest. I wasn't going to do that though, I'd already committed to
acting mad at him and I was determined to see it through.
"Sorry, it just felt necessary on Halloween. Don't be mad." His voice still wasn't
any louder than a whisper, though the dead silent room made it impossible to have
any difficulty hearing him anyway. I shivered as he moved his hand through my hair,
letting it slide down and cup my cheek. I could feel my entire face heating up
under his touch, butterflies practically thrashing around in my stomach. I
panicked, shaking my head and turning quickly to head back toward the counter. As
soon as my back was turned to him I let out the breath I'd been holding, silently
scolding myself for letting things get out of hand like that. I was supposed to
keep my cool right now, at least long enough to make my angry act believable. I can
do it. I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself before speaking to him for
the first time today.

"I'm not mad. Just a little irritated that you have the nerve to show up so late
and then pull that-"

"Pull what? A joke? You're just mad because it scared you and you reacted like an
idiot." He snapped, my eyes going wide at how serious his tone was. Shit, this
wasn't going to cause an actual fight was it? Oh no, not the night before the
sleepover. No amount of pride and stubbornness was worth fighting with him over,
especially when it was over something so dumb. I hadn't meant for him to actually
get upset, I was just joking around, but clearly he was and I didn't want him to be
for even another second.

"Oh great, and now you're calling me an idiot!" I huffed, trying my best to sound
sarcastic. I even threw my hands up in the air over-dramatically, but he didn't
seem to clue in to it at all. He didn't laugh and he didn't approach me, staying
silent and only enforcing the tense atmosphere. Am I really so dramatic that people
don't even realize when I'm joking? Well shit.

"Tilly, that's not what I meant..." He said quietly, sounding so nervous I felt a
pang of guilt hit me in the chest. He was getting so worked up over nothing and it
was my fault. I was about to swallow my pride and turn around to explain things to
him, when he took a step closer to me, so that his chest pressed up against my
back. I froze, patiently awaiting his next move. Sure enough, his arms were
wrapping around my torso a moment later. I definitely should have been the one to
apologize and reach out to him, yet here he was making the first move. He was way
too good for me.

The hug lasted a while, his grip around me only tightening as the seconds ticked
by. He'd even nuzzled his face into the back of my shoulder, to the point I could
feel his breath warming up one spot on my shirt. I wasn't complaining though, more
than okay with the closeness. I would have stayed like that forever, had I not
remembered that the only thing we were putting off was me going to his house. Then
suddenly I was way too excited to just stand around any longer, even if it was in
Troye's arms. I squirmed impatiently, his arms immediately loosening around me. He
probably planned to back away entirely but I turned around to face him before he
got the chance, his arms still loosely draped around my waist.

"You are so whipped." I laughed, deciding to rub it in his face how much he fawned
over me now that we'd gotten through the rough patch. I mean, I could explain to
him now that I'd only been joking around, but what would be the point of that? Why
admit you messed up when you'd already gotten away with it? Neither of us were
upset any longer and I was happy to just ease away from the situation altogether
and put it in the past. It was blown out of proportion and stupid, and right now I
really just wanted to be excited for the night we had ahead of us.

Between all the teasing and play-fighting it was easy to get momentarily
distracted, but after a while my mind drifted back to what we were actually
supposed to be doing; getting ready to leave. His family were probably wondering
where the hell we were. Knowing Sage, she'd have all kinds of assumptions to make.
Of course as soon as I remembered I reminded Troye, asking him if he was ready to
go. I definitely hadn't expected him to say no, my mouth turning into a frown
before I could stop myself. He had rushed to explain himself, telling me that he
still had some groceries to pick up and promising it'd only take a minute. He
seemed to think only for a split second before adding on a simple 'stop pouting',
casually calling me out on how clearly disappointed I was by the wait, by the few
seconds I didn't get to spend with him. I'd blushed a deep red in reaction, but
thankfully he didn't see it as he spun around on his heel and headed toward the
first aisle. I'd simply sighed and walked around to the other side of the counter,
hoisting myself up onto it and sitting tall to watch him wander around on the
scavenger hunt for baking ingredients.

It was stupid how attached to him I was, disappointed by a separation that'd

probably take no more than five minutes. I couldn't help it, I was just happier
when I was near him. It made sense to constantly want to be near something that
made you happy, right? I was practically on cloud nine just thinking about the fact
I got to spend the entire afternoon and night with him. I had never been more
thankful for his horrible sleeping habits, knowing it meant we'd be able to spend
more conscious time together tonight. I wasn't sure exactly what we were going to
spend all of our time doing, considering he was only going to put up with so much
scary movie torture, but I was sure we could come up with something. We were going
to be home alone, after all.

To be honest I was insanely thankful his family all had other things and parties to
attend to tonight. Not because I actually planned to make some kind of move on him
(though I wouldn't exactly mind if it played out that way), but because I was
incredibly nervous about seeing them again. For the better part of my life I'd been
dwelling over opinions on me, but now, with Troye's help, I'd learned how little
they actually mattered. Except, it did matter with his family. Whether he'd ever
admit it or not, their approval of me and what they thought of me genuinely did
affect Troye's opinion of me. Hence why I was terrified I was going to screw it up
for myself, granted I hadn't already with the whole changing room fiasco. At the
time it was easy to laugh it off, but last night when I was trying to fall asleep
you can bet your ass it was all that was on my mind. What if Sage told the whole
family and made me out to be some kind of man whore? They wouldn't want their son
with someone like that, and who can blame them?

But the thing is, I'm not a man whore, I'm a closeted gay boy who's first kiss went
to some trashy girl at a party. I'm not sure if I exactly count it as my first
kiss, considering it was a lame fourteen-year old dare from Caspar and I got no
enjoyment out of it at all, but technically it had been my first lip-to-lip
contact. Sadly, not my last though. As I got older and continued going to parties
nobody dared me to kiss girls anymore, it was just expected of me. So I did,
because I was an idiot, but everytime they'd so much as touched my butt or given me
bedroom eyes I was out of there. Kissing was one thing, anything more than that was
never ever in a million years happening with someone who had a vagina.

I found myself completely lost in my thoughts after that, remembering once again
some of the more awkward moments from my teenage years that I'd much rather forget.
My first kiss, playing seven minutes in heaven and getting Caspar and literally
squishing myself up against the opposing wall so I didn't have to touch him at all,
the first time I'd drank alcohol of any amount and spat it out all over the ground.
I wonder how different my memories would be if I'd been friends with Troye from the
start. I bet they'd be a lot more enjoyable. I was also willing to bet my first
kiss would have been with a guy then.
I had no idea how long I'd been thinking when the sound of Troye slamming the
freezer door had me returning to the present time, but I was also thankful I'd
managed to get the time to pass so quickly. I watched contently as he turned around
and looked back down at the crinkled paper in his hand, his eyebrows scrunched
together as he studied it. He was probably checking if he'd forgotten anything. It
would seem he had, considering how wide his eyes went before he spun around and
headed back toward the freezer. He was honestly adorable, even doing simple
everyday things like grocery shopping he was like some sort of otherwordly being. I
could have sat there and just watched him forever, though that was probably pretty
creepy, and his family was waiting on us, and I'd much rather actually talk to him.

After grabbing that last item from the freezer he started back toward me, my legs
swinging happily over the edge of the counter as I impatiently waited for him to
reach me. I realized just before he looked up that I probably looked like some sort
of over-eager five year old, panicking and making the first face I could manage. It
turned out to be a pretty unimpressed expression, which seemed to blend in with the
situation considering Troye didn't even question it. He actually looked slightly
guilty as he came to a stop in front of me. It took me a second to register he
probably just felt bad for taking so long to gather the food, but once I had I
quickly went along with it.

"A couple things?" I asked skeptically, leaning over as I scanned the contents of
his basket.

"Shut-up." After that we continued to bicker playfully as I pulled out all the
things and strewn them across the counter. I was going to have to scan them in a
moment anyway, it didn't hurt to drag them all out. Besides, I had to make sure he
was getting good enough food for me to eat all night. I was not that friend that
just sat there silent when you left them without food for too long. I hadn't
realized he was actually paying attention to me judging his choices until he
suddenly spoke up from right over my shoulder.

"What's the verdict?" I froze, my hand in mid-air and holding a package of cookies.
I wouldn't have taken the time to freeze my movements, had I not heard so much
uncertainty in his voice. Why did he sound so nervous? Did he think I was going to
cast him out of my life for choosing chocolate chip cookies over Oreos? I smiled to
myself at the thought, actually a little touched by how much my opinion on
something so stupid mattered to him. He really cared a lot, didn't he? I mean,
obviously not as much as I care about him, because that'd be pretty difficult to
beat, but he can definitely try.

I decided the best way to deal with this was to mess around with him, mostly
because I lived for his frustrated expressions and pulling reactions out of him. I
sighed loudly, knowing that his mind was probably already over thinking all of his
grocery choices like they meant the world to me or something. Then, without any
warning and as quickly as I could, I turned around. It had actually been the plan
to turn around and shock him with how close we were, considering I could
practically feel his chest against my back he was standing so close a second ago,
but I hadn't meant to shock myself. Well, it wasn't so much shock as it was that
jolt of electricity and butterflies I always got when I shared close-quarters with
Troye. My cheeks flushed as he took a step back, crossing his arms and clearly
struggling to keep a blank face. I took great pride in noticing his face had gone
as pink as mine. I wasn't going to let him know that though, or even notice the
fact I was blushing at all. I brought my hand up to stroke my imaginary beard as if
deep in thought, when really I was just expertly drawing attention away from my
rosy cheeks.

"Well..." I started off, leading him on like I was actually going to answer his
question. I didn't though, instead trailing off and leaving my words hanging in the
tense air between us. He didn't seem to like that, his eyes nervously flitting up
to mine before narrowing into a glare. Someone clearly caught on that I'm messing
around. Damn it, why do my eyes always give everything away to him? I couldn't help
but giggle at his irritated face though, deciding I might as well just give the
poor boy what he wants. "If you're actually buying for me, I'm genuinely offended
by the lack of cool ranch Doritos in that pile."

Okay, so that might not have been what he actually wanted, considering annoyance
flickered across his features for a split second and I expected him to shove me. He
didn't though, instead just giving the beginning of a smile before promptly turning
on his heel so I didn't get to see it bloom. I was going to pout over this, before
realizing he'd instead given me a perfect view of his butt in skinny jeans which I
wasn't about to take for granted. I watched him walk away happily, a dark smirk on
my lips as I imagined how he'd look even better without the skinny jeans on.
Sometimes I felt guilty when I let my dirty thoughts about him get out of hand, he
was my best friend after all, and there's still a possibility knowing the way I
think about him would only make him uncomfortable. He didn't even know I was gay
and yet I was fantasizing about him every time he turned around (literally), it was
sort of like taking advantage of him in a sense. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing,
except it's your very gay best friend very badly pretending to be straight and
using your amazing body to his imagination's advantage. It wasn't really fair to
him, he should at least be aware of the fact his best friend could be thinking
things like this about him. He did have a right to know, after all. I really have
to come out to him soon, don't I?

I came back to reality yet again just as he turned around after snatching the chips
off the shelf, a bag in either arm as he marched toward me. He looked so proud of
himself, like he deserved all the praise in the world just for retrieving two bags
of Doritos. I couldn't help it when my eyes lit up and a stupid grin found it's way
onto my face, silently wondering whether he'd know it was because of him or if he'd
think something stupid like it was for the chips. I watched a smile grow across his
face in response, a goofy one that made his face crease adorably. Ugh, what a
loser.

"Happy?" He laughed as he reached me, still smiling so brightly I felt like I was
going to melt. He dodged around me quickly to put the chips on the counter, making
even that action look cute as he gently sat them down in a clear spot, like they
were expensive goods or something. I was already standing so close to him, it'd
take practically nothing to reach out and wrap my arms around him. But we'd already
hugged just since meeting up today, would it be weird to go in for another so soon?
Like I said, I can't help it that I want him near all the time. Besides, a hug was
rather harmless compared to half of the things I wanted to do to him.

That had been my intention as I raised my arms, to wrap them around his shoulders
and pull him back against my body in another bone-crushing hug, but somewhere along
the line things took a turn. I had my arms raised, ready to wrap around him, when
my eyes fell on his outstretched hand still on the counter. It wasn't his hand that
had me grinning like a total idiot and my heart swelling in my chest though, it was
the tiny ugly floral bracelet that still adorned his wrist. I hadn't noticed it in
the past couple weeks, but come to think of it he had been wearing sweaters a lot
due to the cold weather. What if he'd been wearing the stupid thing ever since that
night? I couldn't help the wave of emotions that had swamping over me, feeling
overly sentimental as I looked back to the movement I was in the middle of. I
intended to carry it on and hug him, but instead my hands seemed to have a mind of
their own, grabbing either side of his head and gently turning it to the side,
extra wary not to hurt him. I could see the confusion flashing across his face, but
I didn't really seem to care as I took that last step closer, standing on my tippy-
toes as I leaned forward. Even as I was leaning I had no idea what the hell I was
doing, subconsciously screaming at myself that now was not the time to kiss him,
but I also couldn't bring myself to stop really. I think I was more relieved than
he was when my lips instead pressed against his cheek, though my stomach still
insisted on doing somersaults in reaction. I tried to keep it short, not wanting to
linger and show him how much the gesture had affected me when he looked so
composed. After just a couple seconds I pulled away, breathless despite how short
it had been. I stopped by his ear though, giving myself only a single second to
compose myself before speaking up in a whisper.

"Never been happier." I said honestly, practically glowing as I considered how

close I had been to kissing him. It was only a matter of time at this rate before I
actually did lose all self-control and smooch him, but I'd have to worry about
crossing that bridge when we came to it because right now I was too busy freaking
out inside over the cheek kiss.

As I whispered my response and my breath hit his ear there was no denying the
quiver that wracked his body, or how unnaturally hot he was beginning to feel under
my touch. My eyes narrowed as I studied his face, taking in his wide doe-like eyes
and how red his cheeks were. Surely I hadn't made him uncomfortable with the
gesture, it wasn't like it was that intimate compared to our hugs. It was just new,
that's all. He definitely didn't seem to share my casual outlook on it, so I
hurriedly jumped back and walked around the counter in hopes of lightening the
mood.

I tried to contain the confusion and emotions dueling inside of my head and keep a
blank face as I scanned the items, only to realize a quarter through them all that
he wasn't even paying attention to my face. His head was down, his chin practically
tucked against his chest and his eyes following my hand movements. Weird, he almost
always looks into my eyes. I felt bad now. I felt bad that I'd made him so
uncomfortable, but at the same time I felt even worse because I couldn't bring
myself to regret it. Selfish or not, how could I regret something that made me so
happy?

As I neared halfway through the items, I began to worry. Had I messed up that badly
by kissing his cheek? It seemed like innocent enough of a gesture at the time. I
mean, sure, straight guys don't kiss their gay best friends every day of the week,
but I was kind of giving up on the straight facade anyway. Oh god, what if he
doesn't feel the same and he's reading into the kiss too much? What if he's
nervously trying to come up with a polite way to reject me before I even ask?

As I approached three quarters of the way done, I could barely concentrate on my

work. I kept dropping things and stumbling over myself, but Troye didn't even seem
to notice. Sure, his eyes were still watching my hand movements, but I knew for a
fact his mind was occupied with completely different things. He looked so
uncomfortable, his cheeks crimson and a sheen of sweat actually visible on his
neck. What would make someone so nervous other than if someone came onto them that
they didn't feel the same way toward them? There's no other possible explanation
really, other than-

Oh.

Oh shit.

Other than if he actually did feel the same.

Think about it, Tyler, you idiot. Why would he accept every flirty gesture in the
past? Why was he so polite to your mother, just like you are toward his parents?
Why did he always wear that bracelet? Why had that first kiss failure happened in
the first place? Why was he constantly referring to the guy he liked as a dense
idiot? Oh, maybe because the guy he likes is a total dense idiot. I mean, sure I
knew it was a possibility before, but when your crush says they like someone you
never assume yourself, even if it's a likely option. You tell yourself not to get
your hopes up in case it isn't you. But if you actually looked at this situation
from any other perspective, with a totally clear mind, it would be damn clear to
anyone else that he isn't trying to find a way to turn me down. Had it always been
this clear to everyone else, from the very beginning? If I saw Troye looking like
he does right now, around any other guy, I'd be insanely jealous and I wouldn't
hesitate to jump to conclusions. So why was it any different with me? It wasn't.

Just looking at him now it was impossible to think there'd ever been a time when it
wasn't blatantly obvious to me. How he was nervously fidgeting with his hands, how
his lips twitched every few seconds as if fighting a smile. He wasn't nervous, he
was flustered as hell. And unless he's attracted to the pile of groceries between
us, there's only really one other option in the room. Sure, he hadn't said it and
technically there was still a chance I was wrong, but not really. I mean, look at
him right now.

As I finished scanning the things I could barely contain my grin, trying to think
back to every thing he'd ever said and done I'd misinterpreted. Maybe he wasn't
really awkward, maybe he was just nervous around me because he liked me. It made
sense, why had I never thought of it before? Blinded by myself I guess, I was too
busy worrying about all the ways it could go wrong to consider it could actually
just go smoothly as hell. It's going to go smoothly as hell, from here on out. It's
a lot easier to flirt and come out to someone when you're sure of their reaction.
I'm sure of it. Even if he hasn't said it, I can see it now, in everything he does.

"That'll be $32.56 dollars." I reported blandly, watching him immediately move to

fork over the money. Now that I knew what to look for I had no trouble noticing how
shaky his hand was as he extended the money to me, or how he avoided eye contact,
or how sweaty his palms were as I took the cash from his hand. I grinned cheekily
to myself as I put it into the register, my smile only widening when he refused to
take his change back and insisted it was a tip. I laughed breathlessly then, still
a little overwhelmed by all the things I was considering with an open mind for the
first time.

"Alright, let's get out of here."

A/n: Okay holy crap gtta go fast. First of all, you are all probably sitting there
like what the fufcktgufkc Tyler, I thought you were already on your way to
realizing this?!?!?! And like, there's a difference between suspecting it and
actually realizing like holy crap this isnt just a possibility i need to stop
doubting it sorta thing. Idk, I tried to describe it but its late and idk if i did
a good job. Also this chapter is like a bonus bc you guys were being thirsty. it
was supposed to be part of a way longer chapter but i got rambly and y'all wanted
an update anyway. I've been getting so many cute Tumblr asks and seeing people
talking about my fic and you have no idea how happy it all makes me. ALSO WE HIT
400K HOLY GBUFIHJHH OK

Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to @AllisonWonderlandxx. I just discovered her

fic, it's a highschool long distance internet friendship au but theyre going to
meet eventually duh its cute go read it. Connected is the name.

Chapter Fourty-Four
*Tyler's POV*

Troye seemed almost embarrassed of his family every time we interacted, which I
guess I could understand. I would disown Mama Jackie if she were to act the way
they did. But at the same time, I didn't actually care when his family did. It
wasn't annoying, it was entertaining if anything. Besides, watching Troye
continuously get all worked up and flustered over their words was definitely
something I could get used to. Everything from his siblings with their faces
pressed against the window, to his mother being so welcoming and chatty, to the
muttered sexual innuendos Sage seemed to have a never ending supply of, they were
the perfect family. Well, perfect granted you weren't stuck being around them all
the time. I could definitely see how it'd get old after awhile.

I wasn't surprised when Troye jumped at the chance to take me up to his room,
though I did wish it was for different reasons than just avoiding chores and
annoying siblings. I couldn't really complain though, especially not when he was
the one to make the move to sling his arm around my shoulders. It was only for the
short walk between the kitchen and the foot of the stairs, but it still meant
something. Slowly but surely he was coming more and more out of his shell, and I
couldn't wait for the time to come when he wouldn't hesitate at all to make moves
like that. I wasn't sure if he meant it casually or if he realized what it did to
me, but either way I was happy he'd done it. He'd come a long way from how nervous
he'd been about touching me at first.

Once we reached his room I didn't even think before throwing myself onto his bed,
only after my chest hit the mattress did I realize how awkward that probably was.
It's not like he'd invited me to just make myself at home, and it was only my
second time here. Not to mention that he was definitely going to over think where
he sat now, like he always did over absolutely anything. He spent way too much time
just thinking, rather than actually doing things. Whereas I was the opposite, doing
things without giving them a second's thought. What a great pair we made, huh?

It didn't take long for me to reach a point where I couldn't stand the awkward
tension as he silently debated where to sit, instead just rolling over and inviting
him to join me. I relished in how deep his cheeks flushed, unsure of whether it was
because I'd called him pretty or because of the fact we were both going to be
sitting on his bed. I couldn't help the giggles slipping past my lips as he
awkwardly dragged his feet along behind him, his hands stuffed in his pockets and
the blush on his cheeks not fading a bit. He sat 0n the very edge of the bed, his
muscles stiff and his arms clasped tightly to his sides.

"What are you laughing at?" He asked suddenly, only casting me a sideways glance
instead of actually looking up. I didn't mind though, realizing it was probably his
best effort to hide how badly he was blushing. I decided to just be honest with
him, sitting up and not even hesitating before awkwardly ambling down the bed
toward him. Why did he have to have such a floofy mattress? I probably looked like
a total idiot, tripping over my own knees. Then again, it didn't look like he was
playing much attention. I didn't stop until I was sitting right beside him, by
knees pressed against his leg. I shoved him then, giggling more as I replied.

"You." After that we fell into one of our familiar lighthearted bickering matches,
though after just a few replies I began to notice he wasn't laughing nearly as much
as he usually would be. Did he actually have a problem with me mentioning how
awkward he was? I mean, it seemed stupid he'd be insecure about something like
that, especially when he knew how little I cared about it, but then again, I was
the one getting worked up when he mentioned my eating habits. What if I was
unintentionally hurting his feelings?

"Gee, thanks Tyler, makes me feel real good about myself-" I couldn't even wait for
him to finish his reply with my new-found realization, panicking that I might have
actually offended him. That was the last thing I ever wanted to do.
"Oh, shut-up. It's the cute kind of awkward, obviously." I blurted, my mind
catching up to my mouth only after the words had spilled out. The cute kind of
awkward? Might as well get down on one knee and hand him flowers at this rate,
Tyler. Sing him a song and confess your love while you're at it. Honestly, is it
even possible for someone to be so blind that they don't realize someone's feelings
when they say things like that. Okay, so I might have been up until recently, but
now that I knew it was impossible to not see all the little hints in every little
thing he did. Just how long would it take Troye to come to the same realization I
had? What exactly would it take? Or would he ever realize if I didn't just tell him
face to face?

"Oh." He breathed out quietly, causing my eyebrows to raise as I risked a glance in

his direction. He seemed to be off in his own world, his expression blank as his
eyes stayed fixed on the floor. I don't think it was the floor he was really
thinking about though. At least I hoped not, it'd be quite the insult to think that
the wooden flooring was a more captivating subject than I was.

I took a deep but quiet breath, deciding to focus on something else for a change.
Troye's feelings and my feelings for Troye seemed to be all I ever thought about
lately. I mean, I get it, they're a pretty pressing issue in my mind, but I
shouldn't get so wrapped up in what could be that I forget what I already have. I
narrowed my eyes, determined to concentrate on something else. Ultimately I ended
up checking out his room, mostly because the only other immediate distraction
around me was him, and we all know what direction my thoughts would drift if I was
staring at him. I forced my eyes off of him, instead looking around his room and
taking everything in like it was for the first time. He'd changed it up a bit, just
small things like the candle he'd added to his bedside table, or the new poster
adorning the wall above his desk. Beside his desk sat the familiar musical
instrument from the last time I was here, my lips turning up into a smile at their
own accord. Next I looked at what was actually sitting on his desk, my eyes
widening curiously at the mess of papers all over it. Does he sketch? Or maybe he
was writing something? Then again, it could just be homework... Ugh, it's going to
kill me until I find out now.

Now that I'd more or less seen everything in the room I let my eyes flicker back to
him, surprised to find he was already staring at me. I wonder how long he's been
watching me. I couldn't help it when a goofy smile made it's way onto my face at
the thought of him staring at me while I was looking away. I wonder how many times
he's done it in the past, looked at me while I wasn't looking. It couldn't be
nearly as much as I'd looked over at him while he wasn't looking. Then again,
maybe, he could have liked me this whole time as well. Thinking back, there had
been some subtle hints since the beginning of our friendship really, possibly
before even he realized how he felt. God, if it took him a long time to figure out
how he felt, just imagine how long it'd take him to realize how I felt.

Realizing that he was still staring at me expectantly I cleared my throat, deciding

I had better make some conversation before the silence got awkward. Well, any more
awkward than it already was.

"I love your room, it's so... you."

"Thanks? I think?" He laughed, sounding slightly unsure of the situation. I wanted

to reassure him, but at the same time my eyes had fallen on his desk again and it
was all I could think about. What is on those papers?

"Oh yeah, it was definitely a compliment." I replied distractedly, flashing him a

smile quickly before sliding off the bed. I stretched in what I hoped was a casual
manner, feigning interested in all the little knick-knacks around his room as I
shifted closer to the desk. I was getting so close I could make out the title at
the top of one of the pages, my eyebrows quirking slightly as I read the words
"Happy Little Pill", only becoming more intrigued now that it looked less like
homework. I could vaguely make out words scribbled all over the page, most of which
had been scribbled out and had new things written on top of them. I wonder what it
is. I took a step closer, standing on my tippy-toes in hopes of seeing more of what
was on the paper, caution thrown to the wind. However, I should have known better,
seeing as now Troye was clearing his throat. I looked up with a look of pure
innocence, hoping hadn't actually caught on to my intentions. The second our eyes
met and his glare registered I knew he had though, dropping my angelic act and
sighing as I tried to think of something to say. I'll just change the topic, rather
than apologizing for being such a nosey nuisance. "We should probably get changed
before your mother accuses us of being incapable of that too, huh?"

"Yeah! You can change in the bathroom and I'll let you know when I'm decent." He
said, his tone overly cheery. I had to resist the urge to raise my eyebrows in
questioning, deciding it was better left unsaid. I had my suspicions it had
something to do with him being guilty about not letting me see the papers, but at
the same time that was so insanely stupid. Why would he feel bad about not letting
me snoop on his personal things? Then again, he finds a way to make everything his
fault, doesn't he?

I smiled at him reassuringly to let him know there wasn't any issue between us.
It's be stupid of me to be mad at him for having private things, but that didn't
make me any less curious about them... I sauntered over to the door where I had
dropped my bag, picking it up and slinging it over one shoulder as I replied
vocally.

"Sounds good." I beamed, not looking back in his direction as I started toward the
bathroom. It was more of a precaution, in case he'd already started to unbutton his
pants or lift his sweater over his head. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to keep from
pouncing on him at this point. It was one thing being in the hottub with him before
when I'd just realized my feelings for him, but I'd been trying to shove my thirst
to the back of my mind for over a month now, it was only a matter of time before I
snapped. Hence why I had gone along with the whole getting changed in separate
rooms thing so easily. Of course I wanted to see him in his underwear, but I also
wasn't so sure if I'd be able to stand it and keep my hands off of him. And
considering his entire family was waiting for us downstairs, that didn't sound like
such a good idea.

I stumbled into the bathroom quickly, immediately closing the door behind me and
listening as it clicked into place. I let out the breath I'd been holding then,
walking over and leaning over his counter. I studied my face in the mirror, feeling
slightly betrayed at how flushed my cheeks were. Did I always blush when my
thoughts drifted in the dirty direction? Oh God, I really hope not, I don't really
fancy the idea of looking like a tomato whenever I'm around him.

I tried not to dwell on it too much, realizing there was nothing I could do to
prevent it, short of actually getting a hold on myself and eliminating the dirty
thoughts altogether. We all know how likely that is, huh? Instead I busied myself
with getting changed, pulling my t-shirt over my head hastily and tossing it behind
me. Next I dropped my pants, immediately moving to slip into the costume's pair. It
wasn't so much that I had a problem with being pantless in Troye's bathroom as it
was that I just wanted to finish getting changed quickly. That might have had
something to do with the possibility of walking out early and catching a glimpse of
Troye half dressed, but I wasn't going to admit to that.

After my pants I'd intended to slip the navy blue police shirt on, but my eyes fell
on the hat and I suddenly realized I hadn't tried it on once yet. What if it looked
horrible with my quiff? I didn't think twice before snatching it off the counter
and fitting it onto my head, adjusting my hair strand by strand until I was happy
with it. Alright, scratch that, it definitely looks good with the hat. I decided a
second of posing was necessary, popping my hip out as I scanned myself in Troye's
mirror. I wonder how many times he's stood in front of this naked-

Damn it, Tyler, not the time! What'd I tell you about getting the thirst under
control? At this rate you're going to end up-

"Ahhh!" I jumped at the sudden scream filling the air, smacking my knee off the
side of his counter. It wasn't bad enough to bruise though, just enough to make me
pout slightly as I bent over to cup my hand over it. After the initial pain wore
off in a matter of seconds I decided I'd better figure out what the hell Troye's
problem was now, standing back up and shouting.

"Troye?" The response came almost immediately, though it didn't really help me
figure anything out.

"Ow! Fuck!" He yelled, followed by the sound of stuff crashing around. Was he
really having that much trouble changing into the costume? Maybe his mother would
have been right to assume he was incapable of getting dressed after all. Still, I
couldn't help but worry when no further response came. Wouldn't he usually be
insisting he was okay and not to worry in a situation like this?

"Troye? What are you doing out there?" I asked, trying to keep my tone lighthearted
as I fake laughed between the words. No response came and my nerves only got worse,
my teeth sinking into my bottom lip as I fought the urge to call out once more.
What if he fell and hit his head? I should check on him. He could be unconscious
out there, he might need my help.

Just as I was reaching to open the door I could hear the muffled voice of his
mother, likely asking him what was going on from the hallway. I didn't, however,
hear his response, only making me worry more as I pulled the door open. My eyes
scanned the room frantically, only taking a second to spot him standing right
beside his bed. The second thing that registered was his lack of pants, my throat
feeling oddly dry as I tried to swallow. Who gave him the right to wear such
tightly-fitting briefs? Does he have any idea how hard he makes it for me to keep
my thirst under control?

I begrudgingly stomped toward him, forcing my eyes to stay trained on the back of
his head and not, well, where they wanted to be. He seemed completely oblivious I
was even there, even as I came to a stop directly behind him. What held his
attention so much that he didn't even acknowledge me? I grumbled under my breath so
quietly it was barely audible as I stood up on my tippy-toes, curiously peering
over his shoulder. I was utterly confused to find he was just staring at his bed,
my eyebrows kneading together as I tried to figure out what was out of place. Then
my eyes landed on his pillow, a smirk finding it's way to my lips as I noticed the
tiny spider ambling toward it.

"A spider? A fucking spider? Are you kidding me?" I laughed, only then realizing
just how breathless I was from rushing out here. He spun around then, his cheeks
crimson and his eyes wide as they met with mine.

"It's huge and it was on my arm!" He defended immediately, a pitiful tone to his
voice. I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip again as I summoned every bit of self-
restraint I had not to let my eyes drift down between us. I held my breath as I
mechanically moved around him, plucking a tissue out of the box and snatching up
the spider. Spiders had never really been my stronghold either, but if it meant
impressing Troye then damn right they were. I turned around, marching straight over
to the trash bin on the other side of his room with a blank expression. I tossed
the tissue into the garbage, taking a deep breath again before spinning around. I
lasted approximately the time it took to cross my arms, before my eyes betrayed me
and landed on his bulge. I tried my very hardest to keep my expression blank,
though I could already feel the lust pooling in my lower stomach at the sight.

Snap out of it, Tyler, he's freaking watching you stare!

"New trend?" I blurted, an array of fake giggles bubbling out of my throat. It was
a decent cover-up to what was actually going on inside my head, but I also couldn't
bring myself to look away either.

"Stop staring!" He demanded, giving me a scowl as he brought one hand to cover

himself. He used the other to attempt pulling up his pants single-handedly, though
ultimately that didn't work out considering how tight they looked. He looked back
up then, locking eyes with me in a challenging glare that told me I wasn't to let
my eyes wander again, before he was hastily using both hands to yank his pants up.
He turned around as they reached his mid-thigh, not that I was complaining as I
watched him try to wiggle his butt into them. Eventually he did manage to get them
on, much to my surprise. I was really expecting him to just give up and go find
another pair. He was going to be uncomfortable all night in those. Well, granted I
didn't end up getting him out of his pants by the end of the night.

By the time he turned back around I had been letting my mind drift in that
direction for way too long, now trying to backtrack by thinking about completely
innocent things. The last thing I needed was a hard-on at our first sleepover
together, before I'd even come out of the closet. That would definitely kill the
casual in a second.

I watched as he plopped down on the bed, only thinking it through for a second
before I followed after and headed over to sit down beside him. Silence followed,
not that I was really complaining as it gave me more time to get myself under
control. The worst part was I was still shirtless, so he could surely see how
flushed my entire body was, if he were to actually pay attention to it. He didn't
seem to be though, his eyes firmly trained on the ground, seemingly lost in
thought. I was about to speak up and suggest we go downstairs, when he beat me to
it.

"It's your fault anyway, we clearly agreed that you weren't to leave the bathroom
until I'd announced I was decent." My eyebrows quirked slightly at this, realizing
that's where his mind had been this entire time. Aw, was he still flustered over me
seeing him in his underwear? How adorable.

"Well, excuse me for worrying when you started screaming like a freaking banshee!"
I snapped, unintentionally sounding a lot angrier than I actually was. He tensed up
beside me in reaction, his breathing shallow as he slowly turned his head to face
me. Our eyes locked and we both held our breath, searching the other's for any
genuine signs of anger. When I found none I couldn't help but giggle at the irony
of the situation, how worried we both were that we'd angered the other. Before I
knew it the giggle progressed to full-out laughter, then sadly, it ended up a total
cackle fit. I lost all track of time and what I was doing, the only thing
registering with me was the sound of my own laugh, yet I still couldn't stop. I was
beginning to think I'd never calm down when I heard Troye speak up, just barely
over my own laughter.

"Stop laughing!" He giggled, the sound just as beautiful as the first time I'd made
him laugh. I was still laughing, though now it was once again fizzling off into a
more pleasant giggle. Slowly but surely I was beginning to get a grip, and along
with that came the realization that I'd more or less koala'd myself around Troye
somehow in the last five minutes. My arms were wrapped around one of his, clutching
it tightly to my bare chest. I'd also managed to push myself impossibly closer to
him, my face ending up buried in his neck. There was starting to be more and more
time between my giggles as all of this sunk in, how close I was to him, how quickly
I could feel his pulse jumping against my lips. I wasn't really kissing his neck or
anything, they just happened to be pressed up against it, but the fact my lips were
on his neck at all was something. It just made me crave the actual thing even more,
to be able to lash my tongue over the sensitive skin and have him writhing
underneath me- shit.

Still not the time, Tyler. Get a grip.

I lifted my head slowly, my eyes immediately locking with Troye's bright ones. He
looked so... happy. Sometimes out of nowhere I was hit with a wave of clarity,
realizing just how much he'd changed since we started talking two months ago. It
wasn't like he was a completely different person or anything, more like he was the
person he would have been had he never cut himself off at all. I mean, obviously I
wasn't going to sit here and take all the credit for it, for all I know he could
have had a heart-to-heart with Shane that made him change his outlook, but no
matter why it happened, all that mattered was that it did happen. It was happening.
He was coming out of his shell more and more as each day passed, and I couldn't be
happier for him.

"You're a mess." I giggled out, fighting the urge to lift my hand and cup his
cheek.

"I know I am." He breathed out, running his hand through his quiff absentmindedly.
I decided I'd better distract myself before my thoughts drifted in the indecent
direction again, deciding my best bet would be to start with putting a shirt on. He
didn't seem to happy about this when I announced it, even going so far as to say I
didn't 'have to' and that I could be one of those shirtless cops like in Magic
Mike. Once again I was left wondering if I was a total idiot and he'd been this
obvious about his crush on me all along, or if his flirty behavior was a relatively
new thing. For my sake, I really hope it's a new thing. Please tell me I'm not
oblivious enough that I never caught on before while he was being this obvious.

I didn't give in to him though, remembering once again that his family were all
waiting for us downstairs. And as nice as the thought of having some quality
shirtless time with Troye sounded, I couldn't help but also remember the whole
reason I'd been nervous to come here at all. I still hadn't saw Shaun today, and I
had no idea just what he'd heard about the changing stall fiasco. Depending on
that, there's no telling what kind of things he'd be thinking if I kept Troye up
here much longer. I'd really rather stay on his family's good side.

I'd caught him watching intently as I did the buttons of my shirt up, calling him
out on it and earning another one of those adorable deep blushes he seemed to
reserve strictly for me. That was a good thing though, I'd feel cheated knowing
that just anyone could pull them out of him, I liked feeling special.

After walking over to the mirror and putting the final touches on my costume, I
turned back to inspect his. I found him staring at the floor, surprisingly still
blushing. Surely it wasn't over the same thing from earlier? I wonder what he's
thinking about... Whatever, it's not like there's any way I can tell. Instead I
busied myself with what I originally intended to do, scanning his costume to check
for any missing pieces.

"Where are your handcuffs?" I blurted the second I realized they were absent,
accidentally sounding way more interested in them than I should have been. I
couldn't help it, I was kind of excited to see him rendered helpless. Well, not
totally helpless, but just enough that he'd need to rely on me to help him out with
simple tasks, at least for the short time while he had them on.

I watched him reach over and grab his own costume bag, similar to mine but instead
of blue, it was black. He dug through it distractedly for a second before
retrieving two items, a small black mask and the shiny fake-metal handcuffs.

"Do I have to wear them?" He groaned pitifully, looking up at me with the most
adorable pair of puppy dog eyes I'd ever seen. God, when we finally start dating I
am never gonna be able to say no to that boy, am I? I wouldn't let him see it had
any affect over me yet though, instead just rolling my eyes as a quick excuse to
look away from him. I lifted my hand too, gesturing him over with a single finger.
He did as he was told, stumbling over clumsily and coming to a stop directly in
front of him. Immediately I snatched the props out of his hands, dangling the
handcuffs in front of his eyes.

"No, but you're gonna, at least for your mother's pictures." I answered, surprised
when he submissively extended his hands. I didn't hesitate to click the cuffs on
then, wiggling my hips in a victory dance he wasn't supposed to see. He didn't
either, or at least he didn't outwardly show that he had.

"But you know how accident prone I am, what if I fall and can't catch myself?" He
continued to complain, experimentally shifting his hands around in the tight
handcuffs. I looked up at him then, my hands still gripping either of his soft
wrists.

"I'll catch you." I replied simply, keeping my eyes locked with his. I watched the
emotions flicker through his baby blues, silently trying to figure out whether he
caught my double meaning. I'd always catch him when he fell, especially if I
happened to be the one he was falling for. When he didn't outwardly show either way
I decided we had better just move on, before my expectant expression got creepy.

"We should probably head downstairs. Come on, you worthless criminal scum." I
laughed, debating it for only a second before letting my hand drift lower and
lacing my fingers through his. It was strange how unsure of everything I was now
that I was sure of his feelings. Did I want him to realize how I felt as well? Was
I going to confess? Should I be more cautious about how physical I am with him, or
should I just get even more touchy feely? Am I ready to come out at school if it
means being with him? I wasn't ready to make all those decisions, I wanted to just
put them off a little bit longer. I'll worry about all of that later, right now I'm
just gonna do whatever I feel like doing, and apparently that, is holding his hand.

I go down the stairs ahead of him, awkwardly holding my arm out behind me so our
fingers can stay entwined. I'm surprised when he doesn't try to shrug out of the
embrace even as we reach the bottom of the stairs, only tightening his grip as he
moves to stand beside me now that we're off the stairs. I study the people strewn
across the two couches in the living room, the first thing registering was the lack
of the familiar bald head again. Whew, I don't have to face him for at least
another few seconds. Instead I recognize the first three on one couch as Tyde,
Steele, and Steele's girlfriend, all of which are handling video game controllers
with determined eyes trained on the screen. The other couch only holds one
occupant, though they're so sprawled out they take up just as much room as the
others did. Sage has her face hidden from my line of view with her phone, though I
can just barely make out the smile on her lips from behind it. I noticed now they'd
all changed into their costumes as well, happy to know that Troye and I weren't
going to be the odd ones out.

"Want to go sit down?" I tense at Troye's sudden whisper in my ear, not even
realizing he had leaned in so close. I just nodded, not really trusting my voice
not to crack right now. He grins before tugging on my hand eagerly, dragging me
over to the sitting area. Not surprisingly, the majority of the couch potatoes all
look up as we approach them, all of their eyebrows raising as their eyes land on
our hands. I just blush and look the opposite direction, which happens to be the
direction of Sage. We'd came to a stop in front of her couch, and Troye was now
glaring down at her with his free hand sassily placed on his hip. "Sage, sit up.
Make some room for Tyler and me."

"Can't you sit on the floor?" She groaned, her eyes just now flickering up from the
phone screen for the first time. Her eyes land in the same place her sibling's had,
though she isn't nearly as subtle about it as a smirk makes it's way across her
lips. "Holding hands? At this rate you might actually get a kiss on the cheek by
the time Christmas rolls around!"

"Jokes on you because he already has kissed my cheek." I didn't think it was
possible to blush any harder than I already was, but apparently Troye was out to
prove me wrong when he decided it'd be a good idea to mutter something like that.
We fell onto the couch before anyone replied to his statement, him sitting between
Sage and I. He couldn't, however, block my view of his other two siblings on the
other couch. They were still trying to act interested in their game, and I believed
them for a second, before Tyde's eyes flickered to mine and he gave me a discreet
wink. Ugh, I change my mind, their teasing is funny solely when you aren't the one
being teased.

"Scandalous, Troye. You're such a slut." Sage spoke up then, after she'd finished
typing out her text. She looked up at us, her eyes darting between the two of us
suspiciously. I bit my lip nervously under her scrutiny, while Troye seemed totally
unfazed as he simply leaned forward and blocked Sage's view of me. I could only see
the back of his head and one of her eyes over his shoulder, but from that alone I
could tell they were once again exchanging those silent faces that I wasn't allowed
to be included in. Rude.

I was actually beginning to debate sprawling myself over Troye's lap just to look
up at their expressions, when a much needed distraction walked into the room in the
form of a middle-aged woman wearing bunny ears. I guess the manditory costumes
weren't limited to just her kids. I definitely hadn't expected to end the night
with seeing Laurelle in bunny ears, that's for sure. Thankfully that was the only
piece of the costume she had on, making it clear she was going to a more formal
event by the fancy dress and heels she had on. Maybe her and Shaun were going out
to dinner? Troye hadn't really elaborated on where exactly all of his family were
going for the night, just that we'd have the house to ourselves.

"Alright kids, are you all dressed up?" Laurelle asked as she came to a stop
standing between the two couches, an expectant but cheerful smile on her face.
Instantly every one of her children looked up from what they were doing, all
chanting in almost scary unison two words.

"Yes, Mom." They all droned, sounding a lot less excited than she did. She didn't
let it get to her though, just looking over at Steele and his girlfriend and
smiling widely.

"Ready for some pictures?" She asked, clearly directing the question at just them.
The girl just nodded while Steele repeated his earlier mantra.

"Yes, Mom." He sighed out, promptly turning back to look at the screen. Laurelle
pouted a bit at that I noticed, and I couldn't help but feel a little bit bad for
her. She was clearly so excited and they were acting like it was the most boring
thing they'd ever experienced.
She turned to Troye and I then, momentarily freezing as she raked her eyes over us,
letting them come to a stop at our still intertwined fingers. She quickly played it
off when Troye cleared his throat, instead looking at our costumes as if using them
as an excuse for that stupid giddy smile on her face.

"Aww, don't you two look cute?" She laughed, looking back and forth between the two
of us like Sage had earlier. I didn't feel nearly as nervous when it came to her
though, instead just beaming a smile up at her and leaning further into Troye's
side.

"Thanks, Laurelle." I said cheerily, surprised when Troye tightened his grip on my
hand a moment later. I was worried it was a silent warning or something, before I
actually looked over at him and found his eyes fixed on the tv. Had it been a
subconscious thing?

"Shaun! Get your butt down here, we're already behind schedule!" I jumped at
Laurelle's sudden shout, not even realizing her voice could get that loud before
now. Seeing as I was practically pressed up against Troye's side, of course he
noticed, giggling quietly as he glanced over at me. He gave me a simple 'I warned
you' look, leaning back against the couch finally and letting me see Sage again.
Whatever their silent exchange had included, it had gotten her to shut-up. She was
leaning back against the armrest of the couch, her legs drawn up so Troye and I had
room to sit, her eyes once again fixated on her phone screen.

I shifted nervously when I heard the footsteps on the stairs start, knowing it had
to be the one member of the Mellet family not here yet. It was probably stupid to
get this worked up over seeing him again, but what if he acted weird around me now?
What if he was straight-up rude to me and made it clear he didn't like me? It'd be
one thing if I actually had sex with Troye in a changing stall, but it was just a
stupid story, and I really didn't want it to affect how Shaun saw me.

"Shaun, what the hell are you wearing?" Not surprisingly everyone's heads turned in
the direction of the stairs then, watching as Shaun descended down the final steps.
He was wearing plaid. A plaid button-down shirt, while Laurelle had on an expensive
looking red dress. Was he kidding? Straight boys, I swear.

"It's a formal shirt-" He started, immediately cut off when Laurelle stepped
forward and grabbed the collar of his shirt in one fist.

"Formal if you're going to Hoedown Throwdown maybe! Get back up there and change
into something else, we'll be outside waiting for you." She sighed out the last
sentence, like all of frustration had just reached it's limit. She stomped away
into the kitchen again then, leaving Shaun standing at the bottom of the stairs
with a confused expression. Did he seriously not see what was wrong with his
outfit? God help him. From what I gather, they're going somewhere fancy for dinner
or something, there's no way that blue plaid would fit into the formal scene.

"Dad, try just a black or white shirt. No need to get elaborate, you want Mom to be
the center of attention anyway." Tyde offered, giving him a sympathetic smile. Tyde
was actually pretty sweet, when he wasn't being an annoying little shit.

"You're right. Thanks, bud. Did Troye and his boyfriend get back yet?" I felt a
blush creep across my cheeks involuntarily, though Troye didn't seem nearly as
flustered as he just turned around to glare at his father.

"Dad. I'm sitting right here. I know you see me." He grumbled, his eyes following
Shaun as he walked around the couch to stand in front of us.
"I'm just teasing. Hi, Tyler!" He beamed, giving me a big wave. I let out the
breath I'd been holding, overwhelmingly relieved to see how casual he was acting.
It's fine, he's not angry with me for something I didn't even do. I loosened my
grip on Troye's hand a bit too, just now realizing how tight it had gone while I
was fretting.

"Hi, Shaun!"

"So, what's this I hear about you two finally making it official?" My jaw unhinged
at this, my eyes going wide as I looked over at Troye. Had he lied to his father or
something?

"W-What?" I stuttered out, realizing Troye was way too focused on the television
screen to help me out with it. Shaun took a deep breath before replying, his voice
cheerful as ever.

"Well, I'm assuming you asked him out before the whole changing room-"

"DAD! How many times have I told you that was just something Sage made up? Don't
ever bring it up again!" Troye snapped, cutting his father off and turning to glare
at him yet again. Maybe he hadn't been as into the television as I thought. Hell,
maybe that little twink just wanted to see what I'd say in reaction to that. What a
brat.

"So you're not dating then?" I felt a little bad when I heard how genuinely
confused Shaun sounded, deciding to just be upfront with him.

"No, we're not." I said flatly, discreetly watching Troye's reaction out of the
corner of my eye. It was pointless though, considering his face stayed completely
blank as he stared onward.

"You're just friends that hold hands? And wear matching couple costumes? And go on
dates?"

"N-" Even before he started to speak up I knew what Troye's response was going to
be, it was the same as it always was; deny everything. I, however, wanted to try a
different route, hopefully one that'd pull a reaction out of him.

"Yeah, pretty much." I blurted, cutting Troye off before he even managed to get the
word 'no' out. This finally got Troye to turn his head, looking over at me with his
head cocked to the side and wide eyes. Why did he looked so shocked? Everything his
father had said was true, surely he realized that. He didn't question me aloud
though, instead just robotically turning back to face the screen. I wasn't sure if
it was because he genuinely had nothing to say, or because of all the sets of eyes
and ears on us in that moment.

I expected Shaun to reply with some sort of lecture on how stupid that was and why
we should just ask each other out if we already had all the aspects of boyfriends,
but he was strangely silent. I wonder what he's thinking about right now. Actually,
more importantly, I wonder what's on Troye's mind. I glanced back over at Troye,
biting my lip as I studied his features. He looked so serious, his lips in a tight
line and his eyes narrowed. Actually, maybe he just looked concentrated.

"Shaun! Go and get changed!" Everyone jumped this time, seeing as none of us had
been expecting her sudden outburst. Shaun immediately turned and headed toward the
stairs, clearly realizing she was not to be messed with. Only after he was out of
sight did she turn to us with a sweet smile, gesturing toward the front door. "Come
on everyone, we've got pictures to take!"
When she said pictures, I thought maybe one of each of us and then we'd be out of
there. I was not expecting a full-out photo shoot. Immediately after we walked
outside she began ordering people around. First of all, she wanted a photo of all
of her kids together, which was understandable. While they all lined up, none
looking very impressed with the situation, I was left standing on the sidelines
with Steele's girlfriend. I couldn't remember her name for the life of me, hence we
were left in a pretty awkward silence as we waited for them to finish up. After
snapping an unreasonable amount of the four of them together, she told them all to
more or less scram, except for Sage. Apparently Sage was being picked up the
earliest from her friends, so she was first in line for individual photos. While
Sage, dressed in her cat costume, pranced off toward the gazebo with her mother,
Troye walked back toward me. I jumped forward, speed-walking to meet him halfway
across the lawn. No offense to Steele's girlfriend, but she wasn't very good
company.

"Do you guys do this every year?" I asked, coming to a stop directly in front of
him. He just sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to nod as he did so.

"Every year, every holiday, every date that could possibly be mistaken as
relatively important. She has a thing for 'capturing memories'." I glanced over at
the gazebo then, a smile overtaking my features as I watched all the poses Sage was
pulling, like she'd done this more times than she could count.

"It's cute."

"And annoying." Troye muttered, walking around me to lean against the side of the
house. I bit my lip before deciding to join him, walking over and leaning against
the wall beside him. We stood in silence then, though I'd occasionally look up to
check on him. He had that serious expression on again and it was seriously
beginning to worry me. By the time she'd finished with Sage's photos and had moved
on to Tyde, I couldn't take the silence anymore.

"You're kind of grumpy." I blurted, watching his eyes go wide. He looked down at me
then, an almost guilty hint to his expression.

"I'm sorry, I just thought we'd have more time to ourselves, you know? They said
they'd be leaving as so

Chapter Fourty-Five
*Troye's POV* (here's the deal, Tyler doesn't come out this chapter either but imma
post like a mini chapter within the next 24 hours, possibly within the next 6
before I go to bed. I know I promised but remember this is only making the story
longer so shh, stay clam)

I knew the second my mother suggested taking pictures by the car what kind of
position to expect. I'd been to many impromptu photoshoots held by my mother
throughout my life, and there were just a few things you came to expect from them.
She always chose very cheesy poses, often ones that would look cute if it were
children posing, while teenagers just made it look awkward. From photos of all my
siblings and I lined up holding hands, to all of us trying to shove ours faces
together to fit in a picture frame, some of her ideas just sounded a lot better
before we were forced into acting them out. Obviously this wasn't the case every
single situation, but this definitely wouldn't be the first time for it to happen.
One could argue that I was jumping to conclusions, that she may just ask us to
stand beside the car and take a proper photo. I might listen to them, if it wasn't
for the fact I knew she was already out to embarrass me around Tyler as it was. I
could just imagine all the stuff she could make me do while my hands were cuffed
and Tyler was here going along with everything she said.

"Alright, Troye, are those handcuffs easy to take off? Can you re-do them with your
hands behind your back instead?"

"Yeah, yeah." I grumbled quietly, knowing better than to argue with her. Partially
because she wouldn't listen to a word I said, but also because it was kind of nice
seeing that huge excited smile on her face for a change. She adored photography,
but most times she tried to take photos it ended up a fight between her and the
siblings, it felt weird just going along with her requests.

I turned to Tyler, batting my eyelashes slightly as I silently asked for his help.
I don't know why, but it gave me a strange sense of pride knowing we were close
enough that he could tell exactly what I was getting at before I even spoke a word,
rolling his eyes and nodding in agreement. I hurried to retrieve the key then,
reaching into my pocket awkwardly with my locked-together hands. After that Tyler
was quick to grab it out of my hand, biting his lip as he started fiddling with the
lock. He seemed very concentrated in the activity, even looking sightly frustrated
when the seconds started to add up that he'd been trying to get them undone. I
couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from him as he struggled with the stupid
restraints, that stupid familiar lovesick smile threatening to break out across my
face at any second. I wasn't going to let it, I refused. It was one thing that
Tyler could look up and catch me at any second, but the fact my mother was standing
a few feet away with the option of catching it on camera, was just not something I
was willing to risk. Besides, it's not like he's even being that cute-

"Fuck off!" He hissed under his breath suddenly, his eyebrows furrowing so far they
nearly knit together, his forehead creasing adorably as a side effect. He was
getting so frustrated by just a bit of minimal struggling, practically jabbing the
key around now in his haste to finish the task. And oh god, he was just so cute,
completely fixated on it like that. I wasn't even surprised when my resolve cracked
and that smile found it's way to my lips, though that didn't make me any happier
about it. I just knew Mom was taking a hundred photos of the moment, likely to
frame and use as incriminating evidence if I ever tried to deny my feelings for
Tyler in the future. It'd work too, because there was absolutely no arguing what it
looked like when I smiled at him like this.

I watched his face light up as a click filled the air, followed by the feeling of
my wrists being released as he slid the handcuffs off with ease. He grinned
cheerily then, making it clear he was pleased with himself and had totally
forgotten about the past minute spent struggling angrily. I debated teasing him or
making fun of his incapabilities, but decided against it as I remembered my mother
was watching us. Instead I turned around, standing impossibly frigid as Tyler
grabbed my wrists and positioned how he wanted them at the small of my back, his
breath just barely ghosting over the back of my neck due to his height. I was
actually slightly relieved when he pulled away. Not because I didn't crave him
close, but because of how overwhelming it was. Between the butterflies in my
stomach, the lump in my throat, and the anxious feeling as I waited for a thought
of his that might not even come, it was definitely more than I could handle.

"Now lean over the hood, like when a criminal gets frisked, you know?" I was mid-
turn, moving to face Tyler again, when my mother dropped this bomb on me. My eyes
went wide, realizing exactly what it was she wanted us to do. Yes, I pictured it to
be cheesy and awkward, I didn't picture it to be downright sexual. I mean,
obviously she didn't see it as sexual, but really, any situation that had me
leaning over something and Tyler positioned behind me was iffy. A situation that
involved 'frisking me' only sounded worse. Still, I wasn't going to just outright
reject it. Not because I was into the position or anything, but it's only be weird
to be totally against the idea if Tyler was okay with it. So it's simple, I'll just
see where he stands on it.

I turned to face him all the way then, locking eyes with him and trying my hardest
to study what was going on inside his head. He didn't seem shocked like I did, he
seemed kind of confused, or maybe just indifferent. He blinked, seemingly just
registering the fact I was staring at him. He smiled then, though there was still
something off about it. I don't think he has the slightest clue what's going on,
does he? I took a deep breath to keep from getting frustrated with the entire
situation, deciding it couldn't hurt to go along with it. If things got awkward,
I'd blame it on Tyler, he had more or less agreed to it with that smile of his. I
shot a glare at my mother, noticing her elated expression as I turned toward the
hood and flopped down. She was on cloud nine, that little brat.

"Tyler, pretend you're holding him down." I swallowed nervously then, my feet
fidgeting nervously. I wasn't sure what I was expecting exactly, possibly him to
back out and say something like 'naw man, that's gay'. Deep down I knew how far-
fetched that actually was, but it was in my instincts to automatically expect the
worst. At least that way I never got disappointed. Well, I did, but it was never
unexpectedly.

What I hadn't been expecting however, was Tyler's hand a moment later when it came
to rest between my shoulder blades, pinning me down against the hood with ease. I
bit down on my tongue, trying to ignore how closely behind me he was standing. I
really should stop thinking dirty things like this, maybe it's just me and he's as
oblivious as my mother. Maybe it's not even that bad of a position and I'm just
fluffing it up to be something more than it actually-

Oh god, what a compromising position this has ended up as.

Okay, so I guess I'm not the only one thinking this sort of thing, that was
comforting. It was also sort of relieving to hear a thought of his after so long, I
was beginning to think I'd lost the ability or something. Wait... Since when is it
a good thing that I still have it? Just because I can hear Tyler's thoughts
ocassionally? I'm a mess. If anything I should be happy it's happening less now.
Then again, I've had bouts in the past where it was practically non-existent. The
longest one had lasted about a month, but I still wasn't quite sure what the cause
was. Maybe there was no cause, maybe it was just as unpredictable as when I heard
thoughts-

"Cheese!" I jumped slightly at Tyler's sudden outburst, thankful when I realized it

was forward and not backward into him. That was the last thing I needed, to rub my
butt up against him right now and make the entire thing even more awkward.
Realizing Mom must be taking the photos now I quickly looked over to my left,
trying not to look dead or anything as I laid slumped over the hood.

She didn't stop until the sound of the screen door slamming filled the area, though
even that surprised me. I was beginning to think she'd glue us in place forever
just to shoot neverending photos. I watched her turn to greet the intruder, even
feeling Tyler's hand shift slightly as he must have done the same. Deciding I
didn't want to be the odd one out, I hurried to follow their lead and looked over
my shoulder awkwardly. I must have blushed crimson when I was met with my father
standing on the porch, his eyebrows so high up on his forehead and his expression
so skeptical it was clear he didn't see the situation as innocently as Mom did.

"Uh, what's going on here?" After that my parents struck up a conversation, though
I tuned it out in favor of staring down at the grass. Literally anything was more
interesting than their lovesick mush. Just because I had now experienced lovesick
mush firsthand didn't mean I liked it yet by any means. I was actually getting
pretty caught up in the exciting events of a huge spider sitting on it's web and
looking generally creepy, when an even better distraction came to me in the form of
Tyler Oakley's thoughts.

Did she really not see how awkward this position was? With me behind Troye and him
pinned down against the hood? God bless her, but she's nearly as dense as her son.

Is he talking about me? How am I dense? I know it's clearly taken out of context,
but it's still rude. Does he think I don't realize how sexual this position is? I'm
offended he'd think I was that slow.

"Nothing, whatever. Are you ready to go, Dear?" I crinkled my nose up at my

father's casual pet name dropping. Dear. What a gross pet name, if my future
husband or wife (assuming I end up with either) ever calls me that, they will be
sleeping in the doghouse both figuratively and literally, for a week. I watched my
dad turn to face her then, leaving his back to the two of us completely. As I'd
expected Tyler immediately backed away then, leaving me to awkwardly worm my way
off the hood and into an upright position. I rubbed my wrists together now that I
was standing, not necessarily finding the handcuffs uncomfortable, more just
foreign. I wasn't even used to wearing bracelets yet, much less heavy clanky metal
objects like this. I was just managing to get used to the vaguely irritating rub of
the metal against my skin, when something else entirely gripped my wrist just
beside it.

He looks uncomfortable, I should probably take them off for him before they start
to leave marks.

I took a deep relaxed breath then, realizing who it was in a matter of

milliseconds. What else had I really expected to be gripping my wrist? The giant
spider coming back for me because I stared at his web for too long? It made sense
for Tyler to be the one touching me, he was basically the only person who ever did.
What didn't make sense at all, was the sudden bombarding of thoughts. Every time
I'd touched him during these last ten minutes I'd gotten some kind of thought,
which might not have been that significant, had it not been the same amount I'd
gotten in the last week. Getting real tired of your shit, faulty mindreading.
Though really, it couldn't have chosen a better time to pick up again than the
night Tyler and I were going to be completely alone together. It was a lot more
tolerable than had it picked up while at school.

I was brought back to reality by the sound of metal jingling as Tyler waved the
cuffs in front of my face, the proud expression on his face making it clear he
hadn't struggled for nearly as long this time and wanted me to know it. I gave him
a soft smile, taking them and trying to think of somewhere to put them. The bright
idea of clamping them to my belt loop came to me then, and I had them on in a
matter of seconds.

After that I stayed staring at my feet, biting my bottom lip as I tried to think of
anything that had changed recently that might have spurred the change in the
mindreading process. When I came up short I started to think of alternatives, like
maybe there was some sort of pattern it went in that I hadn't picked up on. I
really wish there was some sort of mindreaders anonymous site out there. I had so
many questions, it really sucked being all on my own on this. Well, as far as I
know.

"Alright, we've got to get going now, but just a few things first. The kids will
probably start trick or treating in about an hour, the younger ones anyway. Always
answer the door, don't ignore them because I will hear about it from someone and
you will be in big trouble. If you see anything suspicious or run into any trouble,
you know how to contact us at the hotel. Behave yourselves and be safe." As soon as
my mother had started speaking I started nodding, though I hadn't really caught the
first things she'd said. It wasn't my fault I had my own pressing matters at hand
right now.

"Stop worrying, we'll be fine. Bye, Mom." I insisted, registering that her list of
guidelines had been long, even if I didn't know exactly what it was she'd said. I
knew how to look after myself, so it didn't really matter what she said exactly. I
smiled up at her then, practically begging her to just get out of my hair and leave
us alone already. The rest of the family were outside now, aside from Sage who'd
already left with some boy to go to some boy like the popular kid she was. They
were all headed to their respective cars, dressed in an array of costumes and fancy
outfits. Well, costumes and then there was Dad in what he considered a fancy
outfit. I mean, it was a step up from the plaid, I'd give him that.

"Sage and Tyde will probably be home before we are, just so you know. Tyler, you're
welcome to stay as late as you want tomorrow. We're having a pizza night for supper
tomorrow, if you wanted to stay that long." I felt a smile sneak across my lips at
the thought of Tyler staying that long, knowing I'd never get tired of him no
matter how much time we spent together. As if in reaction to the mention of food,
Tyler's stomach growled loudly.

"Alright, I'll keep it in mind. I have tomorrow off work so maybe." He mumbled, his
tone neither enthusiastic nor uninterested. He just sounded tentative, probably
scared of inviting himself over like that. Whatever, I'll just make sure he knows
he's welcome. Hell, he could move in and live under my bed if he wanted. Or in my
bed, totally up to him.

I continued trying to push my mother out of the yard, annoyed with her ability to
prattle on about nothing forever. It got to the point I was tired of insisting we'd
be okay and shooting her glares that went unnoticed, standing there and pouting
slightly as she and Tyler conversed. I didn't plan to contribute anymore, until she
mentioned that he was my favorite friend and I just couldn't resist the urge to
tease him. She scolded me immediately, clearly thinking Tyler was more sensitive
than he was or that I was going to mess things up again and give him the impression
I didn't like him. What she didn't realize was that this was just our relationship,
we both teased each other and we both loved it, as far as I could tell anyway.

While Mom acted like it was the most appauling thing she'd ever heard come out of
my mouth, Tyler just took to giggling and dramatically throwing his hand over his
heart. He was clearly getting ready for one of his never-ending witty replies, and
I couldn't wait to hear it.

"Aw, are you indirectly saying I'm the only person you've ever deemed fit to take
home to meet the parents? Babe!" He teased, his voice so loud it had my ears
popping, that was probably his intention though. Just when I thought that was the
worst of it, and was beginning to relax my shoulders again after scrunching them up
to block out his loud voice, I felt a pair of arms fly around my neck. He latched
on tightly, actually hurting me a bit as he jumped up, only to immediately wrap his
legs around my waist and balance the extra weight again. I still wasn't about to
let it show I had no problem with it though, squirming around and awkwardly trying
to shimmy out of his koala hug.

"Get off of me." I groaned, bringing my hand up to try and pry his off my neck,
where they'd now started to grip my shirt collar. I managed to get one finger off
and expected him to just grab right back on, when suddenly his grip loosened and he
started to slip off of me quickly. I didn't even have time to think, instinctively
looping my arm underneath him and hoisting him back up. I kept my hand on his hip
then, making sure he didn't fall again.

Pfft, I guess that makes it clear how much he actually wants me to give him space.
I blushed then, realizing how bad I really was at hiding my feelings. I couldn't
even pretend to not want him near, I was literally gripping him to me now.

"You guys are too cute! Have fun while we're gone, okay?"

"But not too much fun, right?" I replied immediately, a laugh tumbling out of my
mouth as I waited to hear her response. I'd expected just a narrow-eyed glare or a
shocked expression at my newfound dirtier side, surprised when she just smirked
right back at me.

"Oh no, have as much fun as you want, just make sure it's protected fun." My jaw
unhinged and my eyes went wide at the same time, a wave of pleasant but totally
innapropriate scenarios running through my mind. It only made it worse that it was
in front of my mother, with the star of those scenarios literally clinging to my
side. It registered now that he'd taken to cackling in reaction to the awkward
exchange, his arms gripping me much tighter as he shook with his heavy laughter. I
tensed as he buried his face into my neck, giggles still wracking his body and
making him generally more adorable than he already was naturally.

"Mom! Bye! Get out! You're leaving right this second, don't even think about
finishing that. Goodbye." I snapped, deciding it was far past the time for her to
leave. She'd promised we could be alone tonight and it was her job to hold up to
the deal. I hadn't put up with doing chores all day and acting good the last week
for nothing. I stomped toward the door, only remembering halfway that I probably
should have been taking it easy so Tyler had less trouble holding on. I slowed down
a bit then, wordlessly gripping the small of his back and shifting him higher up on
my hips.

After we made it in the house Tyler was quick to jump down to the floor, speed-
walking directly to the couch and falling onto it. I rolled my eyes at how easily
he made himself at home, walking past him and sitting neatly on the couch opposite
him. Not that I didn't want to be near him, it was just very hard to sit on a couch
when he was sprawled out and leaving no room for me. I was reaching for the remote
to seek out something to watch, assuming he was going to pass out tired from
working or something, when he suddenly sat up with a dangerously sly grin on his
face.

"You get awfully worked up over the topic of sex, don't you?" Whoop, there it is.
I'd definitely been expecting something that'd make me flustered, but that was not
it. We'd never really talked about that sort of thing before, I just assumed it
wasn't something friends did. Do people actually sit there and talk about their
hook-ups and compare experiences? Oh, I really hope not. I also really hope that's
not what he's looking to start here, considering my list of secretive hook-ups to
tell him about would be exactly zero.

"So? It's weird that you don't." I responded, trying to sound casual about it.
Please change the subject, Tyler, I'm begging you. I mean, sure I'm curious to know
what part of him wanted to bring it up to begin with, but it wasn't worth looking
like an idiot over. He's the most popular guy in school, I'd heard some of the
stories about him and girls in the past, I had no doubt he was eons more
experienced than I was. I wonder if he was just experimenting with girls or he's
bisexual or something, because I've come to the conclusion there is simply no way
someone that flamboyant can't be interested in boys. Maybe I can get him to share
before the night's over.

"No it's not, what's going to be weird is when you finally get a guy in the bedroom
and are too nervous to undo your own pants button." I bit my lip, unwillingly
imagining what it'd be like if that actually did happen. Obviously the guy would be
Tyler, I couldn't even think of doing that sort of thing with anyone else at all.
Oh god, he'd never let me live it down either, he'd tease me for years to come if I
had trouble getting out of my pants because I was so nervous. I can just picture
him, sitting there on the bed and rolling around laughing at me. Great, now I'm
going to be even more nervous if that situation ever does roll around, seeing as
he's brought it to my attention that I could mess up like that.

"That's not going to happen." I insisted, trying to convince myself as much as I

was him. I couldn't afford to have one more thing to overthink if that moment ever
did happen, I was going to be anxious enough as it was.

"The getting a guy into your bedroom or the pants thing?" He giggled, his
lighthearted teasing tone oddly calming despite what he was saying. It took the
serious edge away from it, distracting me from worrying at least for now.

"I hate you." I groaned, leaning back against the couch and throwing an arm over my
eyes. I let my eyes fall shut then, listening to Tyler's giggle fit and suddenly
very glad the sleeves of the shirt were longer, covering my mouth in this position
and hiding my lovesick smile. I was actually beginning to think his laughter was
dying off, clearly surprised when he fell onto the couch beside me suddenly and
burst into total cackling again. God, does this boy ever stop laughing? Not that
I'm complaining, I don't think anyone could ever get tired of hearing his laugh. It
was just so happy and carefree, a lot like his personality actually. It suited him
well.

"Y-You-" He managed to stutter out the single word before breaking into another
round of giggles. It didn't matter anyway, I knew exactly what he was trying to
say.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. 'I love you'." I muttered, both trying my best to seep as much
sarcasm as possible into the love confession and making quotation marks in the air
with my hands. I figured with that much dramatizing there was no way he could
misinterpret it, right? Wrong. I watched out of the corner of my eye as he
completely stopped mid-laugh, his eyebrows scrunching together as he looked to me
curiously.

"Wait, what?" He drawled out, somehow managing to stumble over just the two words.
Please tell me I hadn't just made this really awkward. It wasn't supposed to be a
love confession, not even the platonic kind, it was just suppose to play into our
usual teasing game. I say 'I hate you' and then he replies with 'You love me'. I
figured I could just help him out and skip his step, considering he'd been having
so much trouble getting the words out through his laughter. Funny how it completely
died down the second I spoke up with something he was actually interested in
hearing, huh?

"You know, how every time I say that I hate you, you insist that I love you. I was
just skipping a step for a change." I hurriedly explained, praying what I was
saying made sense and it wasn't just something really weird and stupid I'd done
without thinking. When Tyler still didn't reply, looking completely distracted as
he stared at the space on the couch left between us, I began to panic and blurted
the first things that came to mind. "Why? Is that weird?"

"N-No, you've just never outright said it before, that's all." Tyler stuttered over
his reply slightly, his cheeks just barely flushed and his eyes refusing to meet
with mine still. Is he flustered or uncomfortable because of how awkward I am? How
do I tell?
"Oh." I replied simply, deciding I couldn't really give a more elaborate reply when
I had no real idea what was going on. I hadn't meant for it to come out like such a
disappointed sigh, or to have my shoulders slump as I said it, but when do things
ever go according to plan?

"It's fine, Troye. I just wasn't expecting you to switch things up on me like that.
Hey, when are we going to break into all that junk food you bought? I'm dying of
starvation." I was aware this was a blatantly obvious change of topic on his part,
but it's not like I could really blame him. If anything I should be thankful he was
rescuing my ass from that awkward rut I'd just dug.

"Uh, we should probably make an actual meal for supper. How do chicken nuggets
sound?" I asked, knowing he wouldn't turn down anything I offered.

"Not as good as Doritos, but they'll do."

"I'll go put them on, you can choose a channel to watch or whatever. Listen for the
door." I instructed, hopping up and tossing the remote onto his lap on my way out.
I walked with my shoulders squared, a blank expression on my features. Well, that
was until I walked into the kitchen and I was out of his sight. My shoulders
immediately slumped and my face fell, my hand coming up to 'fix' my hair, which
actually meant just angrily tugging at it as I muttered to myself about what an
idiot I was.

Why did I have to say that? Things were going so well! It should just be natural by
now that I avoid topics about love and sex. For whatever reason, Tyler was far from
comfortable talking about them to me. I liked to believe it was just because he was
shy or flustered because of his 'feelings' for me, but there was still that
possibility he just found it awkward talking about such things with a gay friend.
No, that's impossible, he practically wears the fact he likes men as an acessory.
If I saw him in the street I'd assume he was gay before most actually out of the
closet gay boys. But ugh, what if I was wrong? What if I had a really badly
malfunctioning gaydar and was making all this up in my head solely because I wanted
him to like boys?

I distractedly slammed the cupboards around, eventually locating and grabbing a pan
to cook the nuggets on. I grabbed the bag of them next, not even paying attention
as I tore a hole in it and clumsily shook them out all over the pan, in no
particular arrangement. I wasn't usually quite this careless, though my mind was in
a complete different place as I robotically moved around the room.

They should just have a surefire way of telling of someone is gay or not, like
they're born with pink eyes or something. I don't know, literally anything to make
it easier on me would be appreciated at this point. Or maybe, a more realistic
wish, would be that they taught actual classes on it. Actually, even that's kind of
stupid. Why take a whole class? There's only one guy I'm curious about, and there
might not ever be another. Wow, how depressing is all of that? I bet you're going
to be a total blast to spend the night with, Troye, way to be a stellar cheerful
host.

I decided it'd only make things even more awkward if I were to hang around the
kitchen the entire twenty-five minutes until the food was ready, reluctantly
dragging my feet behind me as I walked back into the living room. I was halfway
across the room, my eyes glued to the advertisement on the television, when I
realized that the couch I'd been headed for was no longer occupied. Where was
Tyler?
"Tyler?" I called out tentatively, not wanting to seem overbearing if he'd just
gone to the washroom or something. When I got no answer I started to worry, my
horrid over-active imagination immediately jumping to the conclusion I had been so
awkward he was forced to grab his stuff and leap out the window in his haste to get
away. But as I ran up the stairs and into my room, I was both relieved and further
confused to find his stuff still sitting there. Had he decided to play an impromptu
round of hide-and-go-seek on his own or something?

I headed back downstairs then, my eyebrows knit together in confusion as I came to

a stop in the very middle of the living room. I decided to pull a Scooby Doo then,
scanning the room for any sort of clues. Maybe he grabbed the Doritos and took off
to gorge on them somewhere. I genuinely wouldn't put it past him to do something
like that. In fact, maybe I'd better go check if the junk food is still where I
left it all on the coffee table as you walk inside.

As I came to a stop in front of it I was relieved to find it was all there, though
I couldn't help but feel it was sort of useless considering Tyler was still
missing. I had literally bought all of it for Tyler, I wouldn't even eat half this
junk. I absentmindedly reached out and picked up the bags, intending to carry them
into the living room for later, when the sound of the doorknob turning had me
jumping. I looked up frantically, immediately relaxing as I watched a familiar
'police officer' slip back inside, a wide grin on his face.

"Where were you?" I asked immediately, my question answered when I noticed the huge
bowl he was holding in his hands. It was the bowl we kept the Halloween candy in,
making it clear he had either decided to loot our treat dish or had been serving
our first guest.

"Serving our first trick or treaters! You should have seen the little girl's
costume! She went as one of the Disney princesses and it was so accurate, she
looked like a doll or something! Her mother was telling me that they just moved in
nearby and didn't want to be out in the unfamiliar neighborhood after dark, hence
why they're so early. Do you guys usually get a lot of visitors?" He only stopped
his rambling now that he was completely out of breath, gasping loudly and inhaling
as much air he could hold. I waited patiently after he was finished getting his
breathing back to normal, surprised when he stayed silent and didn't seem to have
anything else to tack on to what he'd said. I took a deep breath, getting ready to
reply to his excited rambling. You'd swear he'd never answered the door to trick or
treaters before now.

"Which princess was-" He cut me off though, randomly clamping his free hand over my
mouth. I raised my eyebrows, locking eyes with him and trying to figure out why he
looked so shocked all of the sudden. I tried to ask him this, my words coming out
completely unintelligable against his palm. Thankfully he removed it after I was
done speaking though, wiping it off on his jeans before speaking up again.

"Why are you holding my Doritos? I thought you said we had to wait until after
supper!" He snapped, gesturing grandly to the chip bag I'd forgotten I was holding.
I rolled my eyes then, realizing he was just worked up over the stupid junk food.

"We do! I was just carrying them off to-"

"To eat while I was outside taking care of your trick or treaters!? What kind of
friend are you?" He asked, sounding only half sarcastic when he accused me of it. I
wished he'd just be sarcastic or serious, it would make it a lot easier to figure
out how to reply to him. Should I snap at him for being so dramatic over chips or
should I make some sort of joke about how I'd planned on eating every last one
while he was missing?
"I paid for them!" I decided this was my best bet, the worst thing he could do
would be to make fun of me for taking him so serious, then I could counter by
making fun of him for making such a big deal over junk food.

He didn't seem very impressed with my response, his eyes narrowing into a
challenging glare as he took a step forward. Was he actually upset with me or- I
jumped backward instinctively when his hand shot forward, trying to snatch the bag
out of my hands to no success. I looked up slowly again, locking eyes with him. I
knew immediately what he planned on doing, the mirth in his eyes and the subtle
smirk on his lips making it blatantly obvious.

"I swear to God, if you try and tickle me I'm going to-" I didn't even get to
finish my threat before he was lurching forward, his hands outstretched and his
lips bent up into a wicked smile. No way in hell was that happening. I turned on my
heel quickly, darting across the room away from him. He was right on my tail and I
realized about halfway across the living room, that I had no idea where I was
going. I paused for just a split second to think about it, but that was all it took
before Tyler's arms wrapped around my waist and he tackled me onto the couch.

He's so cute when he gets mad at me for tickling him.

I didn't even give myself time to get flustered over the thought I'd just heard, or
time to consider why all of these thoughts were suddenly coming in every single
time he touched me, because I was much too busy scrambling around on the couch and
trying to amble away from him.

"Tyler, you can't have them. Now back off and let me go check on the food before it
burns, okay?" I said levelly, trying to sound as intimidating as possible. Maybe if
he thinks I'm actually mad he'll back off and let me-

"No." He replied simply, a dark chuckle filling the room that made me immediately
start scrambling away from him again. I made it about halfway across the couch in
an awkward crawl, the chips still in my hand, when he grabbed my ankle and tugged
me back toward him effortlessly.

I wonder if the food is actually in danger of burning or if he just made that up...

Then, once he was satisfied with how far down on the couch I was, he instead jumped
onto my back, his knees coming to rest on either side of me. I swallowed roughly
then, once again fighting to ward off compromising thoughts. To be fair, it was his
fault for practically pinning me to the couch and straddling my back. Maybe
straight boys wrestle like this at times, but he knows I'm not a straight boy so,
I'm throwing all the blame at him. It's totally his fault I'm thinking dirty things
about him right now, entirely, without a doubt.

Now that he was comfortable with his position, his hand started fumbling around
beside me on the couch. I had no idea what he was trying to do, until the sound of
the chip bag crinkling made it clear. I slapped his hand away with a bit of a
struggle to get into a position where it was possible, digging my nails into his
palm then and glaring up at him over my shoulder.

"Screw off, Tyler, you know I wasn't trying to eat them anyw-" He cut me off,
smirking as his hands instead grabbed my sides, his fingers wriggling against my
ribs and earning an embarrassing squeal from me.

"Tyler! I d-don't even like this k-kind, I s-swear I won't eat t-them!" I stuttered
out, having to stop and start the sentence each time he saw it fit to tickle me
again. After I finally managed to say the entire statement though, he finally
stilled the movement and let me catch my breath.
"You swear it?" He asked, a doubtful tone to his voice. I nodded against the couch
cushion, still breathing heavily.

"Yes." I replied honestly, realizing at this point it really had nothing to do with
the chips. Surely he didn't care about them that much, he was just using them as an
excuse to torment me, like the annoying little shit he was.

"Hmm, I don't know if I believe you..." My eyes went wide when I heard this,
immediately squirming underneath him in a futile effort to get away before he got
the chance to tickle me again. Like I said, it was a worthless attempt, his fingers
digging into my sides again a moment later and earning another bout of breathless
laughter and panting from me.

"Tyler! T-Ty-Tilly!" I squealed, my arms flailing around uselessly in an effort to

get him to stop. He finally did after about another thirty seconds, though I could
have done with a lot quicker. I collapsed completely then, just concentrating on
taking deep breaths as I nuzzled into the cushions. I might have even fell asleep
at one point, though I was jolted fully awake a moment later when the doorbell
sounded around the room. I started to shift under Tyler, surprised when his hand
came to rest on my shoulder and wordlessly told me to stay.

"I'll answer it, you worry about the food." He replied, awkwardly jumping off of me
and jogging across the room. I wasn't about to complain, basking in the last few
seconds of laziness before I had to get up and go make sure I hadn't set fire to
the kitchen or anything.

After eating our meal like starving animals, we werre both at a loss for what to do
next. We couldn't really start a movie when we were constantly getting up to answer
the door, especially because the bulk of the kids were just starting out and
there'd surely be a lot. And while there was a ton of things to do in my house, we
couldn't really stray too far from the front door either. I guess we could sit on
our laptops together, but that just didn't feel interactive enough for me.

We were currently sitting on one of the couches together, just silently eating junk
food as the television played on some comedy show in the background neither of us
were really paying any attention to. We'd had to answer the door about five times
so far, though each of them Tyler had insisted he wanted to go answer it. He seemed
to really enjoy it, for whatever reason. I didn't feel I was missing out on much,
the less human interaction the better, especially considering how randomly strong
my mindreading had been tonight.

"I'll get it!" Tyer announced for the sixth time as the doorbell went off,
immediately dumping the chip bag he'd had on his lap onto the couch between us. He
leaped off the couch then, happily heading toward the door and leaving me sprawled
out there on my own. I expected it to be the same as the last few times, when he
returned after a minute at the very least, surprised when he was back nearly
immediately after he'd left. He didn't look the same as the last few times either,
no smile to be found on his face, only a slight frown and a serious expression.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Marcus and Shane." He sighed out, walking across the room and falling back
onto his end of the couch.

"So?" I prodded, curious as to what his problem was with them tonight.
"They're going to make me talk for fifty years!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands
up into the air dramatically. I laughed at that, knowing he was probably right.
Still, we had promised to answer the door to everyone, maybe I should force him to
go back out there- Wait. He might tell them it's my house and force me to go
interact with them too, out of spite. Second thought we'll pretend we're not home,
they'll be fine with a bit less candy. Besides, they were a couple of eighteen and
seventeen year old guys, they shouldn't be trick or treating at all, it's for kids.
I was still going to tease Tyler about it though, of course.

"Tsk tsk, Tyler, I'm telling Mom you refused to answer the door every time."

"Shut-up or I'll make you answer it for the rest of the night, it's your house." I
knew this was a hollow threat and that he'd never force me to do it, especially
when he enjoyed doing it himself, but I decided to cut it out anyway. Partly
because I knew he'd get me back with even worse teasing later, but mostly because I
wanted to spend our time together actually talking about something interesting
instead of useless play fighting.

"Why don't we play a game to pass the time?" I suggested, looking over at him for
approval. He scrunched his eyebrows together then, looking skeptical as his eyes
darted to the television.

"We'd still have to pause it every few minutes-"

"No, doofus, not a video game. I meant like-"

"Oh, like truth or dare?" He blurted excitedly, cutting me off in his haste. I
rolled my eyes then, not surprised that was the first conclusion he jumped to. I
was going to suggest M.A.S.H, though maybe his route would be better. At least that
way I could get to know him better in the process, and we

Chapter Fourty-Six
*Troye's POV* (cackling bc I said this would be a mini chapter) (also noti's
weren't working so check if you missed last chapter)

"Do we have to watch that one first? Why don't we watch the zombie one first and
then-"

"Troye, I'm going to hit you if you try to back out of this one more time." Tyler
responded, mimicking my tone from earlier as he fluffed up one of the many pillows
we'd carried down from upstairs. Tyler had insisted the only way to watch a movie
was with an entire truckload of blankets and pillows, even offering to carry them
all down the stairs on his own. Of course I had ended up helping him when he
dropped a pillow and nearly slipped to his doom, but either way we had ended up
with approximately six blankets and eight pillows. I'm not sure how he plans on
arranging them, but he'd better get creative.

"I just don't get the appeal of scary movies. Their plots are usually lacking, made
solely to be scary and make people jump and nothing else. What kind of weirdo wants
to be scared and have near heart-attacks a hundred times in a row?" I continued to
complain, seeing as I clearly wasn't going to get my way and back out of the stupid
movie. I walked over to one of the couches as I watched him struggle with the other
one. Why the hell was he moving it anyway?

"Nobody. What people want is to watch their friends freak out beside them." He
replied finally, standing up and dusting his hands off like it was so much work to
drag the sofa a couple feet. I cuddled down further into the couch, suddenly glad
we'd hoarded all those blankets as the cool fall temperatures started to set in. I
mean, if we really wanted we could set the little fireplace underneath where the
television hangs on the wall, but who really has the ambition for that. It'd be so
much work to set it up and go gather the wood out of the basement.

"That's still a weirdo thing to want." I replied finally, watching intently as he

shrugged his shoulders and turned to face me with a smile. He looked like such a
goof with that showercap on his head, but I wasn't about to let him get dye all
over our white couches. Even still I was nervous about letting him on it, mentally
reminding myself again to make sure he had a pillow between his head and the couch
at all times.

"Well, I guess I'm a weirdo then." He replied then, closing the distance between us
and walking over to stand in front of me. I raised my eyebrows curiously as I
looked up at him, wondering why he was standing so close.

"Trust me, I already knew that." I giggled, smiling up at him wickedly. He just
rolled his eyes, carelessly reaching forward and shoving me back into the cushions.
I let out an awkward squeak as soon as he grabbed my shoulder, expecting a thought
at this point after how many I'd already gotten tonight.

I'm this close to tickling him again right now.

My eyes went wide then, immediately sitting up and scooching further down the couch
away from him, under the premise I was making room for him to sit. Really I was
just trying to get out of his reach in case he gave in to his tickling urge.

"Dick." He muttered, taking a step backward and glancing over at the opposite
couch. He sighed quietly then, looking back toward me with a pleading pout. "Get up
and help me push these couches together, please."

"Why?" I questioned, genuinely confused what his intentions were here.

"Don't question it, just listen." He demanded, extending a hand for me to take. I
decided it was useless to fight it, clasping his hand like he had to me earlier and
hoisting myself to my feet.

How does he get his hands so soft?

I blushed despite myself then, quickly withdrawing my hand once I was steady on my
feet. Not because I felt self-conscious over the fact I had soft hands, I was proud
of that, I didn't spend money on moisturizer for nothing. It had more to do with
the fact I could barely contain the butterflies that insisted on thrashing around
in my stomach every time we touched. They'd always been there, but something about
being completely alone with him like this only heightened them by a thousand times.

After I managed to reel my thoughts back in, I realized Tyler was standing at one
end of the couch and looking at me expectantly. I skipped over to the other end,
locking eyes with him as we lifted and waddled awkwardly to the right. We sat it
down on the count of three, and I watched as Tyler then grabbed the other couch and
pushed it up against that one. It made a sort-of impromptu couch bed, which, though
it looked comfy, was a terrible idea. It would be so easy to push them apart if
you're sitting in the middle. How am I supposed to cuddle him now?

"What happens if the couches push apart and I fall down the crack between them?" I
asked casually, slowly moving toward the couches and getting ready to flop down on
them. He must have caught my intentions though, locking eyes with me in a glare
that told me he was no where near done setting up our makeshift bed for the movie.

"That won't happen if you stay on your couch." He replied then, moving forward with
an armful of blankets and slowly beginning to arrange them to his liking. I sighed
heavily then, leaning against the wall as I watched him work.

"If we're both staying on our own couches why did we push them together in the
first place, it would have been easier-"

"So we're not so far apart." "So it's easier to share food! Not just because I want
to be close to you or anything."

"Uh-huh, right."

"Use this pillow in case the dye starts oozing out." I demanded, watching as his
nose scrunched up in distaste over the way I'd described it. To be fair, oozing was
a pretty gross word. I giggled at his expression, immediately gesturing for him to
sit up and smiling when he actually listened. I slipped the pillow under him then,
only settling back into my own cocoon when I was satisfied with his position.

"Wow, that sounds attractive. I love when things ooze off my head." Tyler replied
once we had both settled into place, his voice practically dripping with sarcasm. I
knew the statement was only supposed to be making fun of how gross it sounded, but
my mind went to a completely different place.

"Oh, I bet you do." I was shocked with myself for actually saying it out loud, my
cheeks darkening as his eyes went wide.

"Troye!" He snapped, laughing maniacally as he shifted his weight so he could shove

me. I gave a guilty smile, only causing him to laugh harder. He continued to laugh,
throwing his head back and letting the breathy laughter fill the air. As he finally
managed to start to calm himself down, he took a deep breath, locking eyes with me.
"You've chaaanged."

"Don't act like you aren't happy about it. You've been trying to corrupt me since
the first time we hung-out together, making me skip school and everything-"

"I did not 'make you' do anything. You wanted to, quite badly, if I remember
correctly." He reminded me, his lips turning up into his familiar teasing smirk. I
looked up at the ceiling, distractedly thinking back to the first time we'd hung-
out. I still couldn't believe I'd just willingly gone anywhere with him at all,
when I was so untrusting back then. I guess it was just always easy with Tyler,
since the very beginning. He just made me feel safe, and happy. He made me feel so
happy.

"That's because you tricked me into thinking you were a cool kid." I replied
finally, trying to get him back for teasing me. I couldn't really pull it off, not
with so much adoration seeping into my voice.

"Are you saying I'm not actually a cool kid?" He gasped, as if this was the first
time he'd ever heard such a thing. I rolled my eyes, nuzzling further into my
couch.

"Far from it." I laughed, anticipating and relishing in the annoyed scoff it earned
me. I expected him to come up with some snappy reply, feeling slightly cheated when
he instead stayed silent. I bit my lip, sneaking a glance in his direction to see
what he was doing. Seeing him staring off into space didn't really help my quest to
figure out what was on his mind, but it did reassure me I was free to stare all I
wanted now. I ran my eyes over the part of him not covered in blankets, ultimately
just deciding to stare at his face, and his hair of course. The purple was a
dramatic change, but I was already in love with it. It suited him even better than
his natural hair in a way.
"We should probably start the movie before this turns into a sapfest or a
playfight." He announced suddenly, his eyes flickering over toward me just as I
looked away. I really hope he didn't catch me staring at such a close proximity,
that'd be so embarrassing.

"We don't have to, we could have a really emotional heart-to-heart instead-" I was
cut off by his hand coming down and hitting me in the chest, applying just enough
pressure to make me flinch but not actually hurt me.

"I warned you I would hit you if you tried to back out of it again. Now shut-up and
keep your eyes on the screen, or else." I sighed heavily, relaxing back into my
couch yet again and scornfully letting my attention drift up to the screen. The
beginning credits were just starting to roll, announcing in scary-looking letters
that it was called 'The Conjuring' and was 'based on true events'. Wait a second.
The stuff in this movie actually happened? Did it happen near here? What exactly
happens in this movie? Is it actually real?

I can't think like that, that's only going to scare me more and that's exactly what
Tyler wants. I'm going to prove that I can be brave. I'm not even going to cuddle
him once. Well, unless he initiates the cuddle, that's the exception to the rule.

I watched through unimpressed hooded eyes as the movie started, some freaky shit
involving a doll and then a totally different situation where a family was buying a
house. I feel like every ghost/possession horror movie ever starts with them buying
or going into a house. I mean, this is the first I've actually watched, but I just
got that vibe from the genre. Either way, it wasn't actually that scary yet. The
doll was creepy, but I wouldn't say scary.

"This is boring." I announced about ten minutes into it, deciding that was more
than enough time to make my verdict. I looked to Tyler expectantly, curious to see
what his response would be to me not being scared at all. I bet he feels real
stupid right now, thinking I was going to be squealing and clinging to his side
like some sort of terrified kid.

"Shh, just wait." He replied simply, looking over at me and winking before letting
his attention drift back to the screen. I sighed, falling back against the couch
instead of the awkward propped-up position I'd been in in order to look at him.

Little did either of us know, that first remark would be followed by many more
throughout the length of the movie.

"This doesn't make sense." I'd said this about three times already, but he only
chose to address it once, which was this time, looking over at me with an annoyed
glare and repeating his words from earlier.

"Shh, just wait." I wasn't sure what I was waiting for, but he should know by now I
have no patience. This movie was so boring so far. They are literally playing hide-
and-go-seek clap style or something. Oh, how utterly terrifying, two little girls
hiding in wardrobes and- Wait. The little girl isn't even in the wardrobe. Crap.
What was breathing in there then?

I shifted the blankets further up to my chin, glancing at Tyler and feeling a wave
of annoyance hit me when I found him already staring at me. Any other time I'd be
all for his eyes on me, but that knowing cocky smirk he had on his face made me
just want to punch it off him. Or kiss it off him, that'd be acceptable too.

"I'm not scared, Tyler. I'm just cold." I stated blandly, though I think we both
knew very well the real reason I was pulling up the blankets. He just rolled his
eyes, his attention drifting back to the screen but that smile staying on his lips.
As the movie progressed I learnt something very important about horror films; they
most definitely get scarier as they go on.

"Wait, what the hell was that? Rewind!" I insisted, missing the quick flash of the
screen that was probably supposed to be a jumpscare. It was quite difficult to see
or be scared when my face was completely hidden under the blankets. Tyler sighed
beside me, picking up the remote and rewinding the movie.

"It was a possessed bitch sitting on top of her wardrobe, duh." He replied,
gesturing to the screen as the scene replayed. I swallowed roughly, totally
unnerved by the sketchy realistic vibe the movie was giving off. I don't like this,
I really don't like this. Tyler, you're such an ass, how dare you do this to me.

"Tylerrr, I don't like this." I said aloud this time, turning and staring up at him
through my lashes. He didn't outwardly react to my words at all, his eyes remaining
glued to the screen. I pouted as I looked back over at it, deciding to do my best
to watch until the next scary part came on. I did a pretty good job, until she woke
in the middle of the night to crashing sounds. Nope. Nope, nope, nopity, no way in
hell, no.

"Why are all the paintings falling off the wa- Is that demonic child laughter?!
Tilly, no, can we like not." I begged, my voice getting downright pleading as I
tugged on the sleeve of his, well my, shirt. I could feel my bottom lip trembling
slightly as I looked back toward the screen, my heart racing as I watched her walk
down the stairs. Why. What the hell is wrong with you that you think that is a good
idea, lady. Shit. Shit, why is she heading in that direction? Please tell me she's
not. Oh God, she is.

"Please tell me she isn't actually about to go in the basement. No, T-Tyler." I
stuttered out, gripping his sleeve tighter and accidentally tugging it too roughly.
I wouldn't have noticed, had he not cursed quietly and brought my attention back to
his face. After that I obviously noticed the fact I was dragging his shirt down and
tightening it's grip on his neck. Which, while that was very childish of me, it did
end up exposing his collarbone just the right amount to make my heart race in the
other way.

"Calm down, it's just a movie." He giggled out, clearly very amused by my
reactions. I glared over at him spitefully, letting all my anger seep into the
stare.

"I hate you." I spat, drawing my hand back and hitting his chest in the same place
he'd hit me earlier, except actually applying enough pressure to make it hurt a
bit. He deserved it, he was hurting me by making me watch this.

He's really freaking out, I hope it doesn't actually scare him that much. Maybe we
shouldn't have gone with a scary movie.

"Mmhmm, I know you do." It was weird how sure of himself he always sounded when he
spoke when his thoughts were always so nervous. I wonder how he does that, puts on
such a confident mask all the time. I sighed, reluctantly settling back onto my
side of the horribly-crafted couch bed and hiding half of my eyes under the covers
as I peered back up at the screen.

Things after that got worse. Much worse. There was so much screaming and general
possession actions, it was genuinely terrifying. Not only was it scary on the
screen, it had me looking around the room as if a possessed girl was about to walk
into my house at any moment.
"The exorcism isn't gonna work, is it?" I whispered, my voice sounded oddly hollow
as I watched the screen with eyes so huge I looked like a deer in headlights.

"Wait and see." Tyler giggled, making me wonder if he'd already seen this movie
before for the first time since turning it on. That little shit! No wonder he isn't
scared at all! Ugh, leave it to him to pull something like this. It just seemed the
movie was getting worse and worse, to the point I just wanted to curl up and hide
forever. It was probably the climax of the movie, and it'd die down soon, but I
honestly couldn't cope.

"Babe, all I can hear is your teeth chattering. It's just a movie, you're going to
be fine." This was the closest to comforting Tyler had given me since the movie
started, making it clear my horror was obvious on my face. I tried to find some
comfort in what he'd said, though the last sentence seemed to stick out to me in
the opposite way. 'Just a movie'. Yeah, just a movie based on true events.

"It said it was based on true events!" I hissed under my breath, my eyes not
physically able to be torn away from the events taking place on the screen. Tyler
chuckled at this, shifting around in his own blankets.

"That's just something they say to scare chumps like you." He laughed, to which I
simply nodded.

"Well it's working!" I replied snappily, sounding unintentionally angry with him. I
wasn't actually, I was just terrified and I needed some way to take it out and feel
better and-

"Come here." I hadn't thought it possible, but my eyes went even wider when he said
that. I let out the breath I'd been holding for what felt like an hour when the
movie paused, finallly letting me look away from the screen again and over at
Tyler. I was happy to see he'd abandoned the bag of chips he'd been swaddling all
night, though I couldn't see where he put it. His glasses were lying low on the
bridge of his nose and he had a fascinated smile playing on his lips as he studied
my appearance right back.

After finishing staring at his face, completely distracted, I realized his arms
were thrown open wide. I quirked my eyebrows, taking in the hole in his blanket
cocoon just big enough for another person to- Oh. He wants to snuggle. I can do
that. I can definitely do that.

I grinned before awkwardly ambling toward him, unhappy to find I had been right
about my earlier suspicions and that I ended up in the crack right between the
couches while trying to cuddle him. I could already feel them pushing apart and me
slowly falling down between them- As if my concerns were the most obvious thing in
the world, Tyler's arm suddenly snaked under me and pulled me even closer to him,
to the point I was completely on his couch and half on top of him. I let out a
barely audible squeak as I settled into place, curling my entire body around the
side of his. His arm stayed firmly holding me in place, his hand resting on my hip
where my shirt had just barely ridden up. I couldn't see his face now, unless I
wanted to look up and practically smash our faces together.

He's so cold.

I frowned at the random thought I got, immediately worrying I might be freezing him
or something. It was only a second later when he draped his legs over and between
mine, that I realized he only meant he wanted to warm me up. I sighed contently,
not even bothering to try and hide how happy I was with the arrangement.

After that it was a lot easier to get through the movie, mostly because I wasn't
paying any attention to it at all. I was too busy being completely captivated by
what it was like to be so close to Tyler. I was further down on the couch than him
so my head could rest on his chest, considering I was the taller one. My eyes fell
on his neck, watching contently as his Adam's apple bobbed each time he swallowed.
I concentrated on the way his chest rose and fell underneath my head too, feeling a
lot comfier than any other pillow I'd used in the past. It was just the right
amount of firm, warm, and there was the steady sound of Tyler's heart thudding in
his chest.

"It's over. On a scale of one to ten, how scarred for life are you?" I hadn't been
expecting this announcement, blushing when I realized I'd been so caught up in
thinking about him I hadn't even noticed the sound of the television in the
background stopping.

"Eleven. Come on, let's go wash your hair out." I announced, getting up and
standing beside the couch to look down at him instead of just tilting my head up. I
didn't want to accidentally brush lips or something, which I was sure I'd manage to
do if I wasn't careful.

Tyler wasn't nearly as ambitious as I was, groaning as he stretched his arms over
his head. After flexing and cracking practically every muscle in his body, he
rolled off the couch and none-too-gracefully sauntered over to where I stood at the
foot of the stairs. He raised his eyebrows at the fact I still didn't start up
them, causing me to blush as my eyes fell on the floor.

"Do you, uh, wanna go first?" I muttered, embarrassed to admit the movie had
affected me as much as it did. He just laughed though, walking around me and
looking over his shoulder at me before uttering his response.

"Wimp."

"Need I remind you that a ghost could pass right through the door, whether it's
locked or not." Tyler chimed cheerily, making me feel slightly stupid about the
fact I'd paused everything to go and lock it.

"Shut-up, Tyler, I'm not scared of ghosts, I'm just locking the door in case-"

"In case my hair looks horrible and I try to run away and hide for the rest of my
life in shame?" He questioned, thankfully giving me an excuse not to worry about
coming up with an excuse. I wasn't sure I'd be able to, and I really didn't want to
tell Tyler I actually had locked the door in fear of possessed weirdos.

"Sure, we'll go with that. Take your glasses off and lean over the side of the
tub." I commanded, grinning as he promptly listened in did as he was told, gripping
the edge as he did so. I moved to stand behind him, only realizing when I got there
how awkward our position would have to be if I helped him with this part. I'd have
to lean over him like he had me earlier against the hood of my car, except at an
even bigger angle. "You can do this bit yourself, right?"

"Or you could do it for me." He retorted immediately, making it very clear that he
wanted me to do the task. I sighed, deciding I didn't really have a choice.
Anything Tyler wants, he gets. Besides, if it gets too awkward at least now I can
blame him and say that he's the one that insisted I help.

I settled behind him, leaning over his back to start the water. I dunked my hand
under it after a few seconds, pleased to find it was a reasonable temperature. I
peeled Tyler's shower cap off then, wrinkling my nose again at the chemical smell
of the dye. I pressed down between his shoulder blades with my not-dye-covered
hand, watching as he obediently dunked his head under the stream of water.

I went to work on getting all the color out then, watching the water gathering in
the tub so I'd know when it started to be less purple. I was so caught up in
watching it that I didn't notice I was getting water in Tyler's eyes until he let
out a disgruntled sound, wiggling around as he tried to reach around me for the
towel. After a bit of struggle he managed to grab it, letting out a victorious hum.
What he didn't seem to realize was that he'd backed further up against me in the
process, successfully doing what I'd tried so hard not to do earlier when he was
leaned over me. I gasped quietly, my grip on his shoulders tightening as he ground
back against me. Either he was too invested in getting the water out of his eyes to
care, or he hadn't even noticed, but either way I was thankful Tyler hadn't called
me out on the actions.

After a minute or so more of scrubbing my hands through his hair and noticing the
water was running clear again, I reached for the conditioner that had came with the
dye. I knew damn well Tyler could do this part on his own, yet he made no offer to
take over the task for me. I sighed, reluctantly coating my hand in the stuff
before working it through his hair.

"Is it purple?" I blinked, not expecting him to speak up so out of the blue. I
momentarily stilled my hand movements, trying to think up a reply.

"Insanely purple." I answered honestly, realizing it had probably came out a lot
more prominent than he wanted. Still, it was wet so I couldn't really tell yet.
That, and it would likely fade pretty fast. By the time school rolls around after
the weekend it'll probably be the exact color he was hoping for.

"Ugh, I'm scared. Let me look in the mirror!" Tyler whined, trying to get a glimpse
over his shoulder. I didn't even bother pushing his head back into place, knowing
the towel was covering it anyway.

"Nuh-huh, you've got to wait for the finished product." I replied, laughing as he
simply sighed and let his head hang back between his shoulders, letting me finish
lathering his hair with conditioner. After I'd rinsed it all out I grabbed the
towel from his hand without warning, tossing it over his head and folding it up
into a make-shift towel turban. After that I took a step back and stood up,
motioning for him to do the same. He did, though he didn't immediately turn to the
door like I did, instead looking longingly in the direction of the covered mirror.

"Troye, please. Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"No." I replied bluntly, grabbing his shoulders and steering him toward the door. I
let go for only a moment to unlock the door, though in a matter of seconds he had
started back toward the mirror. I caught him just as he reached to remove the
towel, grabbing his hand and digging my nails into his palm.

Ugh, he's so mean. Doesn't he know it's torture waiting to see it?

I rolled my eyes at what a whiny brat he was being, tugging his arm until he gave
in and followed me out of the room. I led him all the way over to the bed,
wordlessly pushing him down onto it and trying not to think of how different this
situation would look out of context. He fell onto the bed and bounced slightly
before sitting back up and looking up at me expectantly.

"Don't move, I'll be back with a hairdryer in a minute. I'm serious, Tyler, if I
catch you trying to sneak a glimpse of your hair before I'm ready-"
"Okay, okay, I'll stay right here!" He sighed, throwing his hands up in submission.
I grinned happily, giving him a small wave goodbye before calmly walking out of the
room. The second I was out of his sight I started running though, knowing even a
Tyler with good intentions only had so much patience.

I walked back into the room about two minutes later, sneaking toward the door so he
wouldn't know to jump back into place quickly if he had been peeking. I was
pleasantly surprised to find him still sitting on the bed when I poked my head
around the door frame, watching as he swayed his legs back and forth and looked
around the room in what was clearly an impatient manner. I decided to take pity on
him and walked forward with a welcoming smile, dangling the hair-dryer in my hand.

"Hi." I stated simply, locking eyes with him as I walked over to the bed and
crawled onto it beside him. Now that we were closer he had to turn his head to see
me, instead of just following me with his eyes. He looked over at me with an
adorable grin, pushing his glasses up on his nose before replying.

"Hi." He beamed, trying to turn his neck at an angle it just wouldn't go at when I
moved to position myself behind him. I grabbed the hair-dryer cord then, leaning
over to plug it into the wall. When I sat back up Tyler had already chucked the
towel on my clean floor, the stained material looking out of place in my spotless
room.

"It smells weird." He stated, reaching up and trying to grab a strand of his hair.
I slapped his hand away though, not wanting him to even get a glimpse at the color
yet. He started to protest but I didn't stick around to listen, instead turning the
hair dryer on full blast and getting to work. It wasn't until I was completely
satisfied and turned it off, that Tyler spoke up again.

"All dry?" He asked tentatively, looking up at me over his shoulder. He looked

so... cute. I mean, yes, I'd seen him with his hair down in the past, but not often
and definitely not when it was this color. I took a deep breath, determined to
compose myself before I attempted replying.

"Yep. I'm going to style it, then you can look at it-"

"Troye! I want to look at it now! Besides, you don't even know how I like to style
my hair-"

"Shut-up." I cut him off, deciding it was only fair after how many times he'd cut
me off tonight. He sighed, his shoulders slumping and his head tipping down
slightly, his lips pouting out sullenly. I rolled my eyes, instead just hopping up
and jogging over to grab my hair styling products out of the bathroom. I came back
a moment later, noticing Tyler had moved to sit in the very middle of the bed now,
so I'd be able to work on his hair from any angle. For how much he protested it
before, he didn't seem that against me doing his hair.

I set to work then, only stopping once when I realized I was probably going to need
heat protectant and a straightener for his hair. Then I went back to work,
massaging the heat protectant over his head gently and then running my finger
through his hair to fluff it back up.

"Do you like having your head massaged or something?" I asked, laughing slightly as
I realized just how much he had relaxed back against my touch. He was practically
leaning back against my chest now. I'd noticed he seemed to enjoy it earlier too,
while I was putting the dye in and conditioning his hair after that. Maybe that's
why he insisted on having me wash the dye out for him, an excuse to get me to play
with his hair more.

"Oh yes, Troye, I love it." I could practically hear the eye-roll in his voice, so
much sarcasm piled onto the words that it actually did the opposite of what it was
supposed to. Anyone that put that much effort into sounding like they weren't into
something, was definitely into it.

"You seem to." I muttered, deciding not to press him on the issue and instead focus
on moving around to the front of him. This was way more difficult, mainly because
now I had to put up with his eyes being glued to my face the entire time I worked.
Eventually though, I managed to mold each hair in his quiff to go exactly how I
wanted it to, quite proud of myself knowing that it looked fluffier and taller than
his hair usually looked. Humph, serves him right for doubting my hair styling
abilities. I hope he feels totally inferior, I am a quiff God. "Alright, I'm done,
let's go see what you think."

After that we both jumped up and started toward the bathroom. I was leading the way
and had just reached the door when he grabbed my hand from behind, causing me to
turn around.

"Wait! Before I see it, what do you think? Do you like it?" He asked, his tone
almost shy as he stared down at his feet. I noticed he was doing that weird thing
again, where the tips of his feet pointed inward. I think it must be an instinctive
thing, something he does when he's nervous. It's cute though.

I let my eyes drift up his body then, probably slower than I should have, and then
finally found his hair. Did I like it? Was he freaking kidding? Had I actually done
a good job of acting indifferent these last few minutes? On the inside I was a
total mess, ogling over his hair every time he wasn't looking. It was perfect, even
better than I'd pictured it looking on him. To be honest, I'd sort of been looking
for excuses to keep running my fingers through his hair too. I couldn't tell him
that, I knew how my voice would get as I said it, that stupid familiar mushy tone
that attacked me whenever I tried to give him a sincere compliment.

"I'll tell you after you see it-"

"No! Tell me now!" He insisted, grabbing my hand again when I tried to squirm away
from him and turn back toward the bathroom. I sighed, turning to face him, my fake-
irritation immediately disappearing when I took in his state this time. He didn't
just look shy, he looked downright worried. Did he really care that much whether I
liked it or not?

"Yes, I like it. It looks great on you, just like I knew it would. Now come on, go
see for yourself." I assured him, resisting the urge to reach up and mess his hair
before turning around. I didn't want to mess up all my perfect styling before he
got to see it and bask in it's glory.

We walked into the bathroom then, him coming to a stop directly in front of the
mirror while I hopped up onto the counter beside it. I watched him hold his breath
as he reached for the towel, drawing it back and tossing it on the floor. Then he
was met with the sight of his new hair for the first time, his jaw literally
dropping as his eyes flickered over the mirror, his head turning as if to study
every angle.

"Woah." Woah? Just woah? Is that a good or bad thing?

"Is that a good woah or a bad woah?"

"I look so different." He mused, scrunching up his face and making an array of
different expressions like it was a test run for his hair. I rolled my eyes,
realizing that still didn't really give away whether he liked it or not. What if he
hates it? I really hope not, I know it's not my place to make the decision but the
purple hair looks amazing on him, in my opinion at least.

"Is it the good different or the bad different?" He didn't reply, just continuing
to check himself out. I sighed loudly, my head drooping lower and lower the longer
he took to give me a definite answer. I was actually started to nod off to sleep
when his hand lurched forward, grabbing my thigh and squeezing it.

"Troye!" He squealed, causing my eyes to snap open before locking with his.

"Yeah?" I asked cautiously, sliding off the counter to stand directly between it
and him. He practically had me backed right up against it, but I didn't care about
that right now. All I could think about was his reaction. I had to know whether he
liked it or not.

"It looks so good! You're amazing!" He squealed finally. Like a weight had been
lifted off my chest I took a deep breath, not even realizing my heart had been
racing before this. I was just beginning to really calm myself down, when he looked
away from the mirror again, an impossibly bigger smile on his face yet again just
before he threw his arms around my shoulders. "Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!"

It looks so perfect, exactly how I imagined it to look. Why did I ever doubt him? I
should just know by now that he's amazing at everything he does.

"I told you so." I muttered in response, my brain not able to come up with anything
better when it was so muddled with all the compliments Tyler was unknowingly giving
me.

"I planned on pretending I didn't like it so you'd have to tell me your secrets but
I can't even pretend this isn't perfect. Ugh, damn you and your professional hair
skills." He sighed, his head falling to rest against my shoulder. I blushed even
harder then, cursing him for being so damn smooth.

"Oh shush, you'll probably find out my secrets eventually." I laughed

noncommittally, moving out of the hug and out of the room. He followed, trailing
behind me as I walked toward the stairs. He wordlessly went ahead of me then, like
he could just tell I'd been worrying about possessed weirdos in the back of my
mind.

"Like, how soon is eventually?" I blinked, not expecting him to speak up on our way
down the stairs. I thought for a minute trying to figure out what he was replying
to, sighing softly when I realized we were back on that topic.

"That depends on how you play your cards." I decided, not sure what else I could
tell him. I had no idea when 'soon' was, I had no idea if it'd even ever happen.

"So if I beg you to tell me-"

"No, not what I meant." I snapped, brushing past him as we reached the bottom of
the stairs. It was only when I fell onto one of the slightly separated couches and
he didn't immediately move to sit beside me, that I realized what I said was
probably too grouchy sounding and I should backtrack. "I'll tell you when I'm
ready."

"Was she your first girlfriend?" I laughed, knowing I should have expected him to
continue to pester me about it no matter what I said. This was the most I'd ever
let us talk about it, and I knew he was curious as hell. I couldn't tell him yet
though, it might ruin everything between us. I'm too selfish to risk something like
that.

"No." I answered honestly, deciding I could give him that much information. Not
surprisingly, that wasn't all the information he wanted.

"Best friend then?" I felt weird talking about it, almost like I was torn between
snapping at him and telling him to leave me alone, and wanting to lay my head on
his lap and spill everything to him.

"Yes." I said quietly, deciding it didn't really hurt to say that either. I was
still trying to figure out which urge was stronger, to snap at him or to cling to
him, but in the mean time I'd tell him what I could.

"Did you love her?" I bit my lip when I heard this, trying to remember what it was
like back before we stopped talking. Yeah, I must have, I wanted to be around her
every second of every day. Platonic love, of course.

"Yeah, of course I did, she was my best friend." I emphasized the word 'friend',
just to be sure he knew exactly what kind of love I was talking about. Though he
seemed happy I was finally sharing with him at least a little bit, he seemed more
confused now than ever. His eyebrows were scrunched together and he was glaring at
the floor, clearly distracted as his mind worked on overdrive trying to piece
everything together.

"What'd she do to you then?" I gulped loudly at this, realizing we were starting to
get into the more revealing questions. I was so close to backing out, ultimately
deciding he deserved to know as much as he could without me giving away the fact I
was a freak.

"N-Nothing, it was more-so what I did to her." I stuttered out, feeling weird
talking about it after so long. I'd never told anyone before. My parents just
thought we fell out over something stupid, no one had ever really shown enough
interest to ask for the details before Tyler.

"Did you hurt her?" I bit my lip at this question, noticing his tone was getting
more and more tentative with each question. I didn't want to scare him, but I
wasn't about to lie to him either.

"Not intentionally." I said honestly, my hands balling into fists in my lap. I

hadn't even realized I was clenching them so hard they were losing color and my
nails were leaving marks in my palm, until Tyler reached over and wordlessly pried
them apart. He replaced one of my hands with his own, weaving his fingers between
mine before giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Do you miss her?" He asked next, another question that I had to think about for a
second. I couldn't even remember what she was like anymore, just what happened that
day because of how much time I'd spent thinking about it and replaying it in my
mind.

"Not anymore."

"Do you regret it?"

"Of course I do, how could I not regret something that hurt another person?"

"So you'll tell me all this but you won't tell me what you did?" He sighed, his
head falling against my shoulder.
I don't get why he can't tell me. Does he not trust me? Is it really that bad?

"I just, I said some things I shouldn't have said. I was young and I didn't realize
my words would have the consequences they did. Can we just watch another movie or
something? I'm really tired of this topic." I sighed, my head falling to rest on
his. He nuzzled his face into my neck then, his breath causing me to shiver as it
washed over my collarbone.

"Sorry, I'm just curious."

"You should be. If I knew my best friend had some sort of dangerous past of hurting
best friends I'd be pretty curious too-"

"Oh, shut-up. You were a kid and you blurted something you shouldn't have. You make
it sound like you're some kind of monster. Everyone makes mistakes and I'm not
scared of you hurting me, no matter how much you seem to think I should be."

"I never said that, I'm just making sure you know what you're getting yourself
into." I muttered, wondering what kind of expression he had on right now.
Apparently I wouldn't have to wonder for all that long, considering he was suddenly
shifting under me. He sat up, locking eyes with me in a determined glare.

"I do know, I know exactly what I'm getting myself into. I know that you're the
sweetest guy I've ever met and that you'd never do something to hurt me if you
could help it. An

Chapter Fourty-Seven
*Tyler's POV*

There was no denying that this afternoon spent with Troye had been one of the best
nights of my life. We hadn't really done anything all that exciting, aside from the
whole hair dying situation, but the events themselves weren't what made it so
special. As horribly cheesy as it sounded, I think it had more to do with the fact
I was with Troye than what we were doing.

At first, I'd had no intention at all of coming out to him tonight. In fact, the
thought hadn't even crossed my mind once. As far as I was concerned it wasn't a
priority and I could do it at any time, right? At least, that's what I thought,
until halfway through the twenty questions game. It was actually going really well,
both of us were sharing and asking actually valuable questions. Well, aside from
the first few warm-up pointless ones. Anyway, things were going great, until he
admitted he'd never kissed anyone before. I didn't mean to make such a big deal
over it, but how was I not supposed to be that shocked when someone that looked
like him hadn't even been kissed once? Even if he wasn't necessarily popular at
school, he'd been on trips with his family and such, there had been lots of chances
for him to make some sort of connection. Yet he hadn't. It was almost like he went
out of his way to go unnoticed, and I couldn't understand why.

Naturally, he mistook my astounded reaction as ridicule rather than just being

shocked. I definitely didn't want that, deciding to tell him he could ask me
absolutely anything and I'd be honest. I expected something about my past, maybe
even asking about the wetting the bed story, I did not expect what he actually did
ask.

"What's your biggest secret that I don't know about?" He blurted, his eyes lighting
up with excitement like he was proud of himself for coming up with the question. At
first I had to furrow my eyebrows and think about my answer, but when it came to me
I had no idea what to do. Obviously my biggest secret is that I'm gay. I may not
really try to hide it anymore, but I haven't exactly told him yet either.
I'd been planning on coming out anyway, he'd provided me with the perfect situation
to. All I had to do was take a deep breath and say two words at least. Surely I can
do that, it's just two words and I already know Troye is going to accept me, all
that's left to do is say it. I can do that. I took a deep breath, opening my mouth
to do just that.

"I don't really have any secrets." I felt like clawing my own face off at that
point. What the hell was that? Don't have any secrets? That was the biggest lie I'd
ever sprouted in my life. I hadn't even meant to say it, it just sort of...
happened? I was going to tell him the truth, and I wanted to tell him the truth, I
just couldn't. Something just wasn't working right between my thoughts and my
mouth.

"None at all? You're lying, there must be something you can think of! Don't worry,
I promise not to judge you, no matter what." That was about the time I realized he
was actually trying to get a piece of information in particular out of me. He
looked so eager and hopeful, staring at me with those big wide eyes, seemingly even
bluer than usual in their curiosity. What was it he was expecting me to tell him?
He knew, didn't he? If he already knew then why was he so intent on getting me to
say it? Whatever, I'll just say it. It's not going to be a big deal, he already
freaking knows, what could go wrong?

"I, uh, I just- Troye, I'm not sure what you're expecting me to own-up to right
now, but I don't have any big secrets. I'm sorry, I guess I'm just not very
interesting." As soon as I said it I wanted to take it back, even biting down on my
tongue hard enough to draw blood when I'd shut my mouth. I watched as his cheerful
expression immediately vanished, only making me feel even guiltier. What was wrong
with me? He's gay himself and probably already knows or strongly suspects that I am
too, why can't I just say it?

After that, there was absolutely no getting the idea out of my head. I may have
started the night with the notion that coming out could wait, but I definitely
didn't see it that way anymore. Every time I glanced over at him all I could think
about was that disappointed face when I'd insisted I didn't have a secret to tell
him. Whether me coming out was what he'd been expecting or not, it was eating away
at me knowing I'd just directly lied to him like that. He deserved to know, he had
more reason to be nervous about it than me and he'd already came out of the closet.
So why couldn't I just get it over with already?

I was actually still thinking about it when we were setting up our second movie of
the night. He'd just finished telling me so much about L.S, and while I appreciated
it more than he'd ever realize, it made me feel incredibly guilty the entire time.
It wasn't something he wanted to talk about, yet he was telling me all of this just
because he knew how badly I wanted to know. He did all of that for me, yet I
couldn't even tell him my sexuality? How are we ever going to make any progress if
I can't even tell him that I like boys?

"Hey! I'm going to freeze to death if you use all of them, blanket hog!" I was
ripped out of my thoughts by Troye's shout, looking up just in time to watch him
trying to tear my blanket nest apart. Without even thinking I reacted immediately,
quickly snapping my arm forward and slapping his hand away.

"We're going to share, doofus! You'll just end up worming your way into my blanket
cocoon either way, I might as well make it comfortable enough to fit both of us." I
hadn't meant to sound so short with him, but he didn't necessarily seem hurt, just
embarrassed. He blushed as he sunk back to lean against the wall behind me, silence
enveloping us again. I decided this time I wasn't going to let my thoughts get out
of hand though, repeatedly reminding myself to just enjoy the moment and worry
about all of that later. Troye seemed to have moved on from it and couldn't care
less, I didn't have to worry about it right now.

After I finished building the blankets exactly how I wanted them to be I crawled
into the cave, relishing in how warm it was compared to the chilly room. Troye was
sprawled out across the other couch, trying to find where the remote had ended up
after our last movie. Part of me was worried we'd have trouble both fitting on this
couch, but I figured we could overlap if worst came to worst. I was confused when
he jumped up and ran into the kitchen, only furrowing my brows further when I heard
the water running. I planned on questioning him on why he randomly had the urge to
wash his hands when he got back, but he didn't give me a chance before running back
in and literally jumping onto the couch. I couldn't help but grin at how eager he
was, my smile only growing when he immediately wrapped his arms around me and
hugged my body to his. I expected that to be it, surprised when he continued to
squirm about until he'd tangled his legs up with mine. Then he let his head fall
against my chest with a quiet but content sigh, holding the controller out to me
daintily. I grabbed it, already knowing a movie in particular I wanted to choose.
It was something Caspar and the guys had more or less forced me to watch when we
were about fourteen. It was the first scary movie I'd watched and I remembered
acting tough at the beginning, insisting it was boring and not at all scary. It
wasn't, at first. Halfway through the movie things definitely took a turn for the
terrifying, and I was looking forward to watching Troye's reaction to the sudden
change of atmosphere.

I tossed the controller down by our feet, leaning back against the pillows and
feeling eons more comfortable than earlier when I'd had the squishy shower cap and
dye all over my head.

"What's this movie about?" Troye asked almost immediately after I'd clicked the
play button, causing me to smirk as I stared down at the top of his head. I
couldn't see his expression from this angle, only the mop of brown hair directly
under my chin.

"Zombie apocalypse." I answered, deciding I'd best not leave a creepy time gap
between his question and my answer. There was only so much getting lost in my
thoughts he'd put up with before he started to wonder. He didn't seem very happy
with the news, groaning loudly and smushing his face even harder against my chest.
I couldn't see how it could be comfortable, but whatever.

After the movie started to play he was surprisingly silent, unlike during the last
one. Was he actually that into it? If you ask me the beginning is insanely boring,
I was expecting at least one complaint from him. In fact, now that I didn't have
it, I kind of missed his annoying nagging and commentary. Silence was what I
preferred while watching movies with anyone else, but if I'd learnt anything it was
that things were different with Troye. I could listen to him talk for hours on end,
even with a head-splitting migraine and absolutely no desire to converse with
anyone. His voice was mesmerizing, and he always had something interesting to say.
So whether I was listening solely to the sound or actually to what he was saying,
it'd never get boring.

I woke up with a start, confused why I felt so uncomfortable and insanely hot. I
scrunched my face up, trying to shed the disoriented feeling to no success. I
decided I could only put it off for so long, letting my eyes slowly scrunch tightly
shut before attempting to open them. If I'd been confused before, I definitely was
now. There's someone on top of me, their face hovering just inches from mine. Did I
wake up in some sort of alternative universe where I'm actually sexually active or
is this just a dream? I watched the person balance his weight on one arm as he
reached for something with the other, still feeling slightly confused until he was
slipping the familiar frames onto my face. Everything was a lot clearer then, and
the events of the last few hours spent with Troye came right back to me. Even
remembering all of that though, it didn't explain why he was hovering in a push-up
position over my body. I lifted my head slowly, taking in the fact that only his
upper torso was lifted off of me, a blush forming over my cheeks that I prayed he
couldn't see in the low lighting.

"Hi, Troye. Can I help you?" I chuckled, looking back up to his eyes. God, they
looked so blue when you were up this close. I watched in rapt fascination as his
mouth opened, eager to hear his explanation. Secretly I was hoping it was something
along the lines off he couldn't help himself anymore and just threw himself at me.
I was surprised when he didn't say anything at all, instead just snapping his mouth
back shut like he'd rethought whatever had been on the tip of his tongue.
Unfortunately, seeing as my eyes had already been on his lips while they were open,
I didn't think to look away immediately when they closed either. How was I supposed
to know he planned to bite his bottom lip like that? Rolling it between his teeth
just gently enough to make it's color fade, like he'd been practicing how to look
like a sensual male model his entire life. Suddenly it felt a lot more overwhelming
that his hips were laying directly on top of mine, my heart racing in my chest
while he just stared off into space trying to figure out what to say.

I thought his head was still off in the clouds, before my eyes fell just lower and
I watched him gulp obviously. I cursed myself for letting my eyes follow the
movement so easily, insisting I should have better self-control than this. Then
again, I'd been waiting for an opportunity like this for ages. There was no chance
of anyone interrupting us. We had all night to just lay here and wait for either of
us to make the first move and I fully intended to utilize every second if I had to.
Whether we wasted the time waiting for each other to make a move or rolling around
on the couch making out, was totally up to him.

I quickly flickered my eyes to lock with his, narrowing them slightly as I tried to
figure out what he was thinking right now. Whether he realized it or not, his
expression gave it all away. He was nervous, understandably, but he definitely
looked into it. Ugh, maybe I'll have to be the one to make the first move after
all, damn it. Well, at least this way I won't have to worry about coming out. I
started to sit up ever so slowly, tentative not to scare him off as I used my
elbows to brace myself. Apparently I was moving too fast or he just straight-up did
not want to kiss me though, judging by how insanely quick he jumped up.

I gasped as he sat on my lap, not expecting the sudden friction at all. He didn't
seem to notice though, just smiling down at me with his head tilted just slightly
to the right. He looked downright adorable, but adorable wasn't exactly what I'd
been hoping for right now.

"I've got to go pee, I'll be, uh, right back. You can watch the movie or go eat or
like do whatever you want. I'm going to go now. To pee. I'm going to pee." He
exclaimed, both stuttering and stopping and starting multiple times throughout the
simple explanation. He hopped off me then, with a bit of a struggle as he tripped
over his own feet. He then speed-walked across the room, only turning around to
give me a huge wave goodbye. I furrowed my brows, watching as he continued down the
hall, not missing the way he kicked the door frame of the bathroom before
disappearing into it.

What just happened?

Did we actually just find a way to mess it up without anyone even interrupting us?
I groaned quietly, letting my head fall back against the pillows and my eyes fall
closed. For two compatible people we have the absolute worst luck when it comes to
trying to get together. It makes me insanely curious how our first kiss will
finally end up coming around. I'm sure one of these days one of us will crack and
just pin the other against the wall and kiss him until he's breathless and weak in
the knees. Actually, that sounds amazing, why haven't I tried that yet? How do I
casually hint to Troye that I want to be pinned against a wall and kissed roughly?
Is there a secret code? Maybe I'll slip a note into his locker or something.

I decided I'd spent enough time fantasizing about him for now, forcing myself to
sit up and distract myself. As much as I loved thinking about Troye if it carried
on this way we'd have a whole different level of awkward situation to look forward
to. Instead I busied myself by cleaning up the room, even taking the time to fold
the blankets despite knowing we'd just mess them back up when we took them
upstairs. I didn't care, I needed something to do right now.

I'd just finished cleaning up and falling onto the couch, when the door to the
bathroom opened and Troye walked out. I'd expected him to look calm and collected
when he came back, considering he had so much time in there to compose himself. He
definitely didn't though, his cheeks bright red and the rest of his skin an
unnatural pale. Is he okay? Is he really that nervous around me?

He walked into the living room then, my gaze immediately dropping to the floor. I
hadn't really expected me to be nervous as well, but here I was. Then again, I
hadn't expected to choke up when I had the perfect oppurtunity to come out earlier
either. I discreetly looked up at him through my eyelashes, biting my lip when I
seen the strained smile stretched across his face. He probably meant for it to be
reassuring, but really it was only uncomfortable when I knew what his genuine smile
looked like. I held my breath as I waited for him to speak up, determined not to be
the first to say anything. It wasn't a competitive thing so much as I knew I'd make
a total fool of myself if I did.

"Listen, I'm really tired out. Do you think we could just call it a night?" That
had not been what I was expecting at all. I expected him to address the situation.
Okay, so maybe that was a bit far-fetched, seeing how shy and nervous he clearly
was, but that would be the best option for our friendship/developing relationship.
If we just moved on and pretended it didn't happen like last time we might have to
wait another month or two for another kiss opportunity to roll around.

"Yeah... Yeah, of course." With the first 'yeah' I'd had every intention of
suggesting we have the more serious talk, but now that I was looking at him up
close and how incredibly uncomfortable he looked, I decided it could wait for
another time. I was vaguely aware of him turning on his heel and heading for the
stairs, though I was really too caught up in my own thoughts to register it.

What did I do wrong that had him jumping away so quickly? To be fair I've never
really initiated a kiss before, and most the ones I'd had were dares or intoxicated
embraces. Maybe I made too much eye contact? Should I have closed my eyes sooner?

I was only brought back to reality when I heard Troye's soft sigh, my eyes
immediately darting to watch him march past me with an armful of blankets and an
almost sullen expression. I couldn't help but frown, realizing how quickly the mood
had gone sour. I grabbed my own share of the blankets and pillows, stumbling to
catch up to him so I could go ahead on the stairs. I was the one that got him all
scared, it was my responsibility to make sure he felt safe. However, unlike last
time, he didn't wait for me to go ahead, instead just starting up the stairs and
causing my frown to deepen. It was stupid to get worked up over something so small,
but it had been cute thinking Troye needed me like that.
When we reached his room he threw the pillows and blankets onto his bed, and for a
fleeting moment I thought he was going to ask me to join him when he turned around.
That was, until I seen that stupid fake smile on his lips again.

"The air mattress is for you, I'm literally right above you if you need anything.
Night, Tyler." I didn't even bother trying to keep up with matching his fake smile
then, my face falling when he referred to me formally instead of with 'Tilly'. He
didn't seem to notice though, just nodding distractedly before marching over to
turn off the light. I decided to utilize the time with his back turned, not wanting
him to spot how much my pout had grown as I crawled onto the air mattress.

After that he crawled into bed without a word, the springs squeaking awkwardly
under his unsteady weight. I sighed, watching how he bundled the blankets all up
around him and turned his back to me. Well, at least I'd be able to be alone with
my thoughts now.

There had to be an explanation for why he jumped away so quickly, one that was
obvious and left no room for explanation. I highly doubt he had to pee that badly
it couldn't have waited at least until our lips touched. He was nervous as hell,
that much was clear. Was it because he was scared it'd ruin our friendship by
rejecting me or- Or he was worried I didn't want to kiss him and it'd ruin our
friendshp by not rejecting me. Sure, it should be obvious by now what I want, but
he's been blind as hell about everything else, I wouldn't doubt he found a way to
pick apart our almost kiss as well. In fact, he's probably still up worrying about
it, if I know him at all.

So what do I do to reassure him without just kissing him? I mean, I could just kiss
him, but what if it turns out he didn't want to kiss me to begin with and I only
make things more awkward? Ugh, I'm over-thinking this again, aren't I? He doesn't
even know for sure that I'm gay, maybe I should start with tha- Shit. Why didn't I
think of that before? If I came out to him it might not make everything crystal
clear, but then it'd be one less thing to second-guess.

"Troye?" I asked tentatively, speaking out into the darkness as I stared up at the
glow-in-the-dark planets coating his ceiling. I was ashamed to admit I was almost
half-hoping he wouldn't reply. I was so nervous, when I really had no reason to be.
I guess I'd just never really said it out loud. I hadn't ever made an official
debut out of the closet, my mother just knew. So this was all-new territory for me.

"Yes?" I knew I should have felt relieved when his voice cracked, making it clear I
wasn't alone in being nervous right now. I sat there repeatedly opening and closing
my mouth, very glad he had his back turned to me still and the room was practically
pitch black and there was no chance he could see it. I know most people would be
trying to figure out the smoothest way to come out, or at least putting some
thought into exactly what they were going to say, but right now I was just focusing
on making sure I got even one word out of my mouth. I cleared my throat, balling my
hands into fists at my sides. I can do this.

I cleared my throat, my throat feeling uncomfortably tight as I opened my mouth

again. I wasn't going to just close it again this time though, I'm going to say it.

"I'm gay." I blurted, the words coming out in a jumbled barely distinguishable
rush. Please tell me he understood it, I really doubt I'd be capable of repeating
it again. The silence that followed on his end was practically unbearable, the only
sound in the room being my unnatural heavy breathing. Honestly I was surprised you
couldn't hear my heart thudding in my chest. When nearly a minute had passed I was
beginning to wonder if he'd fallen asleep or something.

"Oh?" I scoffed at his stupid response, scrunching my face up in disbelief. Was

that really all he had to say? I mean, I get it, he probably already knew so it
wasn't really that shocking of an announcement to him, but he doesn't know it's not
a big deal to me. Is it a big deal to me? I never thought it was, but it did take a
lot to say it.

"You don't sound very surprised." I observed, deciding not to show just how big of
a deal it was to me. I didn't want him thinking I was just being over-dramatic or
something if he was acting so casual. I mean, he hadn't even rolled over to face my
direction yet.

"It was kind of obvious at times." He replied finally, making me feel strangely
hurt as I sunk further into the pillows. If that was the case why had I even
bothered coming out? I mean, I knew I'd been hinting at it, but he could have at
least let me know he realized before I went through all this trouble to just spit
it out. I don't even- "Hey, are you crying?"

"No!" I blurted immediately, not even taking time to check before I said it. Only
after a few seconds of silence passed after my response did I lift a hand to my
cheek, frowning when I realized it actually did come away with tear tracks on it.
Am I really crying right now? Even worse, I must have been spluttering or
whimpering too, considering he knew without even rolling over to face me. I am such
an idiot!

I was in the process of furiously swiping at my cheeks and trying to rid myself of
any and all evidence I'd been crying, when the sound of Troye's bed creaking filled
the room, making it clear he was finally rolling over. I snapped my arm back down,
turning my head away from him in hopes of covering up the fact I'd been crying. I
didn't want him to think I was pathetic or anything.

"Tilly?" I tried to swallow the lump in my throat as he used the nickname,

ultimately failing and only choking up again and letting out a pitiful splutter.
Wow, so much for not letting him know I'm crying. "Hey, it's fine, of course I'm
okay with it. If anything I'm ecstatic, now we can talk about cute boys together!"

"Y-Yeah." I stuttered out, inhaling deeply and still trying to get a grip on my
emotions. I still didn't have the guts to look over at him, assuming I could even
see him in the low-lighting. Instead I let my eyes flicker around the nearly black
room, noticing all the things that caught the moonlight just enough to be visible.
I was doing a pretty good job distracting myself, my tears almost coming to an end,
when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Why are you crying?" He asked, his tone softer now. I bit my lip, trying to come
up with a decent reason. When I couldn't think of one I just shrugged under his
hand, laughing ironically at the whole situation.

"I don't know!" I said breathlessly, both confused and annoyed when I started to
tear up again. I wasn't even sad, why did I keep crying?

"Come up here." I'd been mid-reach to wipe my tears away again, immediately
freezing at Troye's sudden offer. I finally let my eyes drift over in his
direction, almost cautious as I tried to study his features in the low-lighting. He
seemed to have a better view of me though, considering he realized what I was doing
and then rolled to the opposite side of the bed. A second later his lamp flickered
on, illuminating the room in streaks of light.

He rolled back over then, his big genuine smile dimming slightly as he took in my
state. He reached a hand out wordlessly and I took it with one of mine, using my
free hand to awkwardly finish drying my face. I clambered up into the bed with him
then, settling on the very edge and trying to ignore how uncomfortable the mattress
felt under me. I didn't want to get too close to him and make things awkward. I
stayed laying on my back looking up at the ceiling, while he laid on his side,
curled up slightly. I could feel his eyes on me despite not being able to see it,
refusing to look over and meet his gaze no matter how long the silence seemed to
dwindle on uncomfortably.

"I'm so proud of you." I went frigid when I heard this, trying desperately to scan
my brain for a decent response. It became harder and harder to think as he lifted a
hand out from under the blankets, running it through my hair and occasionally
pausing to twirl a strand between his fingers or massage my scalp. Eventually,
after getting insanely distracted and just laying there basking in his touch, I
remembered I was supposed to be replying.

"You already knew, what's there to be proud about?" I pouted, taking a risk and
letting my eyes flicker over to him. He was propped up on one elbow, using the
other hand to play with my hair absent-mindedly. His attention didn't seem to be on
the task though, his eyes instead fixed on my face and slightly narrowed as he was
clearly thinking about something.

"You didn't know that I knew and you can never be sure how a person will react. It
took a lot to say that, therefore there is a lot to be proud about." I rolled my
eyes, knowing I should have expected some kind of sappy answer like that. It was
bullshit, I did know how he would react and I really had no reason to be this
emotional, but it was still strangely comforting.

"Well, thanks I guess." I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. It was very
hard to seem withdrawn when I was willingly letting him play with my hair though,
even more so when I was occasionally leaning up into the touch and letting my
throat betray me by giving out satisfied hums. I could have drifted off to sleep
like that, contently near him and melting under his embrace, but apparently that
wasn't his plan as he withdrew his hand as soon as my eyes fluttered shut. I
frowned, stubbornly refusing to open my eyes as I pulled the covers up to my chin.
I wasn't going to actually fall asleep now though, too curious to see what it was
he wanted to say before I did. It would seem I was going to have to wait a while
though, the seconds ticking by in silence.

"So, um, if yo don't mind me asking, why did you kiss all the girls-"

"Dares and popularity stunts. I didn't enjoy any of them in the slightest." I cut
him off, being completely blunt with my answer. I felt more comfortable now after
our moment, deciding it'd be best for both of us if I was just completely honest
about it. The point of coming out was so that he wouldn't have any reason to doubt
me, the last thing I needed was to word things wrong and confuse him all over
again.

"Oh." He replied simply, looking thoughtful when I snuck another glance in his
direction. He wasn't looking at me anymore, rather at the ceiling above us with his
mind clearly in a different place entirely. I waited eagerly for him to voice his
thoughts, not able to mask my grin when I seen his mouth start to open. "So,
technically... You haven't had your first kiss either?"

"Well, I guess it depends on how you look at it, but really I have-"

"I'm going to look at it that way, so I don't feel like such a loser for not having
my first kiss." He interrupted, his tone slightly teasing as a goofy smile made
it's way to his lips. I rolled my eyes, though secretly I was quite content that he
was willing to look at it that way. Hopefully he would stop looking at me like I
was way more experienced than him now. That, and I didn't really consider those
real kisses to begin with.

"You're not a loser, Troye." I decided to reply with, not agreeing or disagreeing
with his outlook on the whole kiss situation, just letting the topic casually slide
to a close. He quirked his eyebrows as he looked back over at me, looking
completely skeptical, clearly not believing me in the slightest. I giggled,
reaching out and shoving him so he fell off the elbow he'd been propped up on. He
collapsed into the pillows with a muffled giggle, grumbling with fake annoyance as
his foot flailed around under the covers, eventually kicking me in the leg. "Okay,
fine, you're a bit of a loser."

"Mmhmm." He laughed, not bothering to lift his head off the pillows again. Instead
he turned his entire body back to face me, clasping his hands together adorably and
sliding them under his head. His hair was just messy enough to be cute, random
strands sticking up all over his head from laying on the pillow. His face was
adorably flushed, though I wasn't sure if it was from being in bed with me without
a shirt on or the chilly temperature it had dropped to since the sun set. Either
way, he looked like an angel.

I bit my lip, studying his eyes for a minute and trying to decide if all of the
awkward air from earlier had cleared. Part of me wanted to address the almost kiss,
in hopes of figuring out what the hell was going on between us, but the other half
of me just wanted to shove it under the rug and forget about it until our next
almost kiss came up. Or actual kiss, if I'm lucky. It was just easier, to go with
the flow and let it sort itself out. It would, eventually, how long could two
people that like each other really go without one of them growing a pair and
admitting it or making a move?

It couldn't be that long, right?

I took that as my decision, ambling over him and reaching for the lamp. I realized
the position was awkward, but it'd only be a second until I managed to reach the
switch anyway. I reached my arm out, pouting slightly when I could just barely
touch the tips of my fingers to the switch and not grab it. I bit my lip, trying to
lean over him further. I had just grabbed it between my fingers when the sheet slid
out from under my knees, sending me falling down across Troye's chest. I sighed,
not even bothering to pick myself or the lamp that had fallen to the floor up.
Hopefully I didn't break it, it was his cool '@' sign lamp.

"Well, at least we can be losers together." He giggled, shoving me off and picking
the lamp up with ease. I pouted slightly at what an easy feat he'd made of it, only
earning a smirk from him when he looked back over to my side of the bed.

As the seconds ticked past his smirk faded, his expression going blank. We still
didn't break eye contact though, only when his eyes started to drift shut. I bit my
lip, still uncomfortable on the very edge of the mattress but not willing to voice
it out loud in fear of making things awkward again. I may have been able to fall
asleep earlier with his fingers in my hair, but not now that he was on the opposite
side of the bed from me, unintentionally even hogging most of the blankets. Maybe I
could bring my blankets up from the air mattress-

"Would it be weird for us to snuggle now?" I looked away from the air mattress in a
flash, looking back over at the groggy and disoriented Troye who had clearly just
woken back up after falling asleep. He was clutching a handful of blankets to his
chest, making me grin at how shy he was, covering up his exposed skin like that.
Yet he could basically just come out and ask me to cuddle, huh?
"Are you implying it wasn't weird for a 'straight boy' to snuggle his gay best
friend?" I replied, deciding he gave me the right to be a bit sarcastic with me
reply. He just rolled his eyes, making it clear he realized that there was more to
our previous cuddling sessions than the average friendship just as much as I did.

"So I take that as a no?" He asked, trying to get a more clear answer as he raised
his eyebrows expectantly. I decided to answer as clearly as possible, scooting
closer to him and happily letting my head fall on his chest. I went to grab a
fistful of his shirt too, blushing when I realized there wasn't one there to grab.
I didn't dare withdraw my hand all awkwardly though, instead just letting it drop
and rest on his stomach. I blushed myself when I felt his muscles tense under my
touch, likely from how cold my hand was compared to him. He didn't protest it
though, just remaining completely silent and leaving me wondering what he actually
thought of the embrace.

The more I thought about it the more I felt cheated by not getting a reaction out
of him. He hadn't even said goodnight yet. Well, I mean, he did, but that was
earlier and it didn't count. The urge to get a reaction out of him got stronger and
stronger the longer we sat there in silence. I wasn't sure if he was even awake at
this point, but eventually it got too strong to fight. I only debated it for a
second before wordlessly letting my hand slip lower ever so slightly, coming to
rest so low on his stomach it brushed against the waistband of his pajama bottoms.

"T-Tilly!" He squealed immediately, his hips squirming underneath me. I didn't draw
away though, only smirking to myself when he let them fall back against the bed.
However, the lopsided grin was wiped off my face when I realized he'd shifted just
enough to have my hand rest on the familiar dark trail I'd admired so many times
before. My throat suddenly felt dry, my heart pounding in my chest as it sunk in
just how close my hand was to... other places.

"What?" I blurted out finally, remembering I had forgotten to reply yet again. He
took a deep breath above me, the warm air hitting the top of my head because of our
position. I wasn't sure what I was expecting him to reply with, possibly suggesting
a move back to the floor or at least my side of the bed. What I wasn't expecting,
was to feel his hand come to rest on top of mine, not even attempting to shove it
away.

"Nothing, your hand's just cold." He whispered, running his thumb over said hand. I
blushed, wondering if it actually was that cold or if it was an excuse he'd come up
with to explain his reaction.

"Oh... Sorry." I muttered, feeling slightly sheepish. When he took a while to reply
I was starting to debate drawing my hand away. I was about to but I didn't get the
chance before he cleared his throat, alerting me he was still awake and actually
intended to answer me.

"It's fine, it'll warm up soon. I'm gonna try and get some sleep, night Tyler." I
tried to fight the smile attempting to break out across my face, I really did, but
it was a futile effort. I hoped he couldn't feel it against his chest, considering
my face was practically smushed against it. He'd more or less just given me his
permission to keep my hand there. If that's not progress I don't know what is.

"Night, Troye. Sweet dreams."

A/n: what's this what's this what ever couldthis be. A REASONABLY SIZED UPDATE?
WOAH, I FORGOT THESE EXISTED. Anyway, hello, hi, how are you? I've noticed a lot of
you died last chapter so I'm hoping this will be enough to ressurect you. The
reaction to last chapter was OUTSTANDING. It's officially, by far, my most voted
and commented on chapter. OH, and while on the topic of votes.... THIS IS
OFFICIALLY THE MOST VOTED FOR AND COMMENTED ON TROYLER FIC ON ALL OF WATTPAD. HOLY
CRAP STIESDKGJDRIFKJ. YOU GUYS THAT'S ACTUALLY LEGITIMATELY INSANE WOAH. You guys
never cease to amaze me with all the milestones and I really sincerely hope this
never comes across as bragging, I'm just celebrating and trying to include and
thank you guys in the process. UGh okay, I think that's all, y'all are insanely
amazing and I love you bunches <3

OH WAIT I KEEP FORGETTING TO LINK THIS BUT SOMEONE MADE A REALLY CUTE FREAK FAN VID
WITH QUOTES AND GOOD MUSIC, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS ITS SUPER DUPER CUTE Y'ALL SHOULD
WATCH IT I'LL PUT IT ON THE SIDE OR SEARCH UP "Freak Troyler make a move" ON
YOUTUBE IF FOR SOME REASON YOU CANT WATCH VIDEOS ON HERE IDKIDKIDK. Um, also, if
y'all ever want to make art or videos or literally anything about this fic, I WILL
TREASURE IT. LIKE THATS THE COOLEST THING, WHEN PEOPLE MAKE FAN WORKS FOR A FAN
WORK ITS LIKE FULL CIRCLE OMFG. Okay yeah, just throwing it out there, it might
even end up on the side of one of the chapters like this ;) (definitely not saying
you have to make it though, ily all no matter what) (im rambling) (also, real
quick, some people felt the need to chastise me about how hairdying works last
chapter and while thats cool, v proud of you for your hair dying prowess and
knowledge, this is fiction, it was troye's first time ever dying hair, and
everyone's hair and hair dying process is different so as much as I appreciate you
trying to be helpful, pls dont.)

Chapter Fourty-Eight
*Troye's POV*

"I'm gay." I froze, completely, forgetting to even breathe as I laid there. The
only part of me that was moving was my heart, thudding at a dangerously fast pace
in my chest. Though that wasn't what I'd been expecting him to say, it wasn't
really shock I was feeling. I couldn't really put a name to the emotion, it just
felt like every nerve in my body was on fire.

It's not like he'd surprised me, I knew he was gay, there was just something
different about hearing him say it. There was no assuming or guessing, it just was.
That, and it gave me a weird sense of pride that he'd finally told me, that he
trusted and cared about me enough to.

I was in the process of trying to decide if our friendship was supposed to change
at all now that I knew, when I noticed he was shifting around on his bed a lot. I
furrowed my brows, listening intently seeing as my back was still turned to him. I
wonder what he's- fuck! I forgot to reply to him! He's probably freaking out right
now! God, I am such an idiot.

"Oh?" I blurted, more concerned about replying itself than actually taking time to
plan what I was going to say. Only after I said it did I realize how insanely
stupid it was, knotting my fingers up in the blankets and shoving some of them into
my mouth. It's official, I'm never speaking again, it's probably for the better.

"You don't sound very surprised." He said quietly, the usual pep completely absent
from his voice. I only felt more guilty now, wishing I could just sink into the
mattress and come back out when I was ready to have this conversation. I mean, I'm
ready to hear it now, I'd just like to plan out all my responses in advance so I
don't end up making a fool of myself or hurting him with my own stupidity.
"It was kind of obvious at times." I replied, slightly distracted as I continued
trying to figure out how to filter what I said in my head. I was still thinking
about it when a soft sniffle had my body tensing all over again, my eyes going
wide. Is Tyler crying? He's never cried before, how big of a deal is this to him?
"Hey, are you crying?"

"No!" He blurted immediately, sounding almost offended I'd even accused him of it.
I bit my lip, trying to decide what to do next. I could comfort him, that's what he
needs right now. How do I do that? He's always been the one to comfort my sorry ass
and he's so good at it. He knows just what to say to distract me or make me laugh.
How do I do that? I'm not charismatic or smooth like him, but I still have to try.

I took a deep breath before rolling over, scooching until I was sat at the very
edge of my bed. I peered down at him curiously, squinting my eyes as I tried to
make out his features in the dimly-lit room. All I had to go by was a bit of
moonlight, thankfully the streak of it was shining directly through my window and
onto the floor where he was laying. Still, the moon wasn't big tonight, the light
only really glinting against his eyes so I could see them but not the rest of his
face. They looked so sad, all I wanted was to make him feel happy again.

"Tilly?" I asked tentatively, biting my lip nervously as I waited for him to

respond. He didn't say anything, though after a few seconds a quiet whimper filled
the room. I felt my heart drop to my feet again, almost feeling like crying myself
at just the thought of him hurting that much. "Hey, it's fine, of course I'm okay
with it. If anything I'm ecstatic, now we can talk about cute boys together!" I
didn't tell him that he was the only cute boy I'd ever talk about, I figured that
was a bomb to drop for another day.

"Y-Yeah." He stuttered out in response, making me frown at how unsteady his voice
was. I'm so used to the confident Tyler that always knows exactly what to say. I'm
not saying I don't like this side of him too, I just really wish I knew how to make
him feel better.

After that we fell into a less-than-comfortable silence, both of us practically

holding our breath as we anticipated what the other would say next. I'd really
expected him to be the first one to speak up, but as the seconds ticked by I
couldn't take it anymore, shifting my arm out from under my to reach down and cup
his shoulder softly.

"Why are you crying?" I asked, my eyes flickering over where I knew his face was,
despite the fact I couldn't see it in the dark. He took a deep breath, seemingly
planning out his response. I'd been expecting him to come back with some sort of
huge explanation with how long he took, surprised when he simply chuckled
breathlessly and shrugged under my touch.

"I don't know!" He blurted, sounding so out of character it was physically paining
me. Was he really that stressed about this? How had I never noticed before?

"Come up here." I stated, not even hesitating or thinking about how awkward our
situation had been just a few moments ago. I didn't care, I just wanted him near. I
may not be used to being the shoulder to cry on, but if he'd taught me anything
cuddling was a pretty good distraction at the very least.

I watched as his head turned toward me, his face suddenly illuminated completely as
the clouds in front of the moon likely cleared, giving me a clear view of him. I
only felt worse seeing the tear tracks all over his face and how puffy his eyes
were. He seemed to be studying me, almost like he was trying to consider if he
wanted to take me up on my offer or not. Oh yeah, he can't see me yet considering
the moonlight only hits his half of the room. I rolled over quickly, turning the
lamp on before returning to that side of the bed.

My smile dimmed only slightly when I was once again met with the heartbreaking
sight of Tyler's face covered in tears, but I tried not to let it get under my skin
as I reached a hand down to him. He sat up as he took my hand, sitting on his knees
as he wiped his cheeks off with the sleeve of his free hand. I waited until he was
finished before gently pulling him closer, helping him up onto the bed.

Of course I didn't expect him to immediately move to cuddle me, though I couldn't
help but feel a little hurt when he settled on the very edge of the mattress, as
far away from me as possible. I curled into a ball facing him, hugging my knees to
my chest in both an effort to warm myself up and make sure I didn't get the chance
to do something stupid like just reach over and smother him. Ugh, I wanted to
though, I wanted to hug him to me and bury my face in his neck and mutter exactly
what it'd take to make him feel better.

He was staring up at the ceiling, still looking forlorn as his eyes flickered
around the glow-in-the-dark planets. I knew I should be focusing on trying to
figure out how to comfort him but he just looked so gorgeous right now, I couldn't
really bring myself to focus on anything at all.

"I'm so proud of you." I mumbled distractedly, not even really registering that I'd
said it as I reached up and ran my hand through his hair. I'd meant for it to be a
quick thing, though I ended up doing it again, eventually ending up giving him a
full-on massage as I played with his hair. It was so soft and the little grin he
got on his face whenever I so much as touched it was quickly becoming addictive.

"You already knew, what's there to be proud about?" He spoke up suddenly, his eyes
flickering over to me. Up until then I thought he'd fallen asleep with his eyes
open or something, actually slightly relieved that he hadn't. As difficult as I
found trying to comfort him, I still wanted his company.

He didn't look as upset as earlier though, so I was praying I was part of the
reason. That didn't mean he was over it though, he may have tried to make his voice
sound indifferent when he spoke up but his eyes told a completely different story.
If he really didn't believe me I'd just have to tell him what there was to be proud
about.

"You didn't know that I knew and you can never be sure how a person will react. It
took a lot to say that, therefore there is a lot to be proud about."

"Well, thanks I guess." He muttered, still sounding upset as he crossed his arms
over his chest. I sighed under my breath, deciding to let the conversation die off
again and drifting my attention back to his hair. A couple times I thought I was
going to fall asleep like that, propped up on my elbow playing with his hair. It
was a good thing I didn't though, considering I would have fallen right on top of
him once my elbow gave out. He kept me awake with a series of adorable hums,
letting me know just how much he was enjoying this.

In return, I wasn't going to let him fall asleep either, stopping my ministrations
when his eyes would flicker shut. He grumbled and pulled the covers up to his chin,
still refusing to open his eyes again.

I knew he was just joking around, but I couldn't shed the fleeting worry that he
might actually fall asleep. It was probably selfish, but I wasn't ready to end this
moment, no matter how awkward it had been. So, the obvious thing to do, was to ask
the first question that came to mind.
"So, um, if yo don't mind me asking, why did you kiss all the girls-"

"Dares and popularity stunts. I didn't enjoy any of them in the slightest." He was
so quick to reply he cut me off before I'd finished the question, his answer so
blunt it left me at a loss for what to reply with. Well, at least he was getting
back to his usual confident self.

"Oh." I ended up replying, distractedly looking up at the ceiling again as I

thought about what he'd said. He had never had any feelings for the people he
kissed. He didn't even enjoy them. Do they still count as kisses? Well, technically
they were still kisses, but not real kind. Not the kind that mattered any. It
wasn't the physical act that mattered, it was the emotions that were attached to
it. Therefore, as far as I was concerned, he was as much of a kiss virgin as I was.
"So, technically... You haven't had your first kiss either?"

"Well, I guess it depends on how you look at it, but really I have-"

"I'm going to look at it that way, so I don't feel like such a loser for not having
my first kiss." I interrupted, deciding it was my turn to cut him off. I was
grinning anticipation, knowing what his reaction would be to my teasing. I smiled
even harder as I watched him roll his eyes, his lips twitching as he obviously
tried to fight off that familiar genuine smile I'd missed.

"You're not a loser, Troye." I quirked my eyebrows at this, disbelief etched on

every one of my features. It wasn't an insult or anything, I knew I was a loser and
I was sort-of almost... proud of it? I don't know, I just wasn't nearly as self-
conscious as I used to be. I was happy with who I was, for the first time in as
long as I could remember. I had Tyler to thank for that.

However, I wasn't feeling particularly thankful of him a second later when he

reached out and shoved me back into the pillows. I let out a giggle as I hit the
mattress, totally ruining my act of annoyance. I quickly tried to cover it up by
grumbling under my breath unconvincingly, debating what other ways I could show my
very real and not-at-all-fake annoyance. I listened to his giggling for a second
longer before making the spontaneous decision to kick him under the blankets, my
bare foot colliding with his shin after uselessly flailing around trying to find
any part of him at all.

I want to be his first kiss.

"Okay, fine, you're a bit of a loser." Tyler laughed, giving in and admitting what
we both knew. I didn't really register his words though, my mind still reeling over
the thought I'd just heard.

"Mmhmm." I laughed distractedly, cursing my imagination yet again as an array of

different first kiss scenes played out in my head. We could do it right now. I
could roll over and straddle his hips and kiss him. I mean, technically he did
already say he wanted to.

I rolled over to face him, fantasies about what his lips would feel like still
dancing through my mind. I mean, sure he'd kissed my cheek, but this was different.
Way different. I was probably blushing crimson in embarrassment at how out of
control my thoughts had gotten, but Tyler didn't seem to care. He was staring at me
nearly as distractedly as I was staring back, a content little grin on his lips.

I was still caught up in my own thoughts when he suddenly jumped up, rolling onto
his hands and knees before reaching over me. I followed his outstretched hand with
my eyes, realizing he was reaching for the lamp. I frowned slightly, thankful all
of his attention was on the task and not on me. I didn't want to go to sleep yet,
not when the alternative was staying up talking to him and cuddling him and just
being with him.

I was in the process of trying desperately to wipe the frown off my face when he
let out a surprised squeak, not even giving me time to tense up before he was
falling on top of me. The sudden weight knocked the breath out of me, the only
sounds in the room my gasping and the lamp smashing against the floor. He didn't
even pick himself up immediately, just laying draped across my chest and sighing
deeply.

"Well, at least we can be losers together." I giggled finally, deciding I didn't

want to start a fire with the tipped over lamp. Mom would never trust me home alone
again and I wasn't willing to risk that. I shoved Tyler off me as gently as
possible, reaching down for the lamp and putting it back in it's place. I turned
back to Tyler with a smirk, fully intending to tease him over his fuck-up.

Something sarcastic was on the tip of my tongue but it was never said as I got lost
in his eyes, my heart thudding steadily in my chest as I tried to read what he was
feeling. He didn't have the sadness in his eyes like earlier, but he didn't seem
comfortable exactly either. I was still trying to decipher his emotions when the
long day started to take it's toll on me. My eyes drooped shut slowly, despite my
efforts to keep it from happening. I felt my head sink into the pillow, slowly but
surely drifting off into dreamland.

I was half-asleep, though I couldn't manage to get any further as I was

continuously yanking the blankets up further around me. It never helped though. I
was willing to bet it had more to do with wanting my particular favorite type of
heat rather than the fact I was cold. All I could think about was the fact Tyler
was as far away from me as possible, the space between us feeling like miles
despite it being no more than two feet.

I scrunched my face up, shivering slightly as I let my eyes drift open again. They
went wide when I seen Tyler literally only had a corner of the blankets, draped
across his stomach. The rest of him must be freezing. I mean, it wouldn't be that
weird to ask him to snuggle, right? Solely to warm-up, of course. It had nothing to
do with how I liked having him near, or how soft his hair was, or how comforting it
was feeling or listening to the steady beat of his heart as I drifted off to sleep.

"Would it be weird for us to snuggle now?" I asked finally, deciding it was

pointless at this point to even try to fight the urge. I watched him quickly turn
back in my direction, meeting my gaze before letting his eyes drift lower. I
blushed, suddenly thankful I'd been clutching the blankets to my chest to stay
warm.

"Are you implying it wasn't weird for a 'straight boy' to snuggle his gay best
friend?" I rolled my eyes, though I knew he was telling the truth. Our cuddle
sessions had never been just platonic, and there had been tension between us from
the very beginning.

"So I take that as a no?" I sighed out, wanting a clearer answer. I had been
expecting a vocal reply, not him sliding over beside me and immediately letting his
head drop on my chest. I couldn't help but grin, immediately lifting a hand to play
with his hair. I only got halfway there when his freezing hand landing on my
stomach though, my muscles involuntarily tensing and a barely audible gasp escaping
my lips. My hand that had been reaching for his hair was frozen behind his head in
mid-air and I subtly let it fall back onto the bed, deciding we had more than
enough physical contact going on right now.

Neither of us spoke, leading me to wonder if Tyler even realized that his hand
being on my bare-skin like that was innapropriate. Not that I really had a problem
with it, but in general, friends do not let their hands rest that close to their
friend's crotches. I think there's like a general rule that anywhere below the
navel is off limits if you want to keep it even mildly platonic. Besides, he should
realize how sexually frustrated I am, how dare he try to pull something even
vaguely sexual when I-

My thoughts, and my ability of any coherent though really, was wiped away when his
hand slid even lower. My eyes went wide, feeling his fingertips stop only when they
hit the waistband of my pants.

"T-Tilly!" I squealed, my hips betraying my and lifting in an effort to move his

touch somewhere else. As soon as I realized what I was subconsciously doing I let
them promptly fall back onto the bed, mentally scolding myself a thousand times
over. However, I quickly realized I would come to regret that as well, realizing
I'd settled slightly further to the right, meaning his hand had wound up sitting
over my happy trail. It also didn't help that the movement had my pants sliding
even lower, now just barely resting above the slight bulge I should not have had.

Fuck. This is hot. Really hot.

I bit my lip, unsure of how to feel now that I knew where Tyler stood. He knew damn
well what he was doing to me, it's what he'd intended to do to me. Well, at least
now I knew he couldn't really judge me for getting turned on by it.

"What?" Tyler replied, causing me to take a deep leveling breath as I tried to

remember the last thing either of us had said. Oh, was he replying to when I
squealed his name? Fuck, how does he expect me to respond to that? It's like he's
purposely trying to make it more awkward for me, that cheeky little shit.

Suddenly I felt determined to get him back and turn the tables, biting my lip as I
tried to figure out how to throw the awkwardness right back at him. I wasn't good
with words like he was, but he's probably not expecting me to just go along with it
either. I stared at the ceiling with a determined expression, sliding my hand down
my chest and letting it settle on top of Tyler's, wordlessly telling him not to
draw away. Two can play at this game.

"Nothing, your hand's just cold." I whispered, not even really recognizing my own
voice when it came out husky and low. I didn't let my surprise show though,
determined to at least seem like I had things under control as I let my thumb run
over the back of his hand. I felt him tense against me, a smirk finding my face.

"Oh... Sorry." He muttered, his voice sounding unfamiliar as well. Not like mine,
more the fact that it was nervous and clearly flustered. I was used to him making
me flustered, not the other way around, it felt kind of nice to call the shots for
a change.

"It's fine, it'll warm up soon. I'm gonna try and get some sleep, night Tyler." I
replied, pleased with how casual I made it sound. He nodded against my chest, his
fingers flexing under my hand and unintentionally tugging on my hair.

"Night, Troye." He replied quietly, his mind clearly not really involved in the
conversation. He nuzzled his face further into my chest, letting a content sigh
fill the room before we both went silent. I let my eyes flutter shut as well,
though I had a nagging suspicion sleep wouldn't be finding me any time soon.
Earlier I may have had trouble drifting off due to the coldness of the room, but
now it felt like the opposite. Everything was hot, almost overwhelmingly so.
The first thing I was met with when I woke up was the annoying blaring of my phone.
I groaned, flailing my arm out and feeling around my bedside table blindly. I was
still half-asleep as I picked up the phone, my eyes opening groggily to stare at
the screen. Who the hell was calling? It's still dark outside! As my eyes focused I
let out a soft sigh, reading the name on the screen. An unknown number, who the
hell?

"Hello?" I whispered after I'd answered, remembering to be cautious of the boy

sleeping next to me. Actually, it was more like on top of me now that I looked over
at him. Sometime during the night he must have rolled over on top of me, now
sprawled out over me with his head resting in the middle of my chest.

"Why are you whispering? Am I interrupting something?" A familiar voice asked,

making me roll my eyes as I realized exactly who the hell was calling. Her question
dripping with suspicion and making it clear she definitely suspected she was
interrupting something.

"Yeah, my fucking sleep. What do you want?" I snapped, remembering to keep my voice
hushed as I spoke.

"My cellphone is dead and I forgot the charger. I just wanted you to tell Mom when
she gets back that I'm going on a roadtrip with my friends and won't be back til
late tonight." She informed me, her tone surprisingly level despite how sassy I'd
been with her. I was about to just agree and hang-up when I remembered she'd been
at a co-ed party and realized exactly what Mom would say when I told her.

"Are there boys with you? You know Mom's going to ask." I sighed, remembering how
difficult it had been for her to convince Mom to let her go at all.

"Are there boys with you?" She replied immediately, making my eyes flicker down to
the boy sleeping on my chest. A smile found it's way to my lips as I watch his
brows crease in his sleep, his nose twitching adorably and making me wonder what he
was dreaming about. Maybe I'd try to read his mind after I got off the phone.

"Yeah, but-"

"Are you in bed with a boy right now?" I sighed, knowing she'd just see right
through it anyway if I tried to lie.

"Sage."

"Are you fully dressed?" This question caught me off guard, my eyes drifting down
to where my shirt should have been. I mean, it's not like we were naked, but not
fully dressed either. Also the fact my pants had literally slid halfway down my
thighs now made me have to wonder if that really counted as wearing them. I knew
exactly what she'd think about my silence, not surprised when she chuckled before
replying. "That's what I thought. So if Mom asks, kindly remind her I'm not the
only one she has to worry about getting involved with boys."

"I hate you." I sighed, deciding to just go along with it. It was her problem if
Mom got mad anyway, not mine. Besides, I really just wanted to go back to sleep at
this point.

"I know you do. Tell Tyler I said hi, sorry for waking you up."

"Did you just apologize? Who is this and what have you done with Sage?" I was then
followed with the ding announcing she'd ended the call, though it didn't really
upset me that she'd hung-up. It just meant I could get back to sleep sooner. I
glimpsed at the bright screen of the phone, my jaw dropping when I seen 5am. Is she
serious? What kind of roadtrip is she going on that she needs to get up this early
for?

I propped myself up on my elbows, taking a deep breath to steady myself as I

attempted to shimmy my pants back up onto my hips. It worked, however, it also made
the fact the bulge in my underwear hadn't gone down any since earlier as it rubbed
up against Tyler's thigh. I blushed despite knowing he was asleep and would never
know it happened, still fervently embarrassed.

I fell back into the pillows, gritting my teeth when Tyler adjusted his position
and once again brushed up against me. However I let out the breath I'd been holding
when he finally settled, feeling more relaxed now that he was less on top of me and
more beside me. I let my eyes fall shut, breathing deeply as I decided sleep was my
best option here, it's not like I could duck into the bathroom and take care of it
with Tyler cuddled up to me.

It was still all so new to me, getting frustrated all the time like this. I guess
it was what normal teenage boys had to put up with, but not me. I could literally
count the times I'd masturbated on one hand, and those times it'd only been because
I was curious what it felt like, not because I got so turned on I had to.

The second time I woke up it was much more peaceful than the first, the room silent
aside from Tyler's steady breathing now somewhere near my ear. I didn't open my
eyes to inspect his change of position though, instead laying there and relishing
in the way he was gently running his fingertips up and down on my stomach. He
didn't drift as low as last night, making it clear it wasn't supposed to be a
sexual gesture so much as just an intimate one.

"Troye, wake up." He purred softly, his breath hitting my ear and causing me to
shiver noticeably under him. Still, I didn't move to open my eyes, curious to see
what he'd try next to wake me up. He sighed quietly, his head falling against my
shoulder and giving me a better idea of his position.

I may have actually fell back asleep for a few seconds as I waited for him to make
another attempt at 'waking me up', though I was certainly jolted back awake when
his soft fingertips turned into his nails pinching my hip. I let out a squeak of
disapproval, trying to jump away from him and failing when he pressed all of his
weight against me harder, pinning me under him. I sighed and simply fell back
against the mattress, rolling my closed eyes at Tyler's content sigh.

"Morning." Tyler beamed cheerily, nuzzling his face into my neck instead of my
shoulder. I wasn't complaining, enjoying the feeling of his warm breath given how
cold the room around us was. "Troye, don't you dare fall back asleep, I'll pinch
your nipples next time."

"I'm awake, I'm awake!" I laughed after a moment's hesitation. He'd never know that
the seconds of silence before my reply was because I'd been considering whether or
not I liked the idea of him pinching my nipples.

"Good. I'm hungry." He announced expectantly, like he was just assuming I'd jump up
and rush to go make him breakfast. Instead I shrugged my shoulders under him, using
one of my hands to pull the blankets further up over us. This was meant to show
that we were going to be staying in bed for a while yet and that I had no intention
of getting up anytime soon, however Tyler didn't seem to get the message, his hand
gently gliding up my chest. Just before he actually did pinch me I groaned loudly,
catching his hand in mine and digging my nails into his palm.
"I'll get you food in five minutes, now leave me alone." I snapped, immediately
regretting it when I realized how grumpy I sounded. I couldn't help it, I was never
a very tolerable person in the morning.

"Fine then, but remember you asked for it." Tyler snapped, sounding more teasing
than actually offended. I let out the nervous breath I'd been holding then, only to
gasp a moment later when he threw the covers off of us and a rush of cold air hit
me.

"W-What are you doing! It's freezing!" I squeaked, my eyes flying open as I
squirmed to reach the blankets pooling at my feet. In the end I had to sit up to
grab them, though as I did so I noticed Tyler getting out of bed beside me. "Where
are you going?" I cursed myself for how needy and sad my voice sounded, knowing he
was probably just going to the bathroom or something.

"Leaving you alone like you asked, remember?" He beamed, turning and giving me a
hugely fake smile. However, it was still the first time I'd seen him today, and I'd
be lying if I said just-out-of-bed-Tyler wasn't the cutest thing I'd ever seen.

I watched him turn back around, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and
making me shiver just thinking about how cold he probably was.

"Tilly, don't be stubborn. Come back to bed." I begged, sliding my hand out from
under the blankets to grab his. He looked over his shoulder at me, his expression
still bitter and unimpressed.

"No, if I let you drag me back in there I won't eat for days." I rolled my eyes at
his over-exaggeration, trying to think of some way to tempt him. Food. What better
way to Tyler's heart than food?

"If you give us ten more minutes in bed I'll make you pancakes." I offered, looking
up at him through my eyelashes pleadingly. He seemed to consider, still sitting on
the edge of the bed and very visibly freezing. I could literally see the goosebumps
on his arms, yet he made no comment about it or even moved to get back under the
blankets. He was so damn stubborn.

"Make it waffles and you've got yourself a deal." He replied finally, turning his
body to face me and pulling his legs up under him, sitting on his knees. I felt
cold just looking at him. He was wearing basketball shorts and the sleeves on his
shirt only reached his elbows, there was no way he was even slightly warm in that
outfit.

Yet I couldn't just say yes to his offer, knowing for a fact that we didn't have
any waffles in our freezer. I mean, I could lie and say yes, but I'm fairly certain
he would strangle me when we walked downstairs and I told him I didn't actually
have any food for him.

"We don't have any waffles, we'd have to make them from scratch."

"Well, just how much work are you willing to go through for me?" I bit my lip,
considering for a moment. I'd watched my mother use a waffle iron once before, it
couldn't be that difficult. Besides, it would have been work to make the pancake
mix anyway. It was worth it.

"Get over here." I sighed out in defeat, watching his features light up as I lifted
the covers for him. He ducked under speedily, immediately throwing an arm over my
chest and hitching a leg over my hips. It was like he was trying to get as close to
me as humanly possibly, clinging onto my tightly with a satisfied hum. I tried to
ignore how cold he was, instead concentrating on warming him up as I let my hand
slide up and down his back.

"How many more minutes until you make breakfast?"

"Nine and a half." I replied blandly, rolling my eyes at his impatience. He didn't
reply immediately and I actually believed he'd let us fall into a comfortable
silence, when he cleared his throat and spoke up again.

"What about now?"

"Nine and a quarter." I sighed out, glaring down at the top of his head. I couldn't
see his expression from this angle, but I could just tell he was smirking happily
at his own antics. After that things were silent for what felt like a couple
seconds but was actually two minutes when I looked over at the clock.

"You're wide awake now anyway, we should just get up." Tyler pleaded, squeezing me
to him tighter like that would help me make the decision.

"But it's cold." I pouted, still trying to cling to the shattering shards of my
restraint. I already knew he was going to get his way before the ten minutes were
up, but if I cracked before even halfway it'd just be sad.

"Put a sweater on." He offered, clapping a hand on my bare stomach as if to enforce

his point. I slapped it away though, sighing loudly.

"No." I replied shortly, listening carefully for his next complaint. I was
beginning to actually get used to silence when it was interrupted by a loud
grumble, the unmistakable sound of Tyler's stomach growling like a beast straight
out of Hell filling the room.

"This is your fault. I'm slowly decomposing right next to you." He sighed out
dramatically, his arm abandoning my stomach to be thrown forlornly over his eyes. I
know it was meant to be sarcastic but I couldn't help but feel a bit bad,
especially knowing how much food meant to him. I let my head fall back against the
pillows in defeat, slapping his back before pointing to the other side of the room.

"You are so needy. Go get me a sweater out of my dresser, top drawer to the left."
He immediately jumped up at my order, looking back at me with a grin. I expected
him to dart off after that, shocked when he quickly leaned in and pressed his lips
against my forehead.

He jumped up and started across the room then, thankfully with his back turned to
me so he couldn't see that I was blushing from head to toe. I was so distracted
with trying to calm down my blush that I didn't realize what he was doing until his
signature witch cackle filled the room. I sat up quickly, my eyes going wide when I
seen which drawer he was looking into.

"That's not the left!" I snapped, watching as he clutched his chest to get his
laughter under control. Only after he managed to did he turn back toward me, a
devilish smirk on his lips and his eyebrows wiggling up and down.

"Sexy underwear, Sivan. Lots of bright colors." He giggled, winking at me before

turning back and closing the drawer. While he busied himself with tugging a sweater
out of the over-stuffed drawer I tried to get my even-worse blushing under control,
likely crimson after that wink he'd just given me. It was probably meant to be
sarcastic, but something about it had me feeling hot all over.

He turned back to me, an annoyingly cheery smile still on his lips as he sauntered
over and sat on the bed beside me. The blankets had ended up strewn over my lap
when I sat up so quickly, making it easy to pull the sweater over my head as soon
as I snatched it from him.

After I'd pulled it on I took a deep breath before letting my gaze drift back in
his direction, immediately regretting it when I was met with that stupid smirk and
his dark eyes travelling up and down my body. I reached out and shoved him without
thinking, grabbing a fistful of his shirt when he started to fall backward off the
bed. That still didn't mean he was off the hook though, even if I'd saved him from
falling.

"Stop looking at me like I'm some sort of sex fiend! It's not like you opened the
drawer to a bunch of thongs and assless underwear!" I snapped, letting go of his
shirt to grumpily cross my arms over my chest.

"What's wrong with thongs and assless underwear?" He replied immediately, his
expression dead serious and making me regret my choice of words. Does he wear
thongs or something? Should I take that back? My unsurity must have been shown
pretty clearly on my face, considering Tyler was laughing and cupping my shoulder
reassuringly a moment later. "I'm kidding, ya twink. Let's go get some food
already, I'm starving."

"You're a dick." I muttered, watching as he jumped up and started toward the door,
an eager skip to each of his steps. With a quiet sigh I decided my most dignified
option would be to slip out of bed while his back was turn, begrudgingly letting my
legs kick the blankets the rest of the way off first.

"Let's go!" Tyler beamed, looking back over his shoulder, clearly happy to see me
out of bed for the first time today. I pushed my slippers out from under the edge
of my bed, toeing them on just in time before Tyler threw an arm around my waist
and started tugging me toward the door eagerly.

By the time I made it down the stairs Tyler had already rushed ahead of me into the
kitchen and I could vaguely hear the sound of glass clinking as he likely rummaged
around for a before-breakfast snack. I scoffed at him, deciding to make a detour
over to the electric fireplace and turn it on before worrying about breakfast. I
was beginning to get quite hungry too, but I'd rather not feel like I was walking
through the arctic tundras while trying to mix up a meal. I was still leaned over
messing with the settings when a pair of arms unexpectedly wrapped around my waist
from behind, trying to drag me backward to no success.

"Tyler, cut it out, I need to get this thing to the right temperature." I laughed,
trying to wiggle out of his embrace. He sighed heavily in my ear, stopping trying
to pull me away but not fully letting go, instead just clinging to me as I finished
up with the task.

"I'm hungry." He pouted in my ear, his head resting against my shoulder

comfortably, his lips occasionally brushing against my neck when he spoke.

"Go eat something to tide you over." I replied snappily, straightening back up as I
finished turning it on. He sighed even harder then, letting his legs give out and
leaning all of his weight against my back.

"I did, I ate a whole banana waiting for you." He said dramatically, like it was
the saddest thing I'd ever hear. I rolled my eyes, reaching down an unclasping his
arms from around my torso, forcing him off of me before starting to the kitchen
ahead of him.
"Tyler, I've literally only been at this for thirty seconds at most, it's not my
fault you eat like a hungry lion." I laughed, watching as he ducked past me into
the kitchen at the last second, clearly wanting to be the first in. I walked
directly past him to the cupboard we barely ever opened, knowing the waffle iron
was buried somewhere in there. I got down on my knees and started looking for it,
listening to the sound of Tyler crunching down on whatever snack he'd found now.

Eventually I managed to locate it, covered in dust and in the very back buried
beneath everything else. It had always been so much easier to just buy waffles from
the store and we were a pancake family anyway, nobody had used this thing in a
year. However, it should probably still work. Hopefully anyway, or I'm going to
have one unbearable Tyler to put up with. Speaking of which, I glanced over my
shoulder, smiling as I watched him lather a baby carrot in ranch before clumsily
shoving it into his mouth. I didn't call him out for looking like an idiot and
smearing the dressing all over his chin, deciding it'd be better for his ego to go
on not knowing I'd seen the mishap.

"Can you look me up a recipe on my phone? I have to see if this thing still works."
I called, making sure to drift my attention back to the counter as I sat the iron
down, not wanting him to know I'd been watching him. He groaned like the idea of
putting off eating for even a second was utterly painful, but a moment later I
heard him padding across the kitchen. I didn't look up from the appliance as he
hoisted himself up onto the counter beside it, pretending to be extremely focused
like I knew what I was doing. Really all I had figured out so far was that the
light lit up red when you plugged it into the wall, which I was taking as a good
sign.

"Okay, I've got a recipe, what now?" He said eagerly, reaching out to tap my
shoulder when I didn't immediately reply. I sighed, deciding to worry about the
iron in a minute and looking up to meet his gaze.

"Watch this doesn't catch on fire while I gather up the ingredients."

"You're asking an awful lot of me." He said sarcastically, earning an annoyed scoff
and eye-roll from me as I headed over to the cupboard where we kept most of our
baking ingredients.

"What's first?"

"Eggs, flour, milk, vegetable oil, white sugar, baking powder, salt, and vanilla
extract." I went for the eggs and milk first, retrieving them out of the fridge and
setting them next to Tyler. I went back to the cover then, repeating the
ingredients he'd listed in my head, making a little jingle out of the list so I
wouldn't forget any.

I managed to find most of them without any trouble, organizing them all in a neat
little line on the counter. It wasn't often I baked anything, but I actually
enjoyed it when I did. There was one pesky ingredient that I just couldn't seem to
locate though, coming up short with a box that looked 'good enough'.

"Is baking soda the same as baking powder?" I asked hopefully, praying I wouldn't
have to go back in looking again. Tyler laughed like what I'd asked was totally
ridiculous, his eyes never once looking up from his phone screen as he replied.

"No, it's not. Try again." With a sigh I turned back, deciding to see if some idiot
had put it into the wrong cupboard. Either that or we just didn't have any, which
would really suck after getting everything ready like this.
"Found it!" I shouted excitedly a few minutes later, digging it out of the cupboard
that was normally reserved for after-school snack foods like cookies and pudding. I
didn't question it though, just happy that we actually had some of the stuff. I
walked

Chapter Fourty-Nine
*Tyler's POV*

"You only won because you cheated." Troye panted underneath of me, a teasing smirk
on his lips and his eyes alight with mirth. I scoffed, knowing exactly why he'd
said it but not daring to call him out on it in fear of ruining the moment. Instead
I did what he expected me too, tightening my grip on his butt and relishing in the
breathless mewl that tumbled past his lips.

"I did not cheat, twink." I stated stubbornly, sliding my hands out from under him
effortlessly. I tried to ignore the way he squirmed slightly to stay under my touch
for just a few seconds longer, insisting to myself it was nothing big to get worked
up over right now. So what if he was willingly letting me grope his ass when he'd
barely let me touch him when we first met, it's not a big deal.

Instead I concentrated on getting to my feet, wiping the flour off on my pants

before extending a hand out to him.

"Come on, let's get up." I said simply, watching his lips turn down into a frown.
Still, he wordlessly accepted my help a second later. I pulled him up, watching as
he stumbled slightly and automatically gripped onto my bicep to steady himself,
almost like it was simply reflex to grab for me. I decided to ignore that as well,
trying my best to keep how much all of this meant to me under wraps, at least while
he was in the room. "So, about lunch, I'm assuming this was an all-you-can-eat sort
of deal-"

"Shut-up." He snapped, turning on his heel and heading over to the counter. I
wordlessly followed after him, giving him space to switch the waffles over onto
their rightful plates. Though as soon as I saw him pause I took advantage of the
oppurtunity, moving to stand directly behind him and peer curiously over his
shoulder. While I wanted to be close to him, my main motive had definitely been the
food, my mouth watering at the scent.

"Are they cold now?" He jumped, clearly not expecting me to be so close, my lips
turning up into a smile as I debated the best way to reach around him for the food.

"Well, yeah, but it's your fault-" I cut him off mid-sentence, playfully slapping
his ass before using the other arm to reach around and grab my plate. I tried to
make it seem casual, a simple domestic gesture between friends that weren't really
just friends anymore, though I couldn't fight the nagging worry he would suddenly
spin around and tell me that sort of thing wasn't allowed.

Yet he didn't, and I let out the breath I didn't even know I'd been holding, an
almost giddy feeling enveloping as I realized this meant I could practically touch
him however and whenever I wanted. Well, aside from kissing, because apparently
that suddenly makes everything romantic no matter what. Butt-grabbing- fine. Happy
trail touching- fine. Grinding your hips together on the kitchen floor- fine. But
whatever you do, just don't touch lips.

"Is not. It's your fault for being so stubborn and not just admitting I could
easily dominate you." I replied, glad he had that distracted look on his face that
told me he hadn't noticed the gap between my reply whatsoever. Sometimes his
constant drifting off into his own thoughts could probably be considered annoying,
but it also came in handy more times than I knew.
"I'm not really hungry right now, I think I'm going to go get cleaned up so I don't
feel so weird- I mean gross." I furrowed my brows, finishing the half-eaten bite in
my mouth before turning to face him. He was still standing beside the counter,
looking distracted as he fidgeted awkwardly with the hem of his shirt. I shrugged
my shoulders finally, turning back to my food and deciding I was indifferent on the
situation. I mean, I'd rather spend my time with him, but whatever. I'd already
made the decision I was going to try and stay another night if Troye let me, we'd
have lots of time together.

"Alright, I'll watch TV or something. Be quick though, I might take one too, if you
don't mind." I replied, chewing contently as I thought about how nice it'd be to
smell like Troye's body wash. It'd be like being cuddled up to him all the time.
Well, not quite, but it'd be a decent enough substitute.

I didn't look up at first when I heard him start toward the door, only letting my
eyes drift over after I finished yet another bite of food. They went wide when they
fell on his butt, taking in the prominent white handprint, no doubt from when I'd
slapped his ass just a moment ago.

"What are you laughing at?" He asked quietly, making me realize for the first time
that I was laughing at all. I couldn't help it, it was just so ironic. All I could
think about was the day I'd met him, when I'd gotten so worked up over thinking the
handprints all over him were from his girlfriend or something, and now they were
mine. My handprints were all over him, marking him as mine.

"Nothing, I'm just admiring how good of an accessory those handprints are on your
ass." I replied cheekily, relishing in the loud groan I got in response. I watched
as he turned his body, trying with a bit of a struggle to see what I was talking
about. He didn't look very impressed when he finally did, his eyes rolling and his
bottom lip sucking in between his teeth.

"Well stop admiring my ass and eat your food." He snapped, turning away from me so
fast he missed my eyebrows shooting up at how blunt his words had been. He didn't
usually call me out on my flirting or teasing like that, and it was oddly
satisfying that he had. It was almost like I'd been waiting for him to notice and
call me out on it. Maybe I was just getting tired of this waiting game we were
playing waiting for the other to make a move already.

However this didn't exactly look like making a move should, watching as he eagerly
disappeared out of the room and around the corner. I sighed, waiting until I heard
the sound of his feet on the creaky stairs to push my food aside and sink down over
the table. I know I said I could wait, but what if it takes months for him to grow
a pair and ask me out? What if he's happy like we are and isn't even in a rush to
be with me?

Deciding I'd worry about it all later, I got to my feet and walked my dishes over
to the sink. I cast one glance down at the floor, debating for about a second
whether I should clean it or not. Ultimately I decided it wasn't my problem, unless
Troye asked me to help, which then I would have to agree to. I couldn't just say no
to him like that.

With all of that out of the way I cast a glance toward the living room, trying to
decide if I should bother watching a show or movie or if I should just scroll
through Tumblr. Tumblr. Tumblr always wins. I slid my hand into my pocket, eyebrows
furrowing when I found it empty. I reached around and patted my back pockets then,
eyes going wide when I found them empty as well. I knew where it was now though,
upstairs sitting in the bathroom. I'd used Troye's phone to look up the recipe
earlier and you'd think that would have reminded me, but I guess not. I sighed,
running a hand through my hair as I debated whether it was really worth going after
him. Then again, I might get a glimpse of him in nothing but a towel if I do.

Definitely worth it.

I grin cheekily as I start toward the stairs, practically high on just the thought
of seeing Troye in just a towel. I wonder if he's already in the shower, maybe
he'll get out all dripping and wet to come answer the door for me.

I was about halfway up the stairs when I came back to Earth, looking down and
noticing the trail of flour I was leaving in my wake. Shit. I ripped my shirt over
my head, biting my lip nervously as I folded it up, making sure there was no place
the flour could fall out. I didn't want to make an even worse mess of his house,
his parents would likely disown me then.

I wasn't surprised to find he hadn't shut the door to his room, considering all of
my stuff was in there and he couldn't exactly lock me out. However, the door to his
bathroom was obviously closed, but I furrowed my brows when I didn't hear the water
running yet. Is he okay? I knew I was probably just stressing over nothing, but
after growing up most of my life 'looking out' for my mother, worrying like mad
over everything was definitely a trait I'd developed. I started across the room,
chewing on my bottom lip nervously. I made no effort to be quiet, half-hoping that
Troye would hear me and call out. However, he didn't, my nerves only growing to the
point of almost-panic when I came to stand on the other side of the door. What if
he'd fell and hit his head? I don't do well with blood and I'm sure I'd find some
way to blame it on myself, for not keeping him near or something stupid. I stopped
walking when my feet were practically pressed against the door, taking a deep
breath as I listened for any sounds on the other side. Surely he'd be crying or
something if he hurt himself, granted he was conscious.

I let out a breath of relief when I did hear noise, furrowing my brows just a
second later when I realized it was panting. Was the trip up the stairs really that
much work for him? Or maybe he did hurt himself and was just trying to get his
breathing back under control. Not giving it another second's though, I reached up
and quickly knocked on the door.

"Troye?" The seconds ticked by without a reply, other than his loud breathing. That
didn't exactly help my theory he was hurt and I was about to demand he reply
already, when he cleared his throat quietly.

"Y-Yeah?" He didn't sound in pain, which relieved me considerably, but there was no
denying that there was something off about his voice. It didn't sound like him.
Well, there's one way to find out what's up.

"Have you seen my phone? I think I might have left it in the bathroom when I was
brushing my teeth. Are you in the shower yet?" Obviously I knew he wasn't, but I
figured it was the polite thing to ask. If he didn't want to answer the door to me
he could just pretend he was already completely undressed or something.

"I can hand it out to you." He replied, his voice still slightly off. I furrowed my
brows, still trying to figure out what was bugging me and completely forgetting to
reply. It's deeper! That's what's different! Is he not feeling well or something?

I was jolted from my thoughts when the door suddenly creaked open, my eyes going
wide with anticipation only to have a hand shoved out at me. Just a hand, no
glimpses at barely-clothed Troye. I started to turn with a disappoitned frown
blatant on my face, when the sound of the door creaking further had me snapping
back around with a sudden burst of cheerfulness.
My eyes landed on his face immediately, going wide when I seen how red his cheeks
were. His hairline was slicked with a sheen of sweat too, my eyebrows furrowing.
Was he actually sick? He didn't give me a chance to ask though, before his eyes
were drifting lower, raking over my body. My eyebrows raised impossibly high then,
shocked by how unapologetically he was checking me out. He wasn't even making an
effort to be discreet, his eyes dark and... Lustful? That was a new look on him, my
stomach doing flips as I watched him. It didn't really make any sense that he'd be
sick and horny though so what was actually- Oh.

I could physically feel the hot blush spread across my cheeks with that
realization, though the heat wasn't really just limited to my face. I cleared my
throat, hoping I could manage to make it seem casual and cover up what I was
actually thinking. I slowly folded my arms over my chest, forcing his eyes back up
to mine. Not that I had a problem with him checking me out, I was just kind of
spiteful I didn't get to do the same to him.

"I decided to just change clothes rather than take a whole shower. Do you mind if I
borrow a shirt? Mine aren't warm enough." I asked simply, secretly hoping he'd walk
out to choose one from me. However he didn't, and I turned around to go find one,
only to find one already strewn across his bed. I guess he must have left it there
while choosing his outfit this morning, but it made my life easier as I simply
strutted over and picked it up. I didn't miss the sound Troye made from the back of
his throat when I turned around though, my own breath catching as I thought about
why he'd made it.

It was pretty clear what he'd been doing behind closed doors by now, however it was
a totally different thing to think I might have been the cause. I wonder if he's
staring at me right now. After I'd thought it I couldn't help from swinging my hips
with each step, purposely giving him something to look at.

After I reached the bedside I picked up the sweater, holding it in front of my body
as if to preview what it'd look like on. I wasn't even really cold at this point,
the thoughts and feelings Troye was unintentionally giving me making me feel the
complete opposite actually, but I had to follow through now that I'd brought it up.
When he didn't give me an outward reaction I just lifted it over my head, squirming
into it and pretending to struggle so he'd have a chance to watch my muscles flex
without worrying about me catching him. He probably didn't realize that I knew he
was doing it anyway, which only made my heart beat faster. Reluctantly, I finally
slipped it on completely, poking my head out and turning slightly to the right to
face him. I made sure to keep a huge smile on my face, hoping it wasn't obvious I
knew exactly what was going on.

"Can I?"

"Fuck. I mean, no, help yourself. My clothes are your clothes, take whatever you
want. Okay bye, I'm going to go shower. Bye." He spluttered out awkwardly,
immediately slamming the door shut and leaving me standing by myself in the middle
of his bedroom. I looked around, at a loss for what to do now. I had my phone, I
could always go back downstairs. Well, I already came all the way up here, I might
as well just use my laptop.

I tried not to think about what Troye might be doing in the room over, throwing
myself on the bed and squirming across to the other side where my laptop was laying
on the air mattress. I snatched it up eagerly, letting out a huff of air through my
teeth when I seen it wasn't charged. Again, I was forced to stretch out over the
side of the bed, trying to reach as far as possible without aqctually having to get
up. I grabbed my bag with a triumphant smile, tugging the charging cord out of it
and sitting back up. I was in the process of trying to decide whether to plug it in
here or just head back downstairs, when an echoed noise had me stopping in my
tracks.

You're kidding. You've got to be kidding me.

I settled back on my haunches, eyes wide and alert as I waited to see if there'd be
any follow-up to that first noise. It was only a matter of seconds before another
long winding moan came from the room over, my muscles tensing at just the sound. I
swallowed roughly, staring at the door like he was going to walk out any second and
accuse me of listening in. However, I could still hear the water running and I
really doubted he'd do that before he even came, so I was also probably worrying
over nothing. Still, was it right to listen in on him like this? Probably not, but
it's not like I could bring myself to stop now. Besides, it's not like he was
really making an effort to be quiet.

Instead I settled down on his bed, plugging in my laptop and making myself
comfortable, trying not to get too distracted in the process. I fell onto the bed
finally, opening up Tumblr, but for once, my attention wasn't on my laptop screen.
All I could think about was what Troye was doing, listening intently each time his
whimpers or moans would get just loud enough to hear over the sound of running
water. Imagine if I was the one causing him to make all of those noises.

Just that one thought caused a slew of images and thoughts I didn't even think I
was dirty-minded enough to imagine, a whimper similar to Troye's leaving my lips.
Imagine if he'd invited me into the shower with him instead of slamming the door in
my face. I could have helped him, push him back against the shower wall and sink to
my knees in front of him, looking up at him through my eyelashes. He'd probably
look so hot like that, water droplets rolling over his body and his eyes screwed
shut in ecstasy.

Oh God, what am I doing to mysel-

"Ah! Fuck!" My own thoughts were cut-off by Troye's shout, followed by the most
laviscious moan I'd ever heard. I hadn't even realized how uncomfortable my pants
were starting to get until then, when my hand unconsciously slipped down and cupped
at the bulge forming in them. I hissed, forcing my hand off of myself as I realized
what I was doing. And in Troye's bed! Ugh, the things that boy manages to do to me.

Instead I forced my eyes back on my laptop screen, positioning it further down my

legs on purpose. It probably wasn't noticeable yet, but I didn't want to risk it.
If Troye noticed a bulge in my jeans there would really only be one conclusion as
to why it was there. Of course my mind wasn't really on the jokes and gifs all over
my dash, but that was to be expected. I mean, I'm pretty sure the only thing I'll
be able to think about at all for the next year is the sound of Troye's moans.

I was still thinking about them when Troye walked out of the bathroom, freezing in
his steps when he saw me laying on the bed. I tried not to think about it, I really
did, but I couldn't help but let my eyes land on the crotch of his pants. It was
only for a second though, and he still seemed pretty distracted to see me there at
all, so I wasn't too worried about it as I forced my eyes back to the screen.

I wasn't sure what I expected Troye to do, maybe come up with some sort of excuse
to go downstairs and leave me here, but I definitely wasn't expecting him to throw
himself onto the bed next to me.

"What'cha doing?" He asked, clearly deciding not to acknowledge what had gone down
in the shower. Maybe that was for the best.

"Tumblr." I replied, not even pausing in my scrolling for a second. He knows I'm
gay now anyway and he literally just got off knowing I was listening in, is he
really going to care if he sees I have porn all over my blog? Hell, he'd probably
enjoy it with his thirsty ass.

As expected, it was only a couple of seconds before he spoke up.

"Are you... Are you a porn blog?" He asked tentatively, my mouth quirking up into a
smirk as I watched him react to the gif I'd settled on. I'd chosen it on purpose,
knowing how hot and bothered it had made me a few days ago when I'd first seen it.

"Not entirely." I replied quietly, giving him all my concentration and watching as
he seemed to react in a similar manner. I watched his Adam's apple bob as he
swallowed, almost perfectly in time with when streaks of white covered the guy's
face. He looked so hot like this, his eyes all dark and breathing quick. I can't
wait til I get to be the one to cause it.

After that it was clear he tried to cover his reactions up more, which was
understandable. He probably didn't want to be getting all hot and bothered in bed
next to me, too bad it's too late for me. Though to be fair, I did have a much more
reasonable reason than a couple of porn gifs.

Between questioning me about my blog, bragging about his follower count, and
actually letting me see his blog, I nearly forgot about my problem. Up until the
point he threatened to sue me if porn came up on his dash when his family was in
the room, which had automatically led me to blurt the first thing that came to
mind.

"What happens when it ends up on your dash when your family isn't in the room?" I
watched in rapt fascination as his cheeks darkened, his eyes darting away from
mine. However, he didn't even make an effort to insist otherwise, which was not
something I'd been expecting. I felt my own cheeks redden at just the thought,
knowing already I was now going to wonder how he reacted every single time I reblog
something. However, I wasn't about to let the thoughts give away my situation,
instead covering it up with a casual giggle and looking back to the screen. It
didn't last much long than a couple seconds though, before I realized just how much
tighter my pants had gotten since he laid down on the bed beside me. Obvously it
wasn't just from having him near, but all the porn talk didn't exactly help.

I couldn't just sit here like this though, even with the laptop on my hips it was
only a matter of time before we got up and he'd notice. Clearly the best idea was
to go have a shower myself, either a cold one or actually take care of it like he
had. That would be weird though, right? Either way, I'm going to take a shower, so
I might as well ask him already.

"Do you mind if I take a shower after all? I kind of underestimated how gross flour
in my hair would feel." I lied, running a hand through my hair. It was practically
all out now anyway, but he didn't have to know that.

"Yeah, if you want to, make yourself at home. Do you plan on staying another
night?" He asked, when I was already starting to roll over. I didn't stop though,
just rolling onto my side and placing the laptop down on the air mattress. It's not
like I could turn back now, the tent in my pants would be totally obvious
considering I wasn't even under the blankets. Hopefully he doesn't think it's weird
when I don't turn back.

"Are you inviting me to?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at him. I'd been
expecting him to just answer yes or no then I could make my decision and leave,
eyes going wide when he slid closer to me instead. I was tense in his arms as they
slipped around my waist and pulled me back against his chest.
"Stay as long as you want, granted you cut out this waking me up before noon thing
you do." He giggled, the sound utterly adorable despite how uncomfortable the
situation was. I smiled despite myself, glad he couldn't really see it from where
he was. Or at least I didn't think he could, but his answering squeeze could have
easily been mistaken for a reaction. I didn't really have time to figure it out
though, gasping as his hands slid lower with the movement, fingers brushing over
the bare skin at the base of my stomach. Is this what he felt like last night when
I touched him here? God, I'm not sure if I feel sorry now or even more glad that I
did. If only his hand slid just a bit low- No. I'm not thinking about that with him
literally spooning me.

"Alright, I'll be out in a bit." I announced coldly, purposely not letting any
emotions bleed into my voice. I rolled out of his arms then, careful to keep my
front facing away from him as I walked toward the bathroom. I was halfway there
when I was struck with the realization he still hadn't even tried to move off the
bed. Is he going to stay there while I'm in the shower? That's not such a good
idea. "You should go clean up the flour mess before your parents get home."

"Yeah, I might." He said distractedly, his tone making it very clear he had no
intention of listening to my suggestion. Damn it, that little shit. I wonder if he
realizes what he's doing, I hope not. I couldn't really do anything about it
though, just continuing on until the doorway until I looked back at him. I pouted
my lower lip out just barely, hoping he'd take pity and just leave the room
already. Sure, I listened to him get off but I'm more shy than- Okay, he's more shy
than me usually, but I guess not when it comes to this sort of thing.

Or maybe he was just so horny he didn't care-

"What?" I raised my eyebrows, taking a minute to realize I was still staring at him
like that. I sighed again, shaking my head in dismissal.

"Nothing." I said quietly, turning and heading into the bathroom. I closed it, only
waiting until it was locked to immediately strip myself of my clothes. It was only
after I'd taken them off that I realized I hadn't carried a change in with me, but
whatever. I'm sure he's not going to complain about seeing me in a towel. Lucky
shit, I didn't get to see him in a towel.

I grabbed Troye's body wash, deciding to finish up with the shower rather quickly
so I didn't have to leave him waiting for too long. That, and I'd remembered just
after getting into the shower that I'd left both my laptop and my phone out there,
and he knew the password to both. Between hacking my social media and browsing my
computer search history, I wasn't sure we were quite to the level of friendship
where that wouldn't make things extremely awkward. Then again, up until quite
recently, I also didn't think we were to the point we could listen in on each other
masturbating without it even being awkward afterward but here we are. I guess the
next step is getting each other off, huh?

A smile threatened to break out across my lips at the thought, but I made sure to
ward it off, realizing how awkward it'd probably be to walk out of the bathroom
with a smile that big when he knew damn well what I'd just done.

Instead I walked out with a strained blank expression, forcing the smile off my
lips. I didn't have to worry about it for long though, considering the frown came
pretty naturally when I found the bedroom empty. Shit. Where was he? Maybe I was
wrong and he didn't do it on purpose. What if I weirded him out?

I tried not to give myself too much time to worry about it, hiking the towel
further up on my hips and starting across the room. I didn't bother to lock the
door, considering I planned on heading back to the bathroom before actually getting
dressed. I mean, I wasn't exactly opposed to showing off my muscles if he was to
walk back in right now. I'd spent ages to get to the fitness level I was at, if I
could use them to impress Troye then of course I would.

Then came the annoying chore of trying to figure out what to where, knowing I'd
only packed enough stuff for one night. Okay, that's a lie, of course I came
prepared with enough clothes for three weeks, but I'm going to keep telling myself
that so I don't feel so bad when I tell the same lie to Troye in order to explain
myself when I walk out wearing his shirt. It sounded more reasonable than just
saying I liked wearing his clothes because they smelled like him and because it
made me feel like we were something more than we were. I'm pretty sure that'd count
as confessing to him.

With that in mind I snatched the first pairs of pants and underwear I saw, throwing
them over my shoulder and making my way to where I really wanted to be. The towel
still clinging to my hips, I made my way toward his dresser. I smiled, purposely
avoiding the drawer I'd peeked into earlier. Instead I tried my luck with the one
under in, eyes lighting up in excitement when I realized I'd chosen the right one.
An array of t-shirts was folded neatly in it, most of which were black. He was so
predictable. Though, in the very bottom of the drawer, his wardrobe got nearly as
colorful as his underwear choices. I was about to reach for the brightest color I
could find, before a sudden realization hit me and I grabbed the black instead. I
was going to have to put more thought into what colors would go with my hair now,
huh?

I threw it over my shoulder on top of my other clothing articles, turning on my

heel. I only got about halfway though, when my eyes fell on something on the floor.
Wedged between his desk and the wall, was a slither of paper, just enough showing
to make out the title of the page. "Happy Little Pill". I quirked my eyebrows,
remembering the name from yesterday. I wonder what it is, and why he'd tried to
hide it after I left the room. Should I pick it up? Probably, he might lose it if I
don't. Really I'm just looking out for him, and if I happen to catch a glimpse at
what else is on the paper it's merely coincidence.

I bit my lip, debating it for one last second before clutching my towel tighter and
bending over. It'd probably be pretty awkward if he walked in right now, but
thankfully I managed to grab it and straighten back up without any interruptions. I
skimmed my eyes over the title and the date, noticing it was only written a couple
days ago. Is it really an invasion of privacy to read the rest of it? We share
basically everything with each other now, I can't think of a single secret I'm
keeping from him. Well, aside from the fact that I want to bone him, but it's not
like I'm even making a big deal to keep that secret, I make it as obvious as I can
without actually telling him. So it's hardly fair if he gets to be all secretive,
right?

Apparently that was all the convincing I needed, considering my eyes were scanning
the text on their own a moment later. As I started to read through the first few
lines, absolutely nothing made sense. It wasn't until I was halfway through that I
realized they were lyrics. Song lyrics. He's writing a song, how cool is that? But
why was he trying to hide it from me? I sat on the office chair by his desk, my
eyes still glued to the paper and re-reading everything on it. There were a lot of
things crossed out and moved around, but what he had so far was awesome.

It was only my third read-through that it sunk in he might not actually be talking
about pills. He could be talking about anything that made him feel like that
really, maybe the pill is just a metaphor. It could be about a sport, or a pet, or
a... Or a person.
You don't have to tell me it was vain, because I know it was, but that didn't stop
the smile from tugging at my lips the fourth time I read through with a familiar
person in mind. I'm not saying I'm assuming he wrote the song about me, it could be
about anything, but imagine if he did? I've never had anyone even make the effort
to send me good morning texts or compliment my outfits before him, to have an
entire song written about me would be surreal.

Maybe not the song being written about me in general, but what it would mean
considering the lyrics. Whether it's me or not, I'm just happy he's found something
that can brighten his days like that. There's such a contrast looking at him now
compared to who he was a couple of months ago, and if I played even a tiny part in
that then-

"Tyler, are you decent?" I jumped at the sudden pound on the door, my grip
loosening to the point the paper slipped through my fingers. My eyes went wide and
I bit on my bottom lip, watching in horror as it floated through the air down
toward the floor. I debated lunging forward and shoving it somewhere, anywhere, but
I was also pretty concerned about how low my towel was riding on my hips
considering Troye could walk in any second. I decided to attempt both, tugging it
up before launching myself at the floor. I fell onto my stomach and had just
grabbed the paper to shove under the bed, when the dreaded noise of the door
creaking open had me sighing and dropping my head against the floor instead. Just
great.

"Tyler? Ty- What the hell are you doing?" Troye sounded utterly amused, giggling
slightly and giving me a jolt of hope that maybe he wouldn't be upset after all. I
shrugged my shoulders, still not daring to look up at him. "Where are your clothes?
Is that my shirt? Why do you have my shirt- What's that?"

"What's what?" I asked cautiously, choosing to ignore how panicked his voice had
suddenly gone on the last two words. I knew exactly what he was talking about,
however I was more than happy to play dumb if it kept him from getting mad at me.

"The piece of paper in your hand." I sighed when I heard this, recognizing the
utterly fed-up tone to his voice. Playing dumb was definitely not an option.

"Song lyrics, as far as I can tell." I mumbled, guilt washing over me as I

continued to refuse to look up. I didn't want to see how disappointed in me he was.

"Y-You read them?" He stuttered out, how weak and nervous his voice sounded only
making me feel a thousand times worse. Ugh, why did I do that? However, it was too
late to avoid it now, I might as well act confident in my choice.

"No, I used a mathematical procedure involving the space between letters and the
amount of letters per line to-"

"Tyler, I'm not kidding around. You read it? All of it?" He didn't cut me off like
that usually, and never with such a serious tone. What have I done? I swallowed
roughly before sitting up, making sure the towel stayed covering my lap as I moved
into a sitting position in the middle of his floor.

"I might have skimmed it, yeah." I muttered, staring at his feet rather than daring
to meet his gaze just yet. I noticed he'd put on socks, mismatched ones that didn't
match the rest of his all-black outfit at all. One yellow and one pink, how very
manly. They also worked as a very nice distraction from my current situation.

"I specifically told you not to read it! What made you think you could just-" I cut
him off, not sure whether I felt more defensive or guilty.
"Hey! You didn't tell me not to read it! You just hid it when I went to get
changed, that's not technically a no-"

"Oh, well I'm sorry I didn't spell it out for you, I figured you'd be able to put
two and two together and just assume I didn't want you to see it if I hid it from
you!" He snapped, his tone so genuinely angry I couldn't bring myself to stop as my
eyes flickered up to his face. That didn't really relieve me any though, only
making me feel impossibly worse when I seen how red his cheeks were and how cold
his eyes looked all the sudden. I'd never seen them like that. Well, that's not
true, but not since the first day I spoke with him after the cafeteria accident.
It's like he was looking right through me rather than at me.

Still, the stubborn streak in me refused to just roll over and grovel at his feet.
It's not like what I did was that wrong. He hadn't directly told me not to look at
it, and it's not like I was making fun of him or anything. I was just curious and
read it. Who cares? It's hardly a big deal.

"I'm sorry, my bad, I just figured after spilling my heart out to you on my
sexuality we were on the level where I could read your song lyrics!" I shouted,
anger boiling through me the more I thought about it. How could he stand there and
make such a big deal over something so small? Even if the lyrics have a lot of
meaning to him, it's not like I understand it. Coming out to him about my sexuality
I've repressed for years is a way bigger deal.

"That's different!" He insisted, glaring at me with his arms crossed over his
chest. He took a step closer, snatching the piece of paper out of my hand where
it'd been loosely gripped. I didn't really care about the loss, more concerned
about what he'd just said. Did he really think this meant more than me coming out?

"How?"

"Your sexuality wasn't surprising or a secret, you're more open about it than I
am!" He shouted, my jaw unhinging slightly at his words. Did he really mean that?

"I guess I shouldn't have bothered coming out at all then, huh?" It was meant to
sound spiteful and offensive like his words had, instead coming out a mere whisper
and showing way more emotion than it was supposed to. He wasn't supposed to know
what I was feeling. He definitely didn't deserve to know he'd hurt me with his
stupid words.

"Tyler, that's not what I meant." Troye blurted immediately, all hostilaty gone
from his voice. That didn't make me forget what he'd sounded like just a minute ago
though, didn't make me forget what he'd said either.

I got to my feet, digging my nails deep into the towel as I drug it further up my
hips. It was probably next to impossible to seem angry and make a dramatic exit
while wearing nothing but a towel, but I was determined. I completely ignored the
fact he'd spoken up, gathering up the clothes, aside from his shirt. I didn't
really want to wear it anymore anyway. I'd shove my own sweater on.

"Tyler, don't do this." His tone was almost pleading now, his hand settling on my
forearm and squeezing lightly. I just ripped it away from his grip though, steeling
my expression and shaking my head.

"No, you're right. It was obvious and I was stupid for making such a big deal over
it. I'm such a freaking kid sometimes." I muttered, stomping into the bathroom. I
planned to slam the door immediately, but looking back at him he just looked so
pathetic. He'd fallen onto the end of the bed, his head in his hands and fingertips
angrily clenching around his flat quiff.

"No, it was a big deal to you. Stop putting words in my mouth, that's not what I
meant." His voice was practically a growl now, his teeth clearly clenched even as
he spoke. I debated walking back out to him, I really did, before my eyes fell on
the piece of paper on the floor between us and a whole new bout of spite found me.
I slammed the door without remorse, purposely making sure it was enough to make the
walls shake.

It was only after it had clicked into place and I'd locked it, that my anger
started to dissipate. I dried myself off hastily, repeatedly telling myself not to
feel bad in my head. I got dressed in the two clothing garments I'd carried in,
towel-drying my hair and walking over to look in the mirror. I didn't look angry,
that was for sure. I looked sad and disappointed, yes, but not angry. Actually, I
look exactly like Troye did before I walked in here. I wonder if he feels as
miserable as I do.

I walked back out into the other room less than a minute later, forcing my eyes to
stay on the floor as I shuffled over to where my bag was. I wasn't sure just how
exactly I was going to get home, walking I guess, but I wasn't really in the mood
to stay here any longer. I wasn't in the mood to be near anyone, much less Troye.

I was halfway finished stuffing my stuff into the bookbag unfolded and messily, a
sweater already shoved over my head, when it was pulled away from me. With a glare
I looked up, seeing Troye for the first time since coming back out of the bathroom.
I felt bad when the first thing I noticed was the faint wet streaks on his cheeks,
realizing I'd made him cry. I never wanted to make him cry.

"You know I wouldn't say any of that." He whispered, hugging the backpack to his
chest like it'd keep me from leaving. Well, he did have a point, I wasn't about to
go anywhere without my laptop. With a sigh, I decided I might as well give in and
just talk to him. I'm not going to get out of here any other way.

"I don't know you wouldn't think it." I spat, locking eyes with him, narrowing my
eyes into a challenging glint. He didn't stare back with the same ferocity, but he
didn't look away from my eyes either.

"Well, I guess you'll have to trust me."

"Isn't that a little bit hypocritical of you to ask?" I replied immediately,

feeling a bit bad when I seen him shrink away from my harsh tone. However, that
didn't keep me from snatching the bag out of his grip at the sign of distraction,
swinging it over one shoulder and starting toward the door. I'd made it to the
doorway, when the soft sound of him clearing his throat had me hesitating for just
a second.

"It's not done yet. I didn't want you to see it until I was completely happy with
it. And I... I wanted to be able to sing it to you when I was." I didn't turn
around, just staring down at the wooden floorboards of his hallway with my eyebrows
scrunched together. He wanted to sing to me. "I don't know if you realized just
skimming through it, but it's written about you."

"I had my suspicions." I blurted, eyes going wide when I realized I'd said it out
loud. However, when it was greeted with a soft giggle and a quiet 'it's pretty
obvious, huh?', I didn't really have the strength to regret it.

"I'm sorry." And if I had even an ounce of resistance left in me, that weak little
whispered apology was more than enough to banish it. With a defeated sigh, I turned
to face him, leaning my weight against the doorframe. He'd moved up the bed
slightly, his back against the headboard and knees brought up against his chest. He
had his chin leaning on them, his eyes wide and curious as they eyed me from across
the room, as if trying to gauge what I was thinking. I reached up, running my hand
t

Chapter Fifty
*Troye's POV*

I was the first one to wake up the next morning, feeling like some sort of zombie
as I tried to disentangle myself from Tyler's limbs and the rogue blankets and
pillows all over the place. Half of our fort had collapsed during the night and the
chair my laptop was sitting on didn't look nearly as stable as it did when we dozed
off, but other than that there was no real damage done. Well, aside from the damage
to my sleep schedule after staying up until 5am watching movies.

We didn't spend the whole time watching movies though, there was a bit of
playfighting and random storytelling thrown in there too. I remember we made some
type of bet that had to do with the first one who started to fall asleep having to
tell a secret, which had ultimately led to him telling me the bedwetting story and
me laughing so hard my parents yelled at us at 2am. We made sure to be quieter
after that, though it still wasn't enough for us to just give in and go to sleep.
His story had opened up a door for conversation and of course I was going to use
it.

We didn't really talk about anything in particular, just sharing opinions and
thoughts until we were physically unable to keep our eyes from falling shut and our
breathing from slowing down. Then the next thing you know, I'm waking up now.

Tyler seemed a lot more comfortable than I was, one of his legs thrown over a huge
blanket pile and the rest of his body wrapped tightly around it. That should have
made it easy for me to get out of the mess, but I was wrapped around him in exactly
the same way, all of my limbs entwined with his, his back pressed tightly against
my chest.

I was in the process of trying to figure out a way to get away from him or at the
very least wake him up sweetly, when the door suddenly flew open with an ear-
splitting crash. Tyler jumped awake, flinching back against me. Instinctively, I
did the opposite of what I'd been trying to achieve, tightening my grip around him
and letting my face sink into the fluffy head of purple hair.

What's going on? Oh wait, this is Troye's room! These must be Troye's arms then.

I couldn't fight the reaction smile as he snuggled further back into me.

Tyde barged into the room then, wearing an atrocious outfit of red basketball
shorts and a purple muscle top, the yellow headband failing to match any aspect of
the rest of his outfit. He was breathless and covered in sweat, my nose scrunching
up despite not actually being able to smell him.

"What do you want?" I groaned out, my low gravelly voice surprising even myself. I
didn't usually talk right after waking up, normally laying in bed or doing my own
thing for an hour or more after.

"I just got back from the store, did Tyler know he was supposed to work today?" He
panted out, Tyler's entire body jerking upright and half-dragging me up with him. I
simply let myself fall back into the blankets once he got his arms out from around
mine though, resisting the urge to giggle when I saw how his hair was rubbing up
against the top of the blanket fort and standing on-end.
"Shit! What time is it?" He asked, the question clearly directed at Tyde. Tyde
looked almost guilty now, like he hadn't expected at all to send Tyler into full
panic mode.

"Noon." He muttered, backing out of the room slowly as Tyler started to wiggle his
lower half out from under the covers at a frantic pace. I didn't blame Tyde when he
ducked back into the hall, knowing it was probably for the best considering how
much Tyler was obviously panicking.

He finally managed to disentangle himself a second later, immediately snatching up

his phone charger and one of his shirt from his side of the pillow fort. With them
still in hand, he turned to face me and started to awkwardly shimmy in my
direction. All of his stuff was on the other side of me and the only other way to
that side of the room was to get out of the fort and jump over the bed, so it made
sense for him to crawl over me. However, he was about halfway, one leg and one hand
on either side of my body, when an idea hit me and I reached up and clamped onto
his shoulders, keeping him still.

"Calm down, you're only an hour late, you're going to be fine." I said levelly,
keeping eye contact with him and keeping my grip unrelenting. At first he was
fidgeting and his eyes kept darting toward the door, but as I finished speaking
they finally met with mine. He sighed then, a warm smile finding his lips despite
how obviously he was trying to seem annoyed.

"Shut-up." He muttered, lifting a hand with a bit of a struggle and demolishing my

already-messy hair.

He looks so cute with his hair flat.

He completely frizzed it up, my hands flying up to stop him without thinking,

giving him a perfect getaway method. I sighed, watching as he scrambled off me and
continued where he'd left off, picking up all of his things and messily shoving
them into his bag.

I didn't move at all as he buzzed around the room, humming softly as he gathered
every last clothing piece and accessory up. He didn't stop at that though, even
dismantling the blanket fort while I stayed laying there inside of it, one arm
strewn over my forehead in a failed attempt to block out the sunlight.

"Are you going to get up?" He asked finally, causing me to open my eyes for the
first time in about five minutes. They went wide when I seen how spotless my room
was, in total disbelief he'd managed to clean it so well without me even hearing
it. However, I quickly wiped the shock off my face, sinking further down into the
pillows with a determined pokerface.

"Nah, probably not." I replied smugly, sighing contently as I nuzzled further into
the blankets.

"Troye, I need you to drive me to work, I'm already running late!" He was obviously
beginning to get annoyed with me, judging by the dramatic stomp of his foot that
followed. Realizing I wasn't going to get out of this without getting out of bed, I
decided to at least use it to my advantage. Maybe I could bribe Tyler into letting
me bum around the store with him or hear him beg.

"Maybe if you asked nicely I would-" I was cut-off by Tyler knocking the breath out
of me, randomly falling onto my stomach and straddling it. My mouth suddenly felt
dry as I lifted my arm, eyes taking a minute to adjust to the light before they
could really focus on Tyler's face. It was worth the wait though, my jaw unhinging
slightly as I watched him pout his bottom lip out and bat his eyelashes.
His hands landed on my stomach, splaying his fingers out and running the flat palms
slowly up my torso. My breath hitched, heart pounding and my skin hot everywhere he
touched it. Thank God I didn't wear a shirt last night.

"Do you think you could maybe..." He whispered, his voice almost a purr with all
the obvious persuasive tones he was letting seep into it. I sucked my lip in
between my teeth as his hands reached my chest, anticipating the feel of his bare
skin against my nipples. However, what I got instead, was a loud triumphant hoot as
he brought a pillow down across my face. "Get your ass out of bed! Come on!"

"You suck." I blurted immediately, genuinely grumpy now after he'd gotten my hopes
up only to disappoint me like that. He didn't really seem to care though, just
hopping off me and standing back up.

"I'm borrowing a shirt." He announced loudly, turning around and not even giving me
a chance to protest before he was ripping the shirt he had on over his head. I
wasn't going to call him out for how apt he was to steal my clothes, knowing for a
fact I'd do the same thing if I had the guts to. Besides, if it meant watching him
change more, who am I to complain?

"Okay." I muttered distractedly, watching his muscles flex as he wiggled into one
of my shirts. It wasn't a secret I was built smaller than him, but my clothes all
still fit him. They just... hugged his body a little tighter. Which, once again, I
am definitely not complaining.

"Let's go." He demanded as soon as he was clothed, standing beside my blanket pile
and extending a hand to me. I had no intention of taking it though, instead
crossing my arms and glaring up at the ceiling. He had to know he couldn't just get
away with teasing me like that when-

"Hey! Ty!" I screeched in protest, squirming as he drug me to my feet forcibly. I

sighed after he let me go free, snapping my arm back against my chest with an
annoyed pout. He started toward the door without another word, my eyes going wide
when I realized he was leaving without me. "One second, I'm not even dressed yet!"
I shouted after him, watching as he froze in spot. He sighed loudly then, turning
on his heel and stomping back over toward me. He took an unexpected left turn
though, snatching a shirt out of my open-drawered dresser and walking back to me.

"Here." I extended my hand, expecting him to hand it to me. That wasn't his plan,
as I learned a moment later, a grunt of annoyance leaving my lips as he dunked the
shirt over my head. I squirmed uselessly for a second before finally finding the
arm holes, trusting he hadn't put it on backward as I slid my head out.

"I hate you."

"Don't care." He replied without missing a beat, snatching my hand and practically
dragging me out of the room, still wearing my pajama bottoms. Whatever, they were
all black anyway, hopefully no one would notice.

He steered me out of the room, only giving me half a second to snatch my keys
before we were headed down the stairs at a dangerous pace. His grip on my hand was
so tight it was almost painful, but at least his hand was in mine.

Somehow managing not to trip on our way down the steps we paused for a second in
the middle of the living room, Tyler clearly not expecting my entire family to be
lounged around on the couches. It probably was a pretty huge from the empty house
we were in yesterday though.
He regained his composure after a second though, lifting his free hand and waving
it high above our heads at all my family members.

"Bye, Mellets!" He shouted, surprising me when he immediately started toward the

door again, nearly tugging my arm out of it's socket.

"Bye, Tyler!" My parents replied, Sage and Tyde clearly too invested in their phone
and television screen to react. He didn't seem too downhearted by that though, just
continuing his zippy pace and slipping his shoes on once we reached the entryway.
He hiked his backpack up further on his shoulder before throwing open the door and
leading me out.

After that neither of us spoke a word to each other during the drive. The only
contact we had at all was me slapping his hand away when he reached for the radio,
which gave me an unexpected insight into his thoughts. It wasn't the thought
reading itself that was unexpected, I knew that was a likely happening when I
touched people, it was the thought. All he was thinking about was choosing his
outfit for school on Monday, something about trying to find a color to match his
hair. I didn't really care about that, what had my jaw dropping and confusion
coursing through my veins was the way I could see the outfits as he pictured them.
I'd only ever heard thoughts, in the voice of the thinker, but I never seen things
like this.

I didn't get long to try and understand what the sudden change meant though,
considering Tyler was screaming at me and reminding me I was in the middle of
driving. With a quirk swerve on the empty road I was back where I was supposed to
be, though my thoughts definitely weren't.

This had better not be a normal occurrence. It was one thing reading things
basically every time Tyler and I touched this weekend, but I don't want to see
things, even if they're Tyler's thoughts. Imagine if I brush up against someone in
school and get a vivid image of their gross drunken hook-up last night. No, that is
the absolute last thing I want... So how do I turn it off?

When we arrived at the store I was really stressing myself out about it, only to be
drawn out of the thought whirlpool as quickly as I fell in. Who knew all it'd take
as Tyler's hand on my chin, gently cupping it and turning my face in his direction.
He was looking at me with fascination clear in his eyes, disbelief etched across
his features.

"How the hell did you do that?" My eyes went wider than his then, lurching backward
away from him as if instinctively.

"What? Do what?" I blurted, immediately assuming the worst. What if he could tell
I'd read his mind or something? What if he saw into my mind too? I don't know how
any of this works and it's so fucking frustrating!

"Drive the entire way here without paying attention to the road at all, it was
weird." He replied, giving me a weird look. I let out a breath of relief, realizing
I'd been freaking out for nothing. Well, I guess it was still sort of a big deal,
but I'd worry about that later.

"Oh... I guess I just have the route memorized." I muttered, blushing under his
intent stare. He probably thought I was really weird now or something, driving the
whole way here without even watching the road.

"That doesn't mean you don't have to pay attention! Obstacles appear everyday, you
could have gotten us killed!" He lectured, raising his voice to almost a shout. I
felt even worse now, sinking back against the door as far away from him as
possible. Apparently noticing how uncomfortable I was, he softened his glare into a
lovingly irritated smile, unbuckling his seatbelt and shifting closer to me. "What
was so important you got lost in your thoughts like that?"

"You, of course." I replied immediately, blushing nearly as deep as he had when I

realized what I'd unwittingly admitted. However, he didn't seem to be taking it as
anything more than flirting, just blushing as he reached over and shoved me.

I wonder what he was actually thinking about.

I wasn't exactly surprised to hear he didn't believe me, though it did make me feel
like shit to know he was that concerned about it. I wonder how he'd react if I ever
told him about the mindreading hing. Would he be mad? He'd probably at the very
least be creeped out knowing I'd been in his head all this time. I'd never been
even a fraction as close to someone as I am with him, which meant I'd never had to
consider things like this. I should now though, even if I'm content to put it off
forever. Does Tyler deserve to know about my ability? Is it considered lying to him
by not telling him?

I know it feels like lying. Every time he mentions something I already knew, every
time I glimpse something I know I'm not supposed to see, it makes me feel so
insanely guilty. I'm torn between my curiosity and wanting to be as good a friend
to him as he is to me. Maybe it wouldn't feel so bad if he at least knew I could
read minds, but I couldn't risk that, not after what happened the last time my
secret got out. Sure, it was an accident and she found out in a less-than-desirable
situation, but the reaction itself was to me, to what a freak I am.

"Hey, I know you're lost somewhere in your own head right now, but I miss you so
you should come back. Come into the store and hang-out for a bit, the store's not
nearly as fun without you around." When he started talking I had every intention of
ignoring him, I was too busy over-thinking things to really register his words. It
wasn't until his fingers started to play with the hem of my shirt that I really
started to pay attention, listening just as he admitted to missing me and invited
me inside.

It might not have been he mushiest thing he'd ever said to me, but it was
definitely significant, considering he was always teasing me about he way I clung
to him at work. Not literally of course, just the way I found excuses to stick
around after dropping him off, or how I always just happened to get a craving for
junk food when I knew he was working. He'd never once even implied he didn't enjoy
it, but he'd never straightforwardly told me he did either. It gave me a stupid
giddy feeling to actually hear him say it. God forbid he know that though, I'd only
be asking for more teasing.

So, naturally, I choked my excitement down and out on a pokerface before turning to
reply.

"You drug me out of the house in my pajama pants." I stated blandly, glaring at
him. He just giggled though, reaching a hand up and tugging gently on a single
strand of my hair.

"Your hair is a rat's nest too. Maybe you shouldn't come in after all, might scare
off the customers." My eyes went wide, remembering just ten minutes ago when he'd
completely wrecked my already sleep-mussed hair. I let out a long sigh, sinking
down in my chair and watching with a glare as a cackling Tyler slid out of the car
on his side.
I debated not following him, I honestly did, for about two seconds. That was all it
took for me to realize how incredibly stupid that idea was. Sure it might get Tyler
back for his never ending teasing, but really all I would be doing was denying
myself of time spent with the idiot, so it's clear who the real loser would be in
that situation.

So with my head hung low in embarrassment and a scowl on my face, I started after
him into the building. I only looked up enough to make sure I wouldn't run into
anything, face flushed and heart racing like someone would call me out on my
wrecked state. What kind of asshole would do that-

"Nice pants, Troye!" Tyler. That's what kind.

"I hate you." I muttered, looking up to see he'd waited for me in the entryway. How
did his hair look so good anyway? Witchcraft I suppose. Or he might have had time
to style it while I slept, I guess that's a possibility, but I'm still leaning
toward witchcraft.

"Do you really think I believe that at this point? You can hardly go a minute
without making heart-eyes at me, don't even try to lie to me. Now, come on, I'm
even later because I waited for your stupid ass." His words came out at a barely-
coherent speed in his haste to get inside, but sadly my intent listening skills had
me hearing every one. Do I really make heart-eyes at him? What do heart-eyes even
look like? Who does he think he is just assuming the eyes I make at him are hearty,
he could be dead wrong, he could be assuming stuff that isn't even true like some
kind of arrogant-

He's not though, and that's the most infuriating part.

I didn't bother being stubborn and taking my time, knowing it'd be an effort in
vain if I did. He'd bribe me or threaten me into doing what he wanted me to in the
end either way. Instead I simply followed along behind him, sticking close to him.
There were a thousand reasons to stick close, from the way he smelled to not
wanting to get lost inthe store, however I only had one on my mind, one that was
only encouraged when he got frustrated with my pace and grabbed my hand to drag me
along.

I don't care how many people see my messy hair and pajama pants, just as long as
they see me here with Tyler. Who cares what I look like when I'm holding hands with
someone who looks like that.

We reached the counter in a matter of seconds, considering all you had to do to

really was skirt around a couple displays and customers. Tyler was still slightly
breathless when he tugged me behind the counter with him and Bruce. Bruce didn't
even look up to greet us, clearly sucked in to the fishing magazine in his hands.

"Bruce, I am so sorry! I completely forgot to set my alarm last night and-"

"Don't worry about it, just take an hour off your paycheck and we'll call it even."
He said simply, still not looking up. Tyler's mouth stayed hanging open like he
wasn't sure whether to continue apologizing or not, ultimately just snapping it
shut and getting to work shrugging his apron on. Unsure of what to do, I ended up
shimmying behind him and falling into the spare seat beside Bruce, shifting
awkwardly when I realized this had put his butt right in my face. Thankfully I
didn't get too long to think about it before Bruce was clearing his throat and
speaking up again beside me. "I expect an awful lot out of you running and
upkeeping this place on your own, it's fine to be late some days, just don't make a
habit out of it."
"Yes, sir." Tyler answered, his tone so shy and formal I had to bite back a giggle.
It was so unlike him, being all polite and withdrawn like that.

I watched as they stumbled over each other to switch positions, Bruce immediately
walking out of the small space behind the counter and giving us more room. He
didn't leave though, turning to lean over the opposite side of the counter. His
mouth was open as if getting ready to talk to Tyler before his eyes drifted in my
direction, seemingly noticing me for the first time.

"Oh hey! T- I know your name started with a T, what was it?" He laughed, the sound
bellowing out of hi so deep his stomach shook.

"Troye." I answered politely, shocking myself with how similar I sounded to Tyler a
couple seconds ago. He just nodded though, giving me a warm smile.

"I'll have to remember to buy you a comfier chair, considering you're here all the
time anyway." I'm pretty sure he was just joking or teasing, but his quip had
reminded me of something else,

"Actually, we're out of the cleaner you buy in bulk for the floor too."

"I completely forgot about that!" Tyler blurted, sounding almost in awe that I had
remembered. He'd only mentioned it to me once the day before yesterday when I
picked him up for work, but I guess that was enough. Good thing too, because I
doubt Tyler would have remembered on his own.

"Let me jot this down." Bruce said, grabbing a pen and surprising me by writing on
the back of his hand. I'd never seen an older person do that. It was completely
silent as we waited for him to finish, Tyler and I exchanging silly faces when he
wait got to be a bit too long for our patience. I was still making one at him, my
eyes crossed and tongue lolled out, when Bruce laughed and spoke up again, clearly
noticing the whole ordeal. "What do you do in your spare time, Troye?"

"Sit at home on my laptop or hang-out with Tyler." I blurted, realizing how

obsessive it sounded a second too late. I could just feel Tyler's smirk at the side
of my head. I had other rhigs to worry about though, like how Tyler's old man boss
was asking me how I spent my spare time, Talk about creepy.

"Do you want a job?" Oh. Well. That makes more sense. Apparently I must have still
loomed pretty lost though, considering he felt the need to elaborate. "I mean, you
practically work here already, it just means you'd get paid for it."

"Um, would I be working alongside Tyler or would our shifts be opposite each
other?" I didn't dare look up from the floor then, knowing exactly how obsessive
that sounded even before I'd asked it. That hadn't stopped me though, considering
it was something I genuinely needed to know to decide. I didn't want to sit around
in some dingy old store when I could be spending time with Tyler, but if I was
sitting around some dingy old store with Tyler, it was a completely different
story.

"Up to you two, just make sure you both mark hours down. Even if you both work at
the same time, it'd still be helpful for Tyler so he doesn't have to worry about
getting everything done on his own." Bruce explained, a stupid smile finding my
lips with that simple sentence of confirmation. A job with Tyler.

I finally looked over at him then, not even trying to hide my excitement over the
idea. Thankfully, he seemed just as enthralled with it, a huge grin strethig over
his lips. I raised my eyebrows in a silent question, aware Bruce was talkig again
in he background but not really caring. All I needed was Tyler's confirmation and
when I got it in the form of a nod a second later, the decision was made.

"-So if you need a bit to think things through that is-"

"Yes. I'll take the job." I cut him off, watching his eyes go wide like he hadn't
expected me to choose so fast. It wasn't the bad kind of surprised though,
considering he had his own excited grin to match mine now.

"Okay, great! I'll go get you an apron from out back." He announced, not even
waiting for my confirmation before turning and heading off in the direction of the
wretched supplies closet. Good luck finding anything in there, Bruce. Shit. It's my
job to clean that now, isn't it?

"At least the apron will hide the fact you wore pajama pants to your first day of
work." I blinked, both remembering Tyler seated next to me and today's chose of
apparel at once. I groaned loudly, realizing he was right. I literally wore pajama
pants to the first day of my first ever job, leave it to me.

Tyler only seemed entertained by my struggles, giggling like mad beside me. I
turned to him with every intention of making some snappy jibe to get him to shut
up, before my eyes actually took him in. He had his head thrown back and his
messily-done quiff was starting to lose it's hold already, adorable strands of
purple falling into his eyes. His hands were clutching his stomach like it hurt
from laughing so hard and he was red in the face from all the physical exuberance.
He looked so happy I couldn't really find the will to be annoyed with him, no
matter the situation.

I was still caught up in staring at him with what was most definitely heart-eyes a
few seconds later when an unexpected bundle of fabric hit me in the side of the
head. As soon as it happened I realized what it was, but that didn't keep it from
startling me initially. I blushed as I turned to look at Bruce, only turning
crimson when I saw the knowing smile on his lips. Does everyone know how I feel
about Tyler other than Tyler? Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if even he knew by
now, surely even he isn't that oblivious.

"Alright, you two have a good day, I'm off now. Behave yourselves!" He laughed,
giving us a farewell wave before turning and heading toward the exit. He probably
meant it innocently but I couldn't help but feel even more embarrassed when he told
us to 'behave ourselves'.

After he left Tyler immediately lost the composure he'd taped on while he was in
our presence, going back to giggling softly and leaning forward to start cleaning
up the messy state Bruce had left the cash register in. I straightened up in my
seat to watch, knowing I'd probably have to get the hang of it sooner or later.
Tyler caught my eyes though, winking at me out of the corner of his.

"Do I need to teach you anything or do you know it all already?" He asked, turning
to face me as he plucked up a five dollar bill that had somehow ended up in with
the ten dollar ones.

"I know it all. What do you want me to do first?" That wasn't the complete truth. I
knew a lot, mostly stuff to do with the upkeep and cleaning, but I didn't know the
first thing about serving customers or any of the outdated technology he had around
the place. I was hoping to pick it up on the job though, rather than have Tyler
walk me around and show me through everything in baby steps.

"Walk over to the coffee shop across the street and get me a muffin or something."
Tyler answered casually, turning his attention back to the cash register and gently
sliding it closed. I narrowed my eyes at him, though he didn't notice until he
turned to see why I hadn't replied a few seconds later. "What?"

"That's not part of the job." I answered, crossing my arms stubbornly. Sure, I'd
gone to grab him stuff to eat a thousand times in the past and I knew getting hired
would do nothing to stop that, but I figured it'd be interesting to see his
reaction.

"I'm your superior, trust me, it is." He replied smoothly, batting his eyelashes
and leaning over the armrests of our chairs. I stayed rigid, though I could feel
the resolve seeping out of me the closer he got, vanishing completely when his head
landed on my shoulder and he nuzzled his face into my neck. With a dramatic sigh, I
reached up and shoved him off, getting to my feet.

"What kind?" I asked, already fishing the money out of my pocket as I walked around
the counter. He had a huge smile on his lips now, like a child that had just gotten
it's way.

"Chocolate chip!" He beamed, clapping his hands together excitedly. I shook my head
immediately, a wistful smile on my lips at what a kid he really was. I

"Not very healthy, I think I might surprise you with a bran muffin-"

"Like hell you will!" He snapped, making me jump when his arms suddenly grabbed me
and drug my entire body to the right. He'd launched himself over the counter onto
his stomach just to wrap his arms around my waist, pulling me in for an ill-
positioned hug. His head had ended up at the same height as my ribs, and that's
exactly where it was buried into my shirt right now. It was far from comfortable,
but I was far from ready to complain about anything that had him so near.

He pulled away slowly then, sliding back and standing back up on his two feet, on
his respective side of the counter. He looked a little bashful now, as if just
realizing how childish his gesture had been. "I'll, um, see you in a few then?"

"Look, Ty, I know you're gonna miss me, but was the hug really necessary? I'll be
rushing back to your side in a matter of seconds." I cooed, purposely pursing my
lips into an over-the-top kissy gesture. He just rolled his eyes, a faint blush
dusting his cheeks despite his stubbornly annoyed expression.

"Whatever, just hurry up."

A/n: WOOO, CHAPTER FIFTY, WE'RE OFFICIALLY HALFWAY THROUGH THE BOOK THAT'S COOL,
HUH? This is a lot shorter than some chapters recently but I mean it's still a good
length so whatever this is what you get okay. And ho hum ho hum, I know there's
something I wanted to say but I can never remember so whatever here, praise me for
updating so fast pls and thanks

Chapter Fifty-One
*Troye's POV*

Timeskip to mid-November (so two weeks if you're a nincompoop)

I ran my fingers along the book spines as I tried to find the one I was looking
for, beginning to get frustrated with how long it was taking to find it. Yes, the
library was arranged alphabetically, but our very useful and not-at-all-lazy
librarian hadn't gotten around to putting all the books back yet. Given this was a
grade-wide project, it made sense someone else had snagged the book first, but I'd
purposely put this trip off until the day before it was due in hope's of getting it
after they brought it back. At this rate I might as well just give in and accept my
F, even if I get the book I doubt I'll be able to pull the whole project together
in one night. God, Tyler was going to tease me to no end, he'd brought it up a
thousand times claiming he was reminding me so I didn't put it off until last
minute. That didn't do much good, huh?

"Excuse me." My head snapped up, immediately jumping out of the way politely. The
girl giggled slightly at the awkward reaction, giving me a smile before stepping
forward and raising a book onto the shelf. I was about to turn and give up on
studying altogether when my eyes landed on the title of her book, my mouth falling
open.

"Hey, are you done with that?" I blurted, realizing a moment later I could have
just waited to see if she left it on the shelf rather than interacting. She looked
over her shoulder at me, flashing a bright smile before turning completely and
extending the heavy book to me.

"Yeah, I was just flipping through to write the notes for my presentation. It's all
yours if you need it." She offered, batting her eyelashes at me and causing me to
unintentionally make a face at her. It wasn't anything personal, she was very
pretty, I just wasn't really a fan of girls flirting with me. Actually, I wasn't
really a fan of anyone flirting with me other than Tyler.

"Thanks." I muttered simply, gently taking it from her hands and eyes going wide
when I misjudged it's weight. However before it fell she caught it again, giggling
and once again holding it out to me. I took it, sighing under my breath when she
followed me out of the aisle and toward the seating area.

"Putting the finishing touches on your project?" She asked conversationally,

swinging her hands at her sides as she walked beside me. I shrugged noncommittally,
feeling slightly embarrassed considering I'd yet to even start it. She was clearly
the type who'd had it all done weeks in advance, it made me wonder why she'd looked
at the book today at all.

"Um, yeah, something like that." I laughed, running a hand through my hair as I
fell into one of the many colorful beanbag chairs in the corner of the room. The
librarian's desk was in the middle of the room and I could see her eyeing us
curiously, pushing her glasses up further on the bridge of her nose with her middle
finger.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" The girl asked, my eyebrows arching as I looked back
up at her. I wasn't sure when or how, but she'd ended up with some small novel in
her hands. A romance novel judging by the close-up picture of two half-dressed
people kissing. Lovely. She's going to read literary porn next to me.

"Yeah, but I'm trying to study so try not to be too distracting." I said,
unintentionally sounding more irritated with her than I should have. She just
frowned slightly before falling into the seat next to me, making me feel a bit bad.
I didn't mean to come across as rude or snappy, I just wasn't really into spending
time with people and liked it even less when I was practically forced into it.

I tried to urge an apology out of myself, knowing it was the right thing to do, but
I also couldn't bring myself to speak up when she was already wrapped up in her
book. What if I just made things worse by annoying her? She doesn't seem that
bothered by it. I'm sure it'll be fine, I don't even know her name.
Instead I settled into my chair as well, opening up the book and grabbing a piece
of paper. I was in the process of arranging all my pencils and utensils on my
stomach in a neat row, getting ready to start taking notes, when a blaring song
breached the silence of the room. Everyone jumped, from the librarian to the girl
sitting next to me, jumping so high both of their books went flying down by their
feet.

"Turn that off!" The librarian screeched, standing up to emphasize her point. I
looked around the room with my eyes in a glare, attempting to find the culprit and
make him feel even worse. I succeeded too, when I realized it was my phone going
off in my pocket. I'm a fucking idiot.

Worse yet, it wasn't just a default ring, it was a song Tyler himself had picked
out for his ringtone. Of course he hadn't chosen something innocent, that was out
of the question with him. No, instead my pockets were blaring a beautiful scratchy
rendition of the chorus to Ginuwine's "Pony".

I blushed crimson, looking to the librarian and shrinking further into the beanbag
when I was met with her cold glare. I was quick to feel up my pockets then,
fumbling about with a desperate pace to shut the damned thing up. Why was Tyler
leaving it to ring for so long anyway? Stupid idiot.

"I am so so so sorry!" I blurted out as my fingers finally wrapped around the small
device, eyes flickering up to the librarian as I hit the answer call button. She
just shook her head in obvious annoyance though, looking back down to her book she
must have retrieved while I was searching for the phone. I glimpsed to my right,
locking eyes with the girl from earlier and feeling even worse when I seen her
disgusted look. Can I really blame her? What kind of bloke has "Pony" as his
ringtone?

The kind that has to put up with Tyler.

"What do you want?" I whisper-hissed into the phone, purposely holding the book
higher up so the librarian wouldn't see me on the phone. I don't think there's
technically a rule against phones here, granted you keep it quiet.

"Hey babe, you sound kind of cranky. What's wrong?" Tyler asked, his casual tone
only making my blood boil hotter. How could he be so cool when I'd practically
snapped at him?

"I'm busy, what do you want?" I asked bluntly, glaring at the text in my book. I
wasn't actually reading, just using it to hide from the librarian behind, but it
was still an effective target for my death glares when Tyler wasn't readily
available.

"Busy doing what?" Tyler asked then, the suggestive tone rolling off his tongue
making an unwanted slew of goosebumps to raise over my arms. I squeezed my eyes
shut in exasperation, refusing to let him affect me right now, and over the phone
for that matter!

He'd been a total nuisance these past two weeks, constantly flirting and finding
unnecessary excuses to touch me. It had started right after our sleepover, mostly
just small stuff like grabbing my hand or snuggling up to my side whenever we were
close. However, the most memorable had definitely been a few days ago when I was
standing in the lunch line and he'd sneaked up behind me, snaking and arm around my
waist at the same time as his other hand discreetly groped at my butt. He hadn't
dared to try that again or anything quite that physical after my ludicrous
reaction, as of yet anyway. I'd spun around and outright shoved him, partly because
he'd surprised me but mostly because I didn't want to condone butt-feeling at
school. I had enough trouble keeping it together around him as it was, I didn't
need his hands all over my body in a blatantly sexual way to add to it. That said,
I was highly anticipating the day he did it after school, I would definitely not be
pushing him away then.

"Tyler, not now." But right now was during school, in an already awkward situation,
and I did not need to get a boner or something just because he wanted to play
around and whisper-purr into the phone like he was.

"Not now? What about later?" He asked, his tone heavily innocent despite what he
was subtly implying. I shook my head, not willing to put up with his games right
now. Without another thought I clicked the end call button, smiling contently as I
started to turn the volume down. I only got it halfway to muted before the phone
was going off again, a loud collective sigh filling the room from everyone in it.

"That is not turned off! Get out, come back another day when you know how to
respect the libraries rules and regulations." The librarian snapped, pointing
toward me with a surprisingly well-manicured finger. I just nodded, knowing this
was coming. I discreetly hit answer on the phone, walking over to her desk and
setting the book down.

"Yes, ma'am. Can I borrow this book first though?" I asked, slinging my backpack
over my shoulder.

"Yes, but I'm trusting you'll be more respectful of it than you are of our rules
here in the library." She said snootily, glaring at me from over her glasses before
setting to work carding and stamping the book. I leaned against the counter, biting
my lip as I waited. "Bring it back by the first of December."

"Thank-you. Sorry again about-"

"It's fine, just get out." Wow, way to be blunt about your hatred for me, lady. I
didn't care though, considering I hated her nearly as much. I turned and promptly
left the room then, aware Tyler was probably still listening in over the phone.
That had been my intention though, hopefully making him feel bad about getting me
in trouble. That was the first thing I mentioned as I lifted the phone back to my
ear.

"Did you hear that? The sound of me getting bitched out by our terrifying
librarian?" I snapped immediately, stomping angrily down the hall. I wasn't even
really sure where I was going, just away from that wretched woman and her room.

"Well, you could have told me you were at the library." Tyler muttered, not even
trying to hide the guilty undertones in his voice. That's right, Tyler Oakley, feel
bad about it. Maybe if I rub it in he'll offer to make it up somehow. I could think
of a lot of ways he could make it up to me, actually.

"I only had time to get one book and there's absolutely no way I'm going to finish
my project now-"

"Don't you mean start your project?" He interjected, my anger that had only just
started to dissipate coming back full-fledged over his stupid little jibe.

"What did you want anyway? Because if it's nothing, I have stuff to do and-"

"I'm skipping class with Marcus and remembered you mentioned having a free before
lunch today. I thought I'd check what you were up to." He cut me off for the second
time now, his tone cheeky like he was offering something great that would just make
me instantly forgive him.
"Well, I was studying."

"You're not anymore though, right?" He asked, the hopeful tone to his voice making
me almost feel bad about the fact I had no intention of going to meet with him.
Clearly that was what he wanted and normally I would have dropped everything to go
see him, ecstatic to have a better way to spend my free period, but I was being
spiteful right now. "We're out on the bleachers, you should come see us."

"I have stuff to do, Tyler." I answered dully, trying to sound utterly
unentertained with the whole exchange. I was angry with him and I wanted him to
know it. Or at the very least beg me to forgive him.

"Please. I haven't seen you since Friday." He whined, sounding needy to the point
it was kind of cute. I guess he really wanted to see me, huh? Not just some split-
second decision to invite me along. I wasn't going to let him know how happy that
made me though, stopping to lean against a vending machine to reply.

"So?" I scoffed, surprisingly pulling off the unaffected reply. He sighed loudly on
the other end of the phone then, seconds ticking by before he replied, like he had
to decide how to word it.

"So I miss you." He whispered, my chest tightening uncomfortably at how honest his
voice was. I could just picture him right now too, turning away from Marcus all
blushy to whisper that to me. It didn't make me angry he didn't want Marcus to
hear, if anything it just made it feel more intimate.

"I'll be there in a minute." I sighed out in defeat, ending the call before I got
the chance to hear his reaction. I had a feeling it'd be a triumphant hoot or
something, when really I was just looking for more of those sentimental whispers.

I wasn't kidding when I said I'd be there in a minute, moving through the halls as
fast as I could manage. My free period was half over now, but we had lunch right
after anyway so it's not like I'd get there only to be called off to class. I had
tons of time, yet here I was jogging the second I walked out of the building,
breathless and gross feeling but yet my feet refused to slow down. For someone
who'd almost turned down the opportunity to see him minutes ago I really was over-
eager now, huh?

I slowed down to a walk as I entered into the football stadium, spinning around and
trying to located Tyler and Marcus in the bleachers. I wish they'd find a better
place to hang-out, what was so cool about this place anyway? It was beginning to
get cold to the point of having to wear a jacket some days and I was suddenly
regretting my haste to get out here seeing as I'd forgotten mine.

I spotted Tyler and Marcus to the farthest right there was, starting toward them.
They were talking, clearly joking around considering the way they pushed and shoved
at each other, ear-t0-ear smiles on both of their faces.

At first I'd been nervous about hanging around Marcus, but after about a day spent
with him around I was quick to change my mind. Similar to Tyler, he was nothing
like the school played him up to be. He was the biggest softie I'd ever met,
genuinely one of the nicest people in the school, without a doubt. He didn't share
Tyler's sexual humor or his non-stop talkative trait, but that was okay, I wouldn't
want them to be similar. It was weird though, because a couple months ago that's
all I'd seen them as; similar. I just looked at them both as dumb arrogant jocks,
but they were so insanely different. It made me feel like I'd been the dumb one
all-along.

"Hey!" My head snapped up from watching the white line I'd been walking on, not
even taking a second to notice Tyler standing up and waving his arms in the stands,
like he was trying to get me to notice him or something. Obviously I'd already saw
him if I was heading in his direction, but whatever, I'll let him have his moment.

I raised a hand to wave, surprised when Tyler started jogging down the stairs
instead of just keeping up his waving. I stopped just before I reached the bottom
of the stairs, watching him run down them so fast there was a pang of worry in my
chest he'd fall. He didn't though, only stumbling a bit when he hit solid ground.
He quickly regained his composure again though, panting slightly as he straightened
up from his doubled-over position, eyes falling on me. A goofy smile invaded his
face immediately and then he was running again, barreling toward me so fast I
started to panic. Is he going to tackle me or something?

When he reached me I'd instinctively tensed up for impact, but I was expecting him
to do something along the lines of headbutt me, not jump up and latch himself onto
me.

He looks so good in blue!

"Tilly!" I yelled, stumbling backward a couple steps before outright falling onto
my ass. With him wrapped around my entire torso this left us in a pretty
compromising position, him sitting on my lap with his legs on either side of me,
but he didn't seem to care one bit as he hugged me to him. I'd be lying if I said I
didn't enjoy the greeting, my chest feeling unusually warm as he buried his face
into it, but I also knew Marcus was watching us and I didn't want people talking.

"Fuck, Tyler, what's gotten into you?" I laughed, trying with minimal effort to pry
him off of me. He let out a content sigh when I 'gave up', letting my arms wrap
around him instead.

"It's been nearly three whole days since I saw you last." Tyler muttered into my
shirt, like that was supposed to merit the over-the-top welcoming completely. Oh
no, not seventy-two hours without me, how ever did he survive?

"I'm still mad at you, you know." This was a total lie, I couldn't even find a
fiber of my being even slightly irked with him, but he didn't have to know that. I
was going to milk the incident for all it was worth, clinging to every apology and
grovel I got out of him.

Or at least, that was the plan, before he lifted his head and I saw the huge frown
that had replaced his gorgeous smile. Ugh, why can't he just suck-up to me and not
feel bad? I didn't want to make him sad, now I feel bad.

"Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you in trouble you big baby. I wrote you up
a shitty project anyway, calm down." He snapped, sounding annoyed with me for the
first time today. I was going to apologize for blowing the situation out of
proportion anyway, but his last sentence had my jaw dropping and heart thudding
heavily in my chest.

"You what? Are you serious?" I blurted, eyes wide with awe as I tried to find a
hint of sarcasm hidden midst his features. He just nodded though, the beginnings of
a smile starting to tug at his lips again.

"Well, I finished mine early and it was only a matter of-" I didn't let him finish
though, instead pushing him off and onto his back against the grass-covered ground.
I watched him shiver slightly and relished in his disgruntled 'oof', following
after him a moment later and practically pouncing onto him. He let out another
'oof' at the sudden impact of me landing on his stomach, trying and failing to
shove me off of him. I reached up and gently slapped the side of his face, the
smile on my lips now even bigger than his.

"Now I remember why I love you." I giggled, only meaning for it to sound casual.
However his eyes lit up when I said it, refusing to meet mine as a small but
genuine smile found his lips. I watched as he nuzzled his face into my hand
further, rubbing his cheek up against my palm.

"Yeah?" He whispered quietly, his eyes almost shy when they finally flickered up to
mine. I sucked a deep breath in through my mouth, trying to concentrate on how cute
he looked sprawled out underneath me, blushing red like that. How kissable he
looked.

"Come on, you big sap, Marcus probably thinks we're about to suck each other's
faces off." I said dismissively, quickly distracting myself before I let the
thoughts carry on for long. I'd been thinking about kissing him a lot these past
two weeks. Okay, I've been not-so-subtly thinking about kissing him since we first
started to hang-out, but it's been worse as of late. I even caught myself starting
to lean in the other day at work, when he was completely unsuspecting and it wasn't
even a romantic moment. It's getting to be a serious problem.

"Oh, we aren't? I was under the impression we were?" He purred underneath me,
slowly hitching his leg over my hips. Before I even really had time to react to
that I felt his finger on my chest, trailing down at such a slow pace it gave me
forever to back off, which was exactly what I did. My eyes went wide at his
forwardness, scrambling off of him. It was only after I was looming over him and he
was still there laying on the ground, looking slightly hurt, that I realized that
might have offended him. I quickly extended my hand to help him up, blushing like
mad.

Ugh, I hope he realizes it was just because Marcus was watching. I was constantly
worrying he'd take my rejections seriously and just stop trying altogether, it was
probably my biggest fear. He never did though, sometimes giving me space afterward,
but usually coming back with his usual flirting gusto in a matter of minutes.

He just always tried to make a move at the wrong time or when I wasn't expecting
it, which ultimately led to me getting too flustered and backing off. I guess it's
possible I was just nervous though, now that I think about it. I just wanted it to
be perfect and the thought of messing it up all over again was something that had
plagued many a nightmare the last few weeks.

"Troye? You coming up to see Marcus?" I blinked, realizing I'd managed to zone out
completely to thoughts of the man standing next to me. I simply nodded, not really
trusting myself with the task of talking right now.

He led the way, his cheerful mood only faltering for a few seconds over the
rejection before he was skipping up the stairs ahead of me. I followed behind at a
slower pace, reaching the step they were on after Tyler was already comfortably
seated. I noticed he'd left a space between him and Marcus though, immediately
moving to fill it.

"Hey Marky!" I greeted, lifting a hand to give him an awkward wave of greeting. He
nodded to acknowledge it, smiling and shifting over slightly as I sat down.

"How was your weekend?" He asked, clearly just trying to be polite and keep the
conversation going. I didn't care though, considering it'd only take a second to
answer that question. My weekend was far from eventful.
"Boring, uneventful-"

"Probably because it was lacking a certain purple-haired best friend, amiright?"

Tyler quipped excitedly, leaning forward so Marcus could see him on the other side
of me. Marcus took to laughing at that, which was clearly Tyler's expected reaction
given his satisfied smile. He locked eyes with me then, smirking slightly as if
proud of himself.

"You're so needy today, Ty, calm down." I scoffed, rolling my eyes and playfully
shoving him. However, just as my hand was about to meet with his chest, he grabbed
it instead, weaving his fingers between mine. I swallowed roughly, trying not to
outwardly react as he let our entwined hands fall onto his lap. I wasn't sure if it
was the public display of affection itself or just how close my hand was to his
crotch, but I didn't really have the time to think it over before I remembered I'd
left Marcus without a reply. "How was your weekend?"

"Good, getting stuff ready for my birthday party with Shane mostly." He laughed,
stretching his arms high above his head. My eyes went wide, surprising myself when
they followed the movement of his muscles flexing. Despite knowing he couldn't see
my eyes from this angle, I still felt guilty even thinking about checking out other
guys when Tyler was literally holding my hand. It only made it worse when he
squeezed my hand, the stupid part of me insisting he somehow knew what I was
looking at.

"Oh?" I prodded finally, only trying to remember what I was asking about after I'd
said it. Oh yeah, he said something about a birthday party.

"Yeah, I told Tyler to tell you about it when he got the chance, but since you're
already here I'll just tell you myself. It's Friday night and it's more of a little
get-together than a party really. I was never actually that into the big parties I
used to have, I feel like this might be more fun." He explained, my head nodding
along with each new piece of information.

"Yeah, it does sound fun." I answered after he'd finished, surprising even myself
with how genuine it was. I'd never desired to go to a party ever, but it could be
fun, if he really was serious about just having a few people. Especially if Tyler
came too.

"So yeah, just let me know for sure if you can come sometime during the next couple
days. I actually have to go, I promised to spend lunch with Shane at that pizza
place. You two don't mind being left alone, do you? You can come if you want-"

"We're fine. Have fun!" Tyler blurted, lifting his hand to wave Marcus off. Marcus
didn't seem that surprised by the rude goodbye, just nodding and starting down the
stairs without another word. I, however, was not at all impressed by Tyler's
interjection.

"That was rude." I stated blandly, watching as Marcus reached the bottom of the
bleachers and started across the grass.

"How so?" Tyler asked from beside me, his fake-innocence not convincing at all.

"How do you know I didn't want to go out for pizza with them? You can't speak for
me like that." I snapped, tugging my hand out of his to grumpily cross my arms over
my chest. Tyler sighed heavily beside me then, leaning his head on my shoulder. I
wasn't having that, leaning my body even further away from him. He sighed even
louder in reaction to that, something I hadn't thought possible.
"But he was stealing all your attention!" He gasped dramatically, not even warning
me before he was falling backward and draping himself over my legs. His head ended
up resting in my lap, eyes looking upward at the cloudy sky rather than at me.

"And here I thought you were needy earlier." I chuckled, giving up on feigning
annoyance with how clingy he was today. It was actually adorable, and a lot more
tolerable now that we were alone and he wasn't constantly trying to steal my
attention back. I let one of my hands fall limply on his chest, the other ending up
in his hair and playing with it absentmindedly. "Did you actually write me a whole
project?"

"I didn't make any snazzy diagrams or anything, but the writing itself is done." He
explained, sitting up just slightly to pull his bag closer. He fumbled through it
for a second before retrieving a stapled-together wad of papers, immediately
falling back onto my lap as he handed them to me. I took it gently, studying the
first page and feeling even more thankful with each word I read. He was kidding. He
made it sound like he'd thrown together some shitty half-arsed attempt, this was
better than anything I could have written even if I studied. It's not fair some
people get to be attractive and smart. Not to mention talented, charismatic, and
capable of going from adorable five-year-old to provocative porn star in the span
of five seconds.

"Are you cold?" I blinked, looking back down at Tyler and noticing his gaze set
intently on my arms. I looked down, noticing the goosebumps coating them and
deciding it'd be useless to deny it now.

"Little bit." I said dismissively, leaning over him to slip the project back into
his backpack. I'd get it back later, my bag was too far away for me to reach
without getting up, which was definitely not an option when I had Tyler's head on
my lap.

"Do you want my sweater?" He asked, distractedly playing with the stray threads
hanging loosely on the bottom of my shirt. I shook my head, wincing when he lifted
it too high and a wisp of icy wind found it's way under my shirt.

"No, then you'll be cold. I'm fine." I answered, reaching down to slap his hand
away.

He's such an idiot, going out here without a coat on. If he gets sick and I have to
nurse him back to health or spend even a day at school without him, I'm going to
kill him before the cold comes close.

My heart felt heavy upon hearing the caring thoughts going through Tyler's mind,
though you'd never be able to tell just looking at him. Outwardly he looked
carefree and bubbly, just grinning to himself as he raked his eyes over my torso
and up to my face.

"We could share, one arm each." He teased, mirth dancing behind the frames of his
glasses. My initial reaction was to scoff and dismiss his teasing, though something
about his lopsided smile had me intrigued to play along.

"I don't think your bulging biceps would allow that." I answered, daringly letting
my hand drift up from his stomach to one of his arms. I trailed a finger over his
bicep slowly, watching the way his eyes followed the movement. I kept my eyes
trained on him, watching his reactions the entire time, right down to the way his
Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, unknowingly making my heart skip a beat. I
didn't intend for it to be a serious moment, I'd meant to jokingly squeeze his arm
and move on, but instead I found us in a silent stare-down as I practically
caressed it. His skin was so soft and I was relishing in the way it felt every time
he shifted and his muscles flexed in my touch, finding myself way more into the
moment than I was supposed to be.

"They are pretty big, huh?" He whispered, his seductive tone making my eyes go as
wide as saucers. Immediately he fell into a total fit of laughter, squirming around
and cackling at my dumbfounded reaction. I let out a huff of air and withdrew my
hands, folding my arms tightly over my chest and pouting slightly. It was probably
childish to get offended by him not taking it seriously when it had been a joke
from the start, but that didn't stop me. I didn't want to stop touching him, but I
couldn't very well carry on now, embarrassed out of my mind.

"Why do I put up with you?" I muttered under my breath, surprised when he

immediately settled down and locked eyes with me.

"Because you love me." He answered without missing a beat, a cheeky smile seemingly
permanently imprinted on his lips. I blushed, debating denying it like I usually
did when he lined things up in these situations. He seemed to strive to remind me
of my feelings for him all the time, like they weren't constantly nagging at me
already.

"Still not worth it."

A/n: Hello little shrimpfaces, what's new? I know everyone's probably already
commented on it, but yes I realize Marcus's birthday is in December. IN THIS
FANFIC, it's in November. Don't even bug me about it. And um idk what to say in
these anymore. Can we talk about the fact I wrote chapter's 49, 50, and 51 all in
three back-to-back days? I'm posting this later because idk I am but yeah, I'm
quite proud. Anyway, vote and comment and shit WAIT JUST A SECOND I REMEMBERED
SOMETHING IMPORTANT!!! There's been a meet-up set up on Tumblr for this fanfiction.
The hashtag is #Freak meet up and it's on October 25th. You can hunt the post down
by searching that hashtag probs but idk come out and join us, we'll have a little
barbeque get together yes okay great

Chapter Fifty-Two
*Tyler's POV*

"You look fine, you're already late, Ty." My mother chastised my from the bathroom
doorway, leaning all of her weight onto one hip and staring at me expectantly. I
just waved her off though, still not completely content with my outfit choice. It
was cute, it was just... missing something.

I picked up the bow-tie I'd been debating off and on all night, raising it up to my
collar to study it in the mirror. It's not like I hadn't seen what it looked like a
hundred times now though, considering I'd meant it quite literally when I said 'off
and on'. I'd tried the damn thing on at least twenty times, torn between whether it
was too formal for a birthday party or not. The outfit looked much better with it,
but I didn't want to get there and have people tease me about it.

I'd texted Troye four times now asking for his opinion, one of which had photos of
the before and after with the bow-tie. I'd yet to get a reply though, despite the
fact he always had his phone on him and I'd sent the first one nearly half an hour
ago now. It was bothering me to the point I was on the verge of sending him
shirtless selfies or dick pics or something just to see if he'd react. Okay, that
would probably be a bit over the top, I'm being needy. There's thousands of reasons
he could not be answering my texts. He might have forgotten it at home (ha),
Marcus's dog could have peed on it, he could have gotten so drunk at the party
already he dropped it into the toilet. Who knows really.

As if on cue my phone went off on the counter, my eyes going wide as I lurched
forward and clicked the answer call button.

"Hello?" I purred, biting my lip in anticipation of hearing his voice. I was also
looking forward to his explanation to, eager to see which of my guesses had been
the closest to the truth.

"Hey, Ty, it's Marcus. Where are you? The party started nearly ten minutes ago." I
tried really hard not to physically exclaim my disappointment, I really did, but a
tiny sigh slipped past my lips anyway. I snapped my jaw shut then, terrified he'd
call me out on it, but when I heard him talking to someone in the background I
realized he hadn't even been paying attention to me.

He cleared his throat when he returned to the phone, something that had become a
universal signal over the years of talking on the phone. I picked up exactly where
we left, something I'd learned to do with time as well.

"I know, but the traffic is simply unbearable today, Buttbutt." I droned, purposely
oozing dramaticness into my voice. I could practically see his eye-roll in
reaction.

"You live two minutes up the road." He stated blandly, clearly not nearly as
entertained by my sarcasm as I'd hoped. It's not like I could tell him the real
reason I was late, picking apart every single aspect of my appearance in hopes of
impressing Troye. Sure, I saw him all the time, but not at formal events. Or in
this case, mildly-formal events.

"I'll be there in a few, I promise." I replied finally, keeping my tone completely

serious so he believed me.

"Okay, b-"

"Hey, is Troye there yet?" I cut him off, knowing he'd been on the verge of hanging
up. I hadn't really even thought-through my interruption, knowing how clingy the
question probably sounded to him. What was with me lately? Ever since the sleepover
I can't seem to keep myself away from him. I mean, yeah, it was like that before,
but not like this, to the point I felt a physical aching in my chest when we
weren't together.

"Yeah, he's been here for like half an hour. He carpooled with Shane and they
helped me set some stuff up before the other guests got here."

"Oh." I replied weakly, not really concentrating on the conversation itself as my

thoughts veered off course. Why didn't Troye tell me he was getting a drive with
Shane? A couple of days ago when I asked if he wanted to drive with me he just said
he trusted his car more than mine, he hadn't mentioned Shane at all. Why would he
choose to drive with him over me?

"Why do you ask? Do you want me to go get him?"

"No, it's nothing important. I'm heading out the door now, see you soon!" I
announced, immediately hanging up the call before he got the chance to say anything
more. I looked back to the mirror then, glaring at the bow-tie before just tossing
it on the counter. It's not like it really matters anyway, I doubt Troye will pay
that much attention to it.

My good mood from earlier was completely absent now, my footsteps as heavy as
stomps as I walked out into the kitchen. My mother immediately turned around from
doing the dishes to greet me, furrowing her brows like she was trying to figure out
what I'd done for the last ten minutes that hadn't changed my appearance at all. I
just shook my head though, wordlessly letting her know not to press it.

"What time can I expect you back by?" She asked instead, walking over and wrapping
her thin arms around my shoulders. I made a face and backed out of the hug,
actually having to think about my answer.

"Probably 10pm?" I answered after a few seconds, deciding that was a reasonable
amount of time. If he planned for his party to be any longer than five hours he
better have something amazing there to keep people interested.

"If you're a minute past midnight I'm calling every police station in the state."
She threatened, locking eyes with me. I wasn't sure if this was because she didn't
want me staying out that late partying or because she'd be worried something
happened to me, but I decided to just go along with it. I doubt I'll be out that
late anyway.

"Alright, Mom, calm down." I laughed, holding my hands up in front of me. She just
rolled her eyes, reminding my where I got it from, before turning back to her
chores.

"Have fun and be safe." She said, her tone genuine now. I nodded, stepping closer
and letting my chin rest on her shoulder.

"It's literally a birthday party, with like seven people, do you think we're going
to do cocaine and drunk off our asses?" The very thought was comedic, people like
Shane and Troye drinking or Zoe and Alfie doing any type of drugs. No, none of that
would be happening tonight. The only thing we'll be overdosing on is cake.

"No, but I do know that Troye will be there." I scrunched my face up, confused by
what she meant. In what kind of universe could Troye be a bad influence. What's he
going to do? Rub his lameness off on me? Does she really have such a twisted image
of Troye that she has to warn me to be safe when I'm around him- Oh.

"Mom!" I screeched, jumping away from her only to swat the back of her hair with
the dish towel. I watched it frizz up unattractively with pride, satisfied with my
revenge for her teasing. Or maybe it was genuine advice, who knows, either way it
is absolutely none of her business to talk about that sort of thing.

She was still laughing quietly to herself but I wasn't going to stick around until
she calmed down, I was already late for my party and I wasn't entirely sure I
wanted to hear anything more she had to say. If I don't get out of here soon she
might start slipping condoms into my pockets when I'm not looking.

The drive to Marcus's was short but surprisingly nervewracking, my mind insisting
on over-thinking everything today. Is Troye mad at me or something? We haven't
really talked much these last couple of days other than at school. Or is he just
getting closer to Shane? I wasn't sure why, but that option seemed to irk me just
as much as the first. It wasn't that I had anything against Shane, I just didn't
particularly like the idea of Troye getting closer to anyone. Anyone that wasn't
me, anyway.

I'm just blowing things out of proportion, Troye is probably just as eager to see
me as I am him. I wonder if he'll run up and hug me when I walk through the door.
Or maybe he'll try to be discreet about it, waiting until we're sitting beside each
other and no one's looking to let his hand drift over to settle on my thigh. That
sounded a lot more likely than all the stupid things I was worrying about, like
walking in to find him and Shane kissing or something dumb like that. He barely
even likes Shane, I'm fine.

Still, that didn't keep me from dragging my feet out of nerves when I finally got
out of the car. I could hear music playing from inside and the occasional shout or
laugh, but I couldn't really hear clearly enough to make anything out aside from
the muffled sounds. I guess I'd just have to find out for myself, huh?

I walked up the familiar steps cautiously, coming to a stop on the mat and taking a
deep breath. Since when do I get nervous over parties? I used to party with guys I
completely hated and hide everything about myself, but I was still never nervous to
do it. I guess I never really cared what they thought though, not like I do with
Troye. Even Marcus and Shane now, I care what they think more than I ever cared
about my friends in the past.

So with my stomach uncomfortably tight and my throat uncomfortably dry, I lifted my

hand to ring the doorbell. I could probably let myself in, like I always used to
when I went to Marcus's, but this just felt different.

It was about thirty seconds later that the door finally cracked open, the music
coming out clearer along with the sounds of people chatting in the background. I
watched it fly open, revealing a breathless Marcus with a huge smile on his face.

"Hey, Ty! Fashionably late, huh?" He chuckled, lifting an arm to rest against the
door frame. I shook my head, spinning around dramatically on the spot.

"Just fashionable in general, actually." I announced as I finished, earning an

eyeroll before he was grabbing the collar of my shirt and tugging me through the
door. I just giggled, following after him once he'd let me go. I shuffled behind
him, feeling oddly at ease now that I was inside the familiar house.

We stopped at the top of the stairs leading down to his basement, which seemed to
be where the party was being held. He looked up from the floor at me with a smile,
gesturing to the staircase.

"Everyone else is already here if you want to head down, I'm actually just
finishing up some food trays to take downstairs." I nodded, watching as he turned
and sauntered off toward the kitchen. I could hear the laughter and shouting over
the music now, recognizing a few voices but not Troye's. That was to be expected
though, he wasn't really the yelling type.

I started down the stairs quietly, running my hand along the railing and pausing
when the wall finally gave way to let me see the room I was headed into. I raised
my eyebrows when I seen the scene on the floor, three different people tangled
together in a pile and two others sitting around them. Ah, they're playing Twister.
Not surprisingly, I didn't spot Troye among them. Zoe, Louise, and Joey were the
ones on the mat with Alfie and Sawyer sitting watching.

So where was Troye?

I stretched my neck out, still going unnoticed by the others as my eyes flickered
around the room. They landed on the couch in the corner against the wall I was
leaning over, at a pretty weird angle to really see much other than the mop of
chocolate brown hair. However, what caught my attention even more, was the mop of
caramel brown hair right next to it. Why is he sitting in the corner on a loveseat
with Shane? They're awfully close together too.
Now that I was paying attention to them I could hear them chatting animatedly,
clearly both interested in whatever the topic was. I gripped the railing tighter,
watching as Troye suddenly burst out laughing, so hard he threw his head back
against the couch. I'd never seen him laugh like that for anyone but me. I thought
I was the only one that could get him to, to be honest. It felt strangely unfair to
watch Shane affect him the same way. It was like they were completely cut off from
the rest of the room, wrapped up in their own little bubble.

"What are you doing?" I jumped so quick I hit my head off the part of the roof I
was leaning out under, spinning around to see Marcus looking down at me
questioningly. I blushed, shrugging my shoulders before quickly offering to help
him carry some of the food trays, hoping it'd change the subject. He handed them
off to me before going back for more, leaving me to walk downstairs the rest of the
way on my own.

I walked slowly, surprised they all hadn't noticed me when I hit my head like a
total idiot. I guess the music was pretty loud. It wasn't until I was halfway
across the room and sitting the trays down on the empty coffee table that someone
actually noticed me. Or maybe that was just how long they took to acknowledge me.

"Ouu, food! What is it?" Sawyer asked, jumping up from the floor and walking over
to look over my shoulder. I watched the others fall onto each other, seemingly
giving up now that the distraction of food was here. Nobody greeted me though, just
the food.

Realizing that's what they were all after, I decided to take a step back.
Eventually it turned into a few steps and I found myself sitting down on the couch,
along the wall opposite Troye and Shane. Neither of them had even looked up from
their intense conversation, leaving me feeling extremely left out in the room full
of people.

It's not like I'd been expecting to be greeted like I used to, I wasn't the popular
kid everyone wanted to suck up to anymore. I did expect a hello though, or at least
a glance in my direction. Actually, I would have been quite content with even just
Troye noticing me, forget about everyone else.

I watched in silence as Marcus walked down the stairs, nobody looking up to greet
him either. Well, at least I know it isn't just me. He sat his trays down on a
different coffee table, slowly backing up to sit on the couch next to me. He let
out a long sigh and I shot him an understanding look.

"Do you have it planned what we're gonna do?" I asked quietly, not sure I even
wanted to draw their attention anymore. They were all surrounding the table,
laughing and shoving each other about. Aside from Troye, who was still acting
oblivous to the rest of the world. Even Shane I'd noticed looking up a few times.
Sure he didn't seem very interested in what he saw and looked right back to Troye,
but still, it was better than being completely unresponsive like Troye.

"Sorta. I planned on watching a movie and then getting out the cake and ice cream,
but they seem almost too rowdy to settle down for a movie." Marcus replied finally,
leaning back against the couch and watching the others mess around. I had planned
to leave it at that and not reply before I heard him sigh softly, realizing he
seemed to be having just as shitty a time as me. It was his birthday too.

"It's your party, force them to." I replied, turning to him with an encouraging
smile. He grinned, rolling his eyes before throwing an arm around my shoulders and
squeezing me to his side.

"You're so considerate, Ty." He laughed, letting me go to get to his feet.

"Alright, we're going to put on a movie now and you don't have to watch but be
respectful of the people that are."

"What kind of movie?" Sawyer asked immediately, turning around with a mouthful of
chips. I rolled my eyes, settling further back into the couch. He's lucky he's so
good-looking because he's about as smart as a bag of rocks.

"Horror probably. Find your seats everyone!" Marcus instructed, my eyes going wide
as I shifted to the furthest end of the couch. Thankfully the couch was one of the
ones with the corner so they all sat on the other half, aside from Marcus who
simply fell next to me after he'd set the movie up.

I looked around the room one last time now that the only light was provided by the
television screen, surprised when I found Troye's bright blue eyes looking over at
me for the first time since I arrived. They went wide when our gazes met, clearly
not expecting me to look back over. I tilted my head to the side in a silent
question, offering a big smile. He smiled back though I couldn't help but notice
the way it didn't reach his eyes, definitely not helping my already worried mind. I
held his gaze for a few seconds longer, panicking when he started to look away. I
hurriedly lifted my hand up, gesturing for him to come over to me. He furrowed his
brows, a skeptical look on his face. He seemed unsure of whether to join me or not,
indecision flickering across his features.

That's when it happened; the thing that'd surely have me so on edge I wouldn't be
able to enjoy a second of this stupid party, let alone the movie.

Shane reached his hand over and sat it on Troye's leg. Sure, it wasn't necessarily
a romantic or sexual gesture, but it still had my eyes narrowing into a glare and
my skin feeling hot all over, in the least desirable sense of the expression.

The second Shane's hand touched him Troye's head snapped to face him, successfully
breaking our eye contact. I watched the way he flinched away from the touch, though
that still wasn't quite enough to reassure me. What if he was only backing out
because I was in the room and he didn't want to hurt my feelings? Shane always had
been unneccessarily intent on befriending Troye.

Troye didn't look back over at me for the rest of the movie, much to my dismay.
Actually, I couldn't quite decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing, similar to
how I couldn't decide if I was angry with the situation or heartbroken by it. Why
was he so blatantly ignoring me? Did I do something wrong? Or did Shane just do
something right? What if Shane got the balls to ask him out first and he agreed
because he thought I'd never do it?

What if I lost him by putting it off for too long?

I hadn't thought of that happening when I made the decision to wait for him to ask
me out. He knows I like him by now, he has to, but maybe he isn't willing to wait
like I am. Ugh, what have I done? Now I'm sitting here over-thinking it in the
corner surrounded by all of my friends having a good time.

The movie credits were just beginning to roll as I forced my attention back to the
screen. Everyone was starting to stand up or start conversations again and I
watched with my knees hugged to my chest as Marcus stood up to direct them.

"Who wants cake?" He shouted, watching as they all jumped up and started scrambling
toward the stairs. For a bunch of people in their late teens they act like a bunch
of five year olds. That was probably hypocritical of me though, considering how
insanely excited the thought of cake had me. But hey, at least I'm not shoving
people to get to the stairs first like some sort of starving animal.
Instead I followed behind them as a reasonable pace beside Marcus, trying to no
avail to ignore the fact the two people in the corner hadn't budged an inch. Shane
and Troye were still sitting on that little loveseat, irritating me to no end
despite the fact they weren't even talking.

"Shane, Troye, are you two coming?" I jumped when Marcus spoke up suddenly from
right beside me, apparently I'd been completely drifted off in my own thoughts.
Shane and Troye both looked over to answer him, both of their mouths opening at the
same time. However, Shane cleared his throat before either of them got a word out,
Troye's mouth surprisingly snapping shut then. What the hell is going on with those
two? They barely talk at all and now they're buddy-buddy and speak for each other?

"We might be up in a minute, don't wait up though." Don't wait up. What's he
implying by that?

"Alright, see you in a little bit then. Come on, Ty." Marcus said softly, grabbing
my arm and dragging me toward the stairs. He actually did have to drag me the first
couple of steps, before I stopped gawking and came back to real life. I tore my
gaze away from the infuriating boys, instead focusing on not tripping over each of
the wooden stairs.

I kept silent as we walked into the kitchen, standing back and letting everyone
else get their food first. When I got to the front of the line I took the knife
from Marcus, insisting I could just get it myself. He gave me a weird look at first
but ultimately just went along with it, walking over with his plate to sit with the
others around the table. I cut my slice first, noticing it was practically gone.
Troye had better hurry his butt up if he wants any.

"Hey, can I have seconds?" My jaw clenched at Sawyer's question, feeling oddly
territorial over Troye's slice of cake. Maybe I should text him- Or I could just
carry it down for him! Without hesitating I hurriedly moved it onto the plate,
turning on my heel and starting toward the door before Sawyer got up from his seat.
I didn't want to be the one held responsible for coming between him and his
seconds.

"I'm going to take a piece down to Troye." I called over my shoulder, not waiting
for a response before continuing on, a plate in both hands. I hope Shane isn't
offended I didn't get him one- Actually, no I don't.

I walked back down the stairs, hoping to surprise Troye as much as I was hoping to
get a glimpse of what they were doing without everyone else surrounding them.
However, I managed to trip over my own feet on the second-last step, stumbling
forward and just barely saving the cake pieces, sacrificing my head instead.

"Ouch." I muttered quietly, lifting my head off of the wall. I turned around
slowly, my cheeks heating up when I saw them both staring at me. I didn't speak,
just lowering my head and walking over toward them. Troye surprised me by shuffling
closer to Shane, patting the half a cushion he'd just uncovered. I happily sat down
despite the tense atmosphere, taking a deep breath before turning my head to look
at him.

"I figured you'd want some cake before everyone else totally devoured it." My voice
was so shy it wasn't much more than a whisper, but he seemed to catch it all,
taking the plate from my hand with a small but genuine smile.

"Thanks, Ty." He said softly, my heartbeat speeding up at the sound of his voice.
It felt like forever since I'd heard it. It hadn't actually been, it probably
hadn't even been a full twenty-four hours since last night at work, but that wasn't
the point. It probably had more to do with the fact he was blatantly denying me it
now than how long it'd actually been.

I settled back against the couch with a goofy smile on my face, not even trying to
hide it. I watched Troye start to eat out of the corner of my eyes, noticing the
way he only ate the bits with tons of icing on them. He would.

I waited patiently for him to finish, expecting him to speak up and start a
conversation when he did. However, he didn't. The silence while he was eating was
followed by even more silence, to the point I could hear my ears ringing, desperate
to hear something. It wasn't a comfortable silence either, the air felt heavy and I
felt on edge. I could feel my fingers twitching against my sides where they'd ended
up when I folded my arms, just itching for someone to speak up.

It didn't happen though, leaving me on the verge of losing my mind. So I did the
next best thing, clearing my throat and getting to my feet. It was clear they
didn't want me there anyway.

"I'm going to use the washroom, I'll be right back!" I announced, deciding even
that was less awkward than what was happening there. They both simply nodded in
acknowledgment. I didn't wait around to see if they'd add more, just starting up
the stairs with a scowl on my face. To anyone else I might have just looked crabby,
but I'd decided it was definitely heartbreak I felt, not anger. Why was he being so
distant all of the sudden? I thought we were making real progress?

After I reached the top of the stairs I went straight for Marcus's room, deciding
it'd be a better place to collect myself than the bathroom. Besides, they were all
going to be in either the basement or the kitchen, it's not like I had to worry
about them walking in on me.

It was weird seeing his room again after so long. I hadn't been in here since last
school year. Not much had changed really, his shelves were still coated with
football related awards and his wall still covered in posters of random bands I'd
never heard of. They all looked intimidating, I assumed rock bands maybe, not
really my thing. I sat down on the edge of his bed, winding my fingers together as
I looked around for anything at all that had changed. He'd added a new lamp and a
new photo frame had replaced his old one, only photos of Shane and I in it. I guess
he'd really cut Caspar and the others out of his life. Good, he deserved better.

I was actually debating lying down and drifting off for a nap when the door
suddenly cracked open, my eyes going wide until I realized it was just Marcus. He
seemed surprised to see me there though, jumping so high I worried he'd hit his
head off the top of the doorframe.

"Jesus, Tyler! What are you doing in here?" At first his voice was practically a
shriek, toning down to an almost laughing state as he got his second sentence out.
I shrugged my shoulders noncommittally, getting to my feet. Now that he was here it
was kind of pointless to be here. It's hard to avoid humans when there's a human
right next to you, even if he happens to be the most tolerable one at the moment.
"Tyler? Where are you going?"

"I didn't want to annoy you, you must have a reason you came in here-"

"I'm grabbing a shirt to change into, Zoe got icing all over me while trying to rub
it on my nose." He explained, giving me a friendly smile. It was clear he wanted me
to stick around so I simply fell back onto the bed, actually laying down this time
and saturating in how comfortable his mattress was.
"She's a handful, huh?" I muttered, not even really paying attention to the words
coming out of my mouth. My mind was in a different place, and apparently Marcus
noticed.

"What's wrong?" He sighed out, like he'd been putting off asking me and had finally
caved. He did sound concerned though, almost feeling like a weight lifted off my
shoulders that someone actually did care. I wasn't about to just pour my heart out
to him though, especially when I didn't even know I had a good reason to be so
upset. What if Troye's just enjoying Shane's company platonically or slightly
annoyed with me and will get over it? It'd be stupid of me to throw a big fit. So,
instead, I simply didn't answer his question, shrugging my shoulders and feigning
indifferent. "Tyler, I've known you since before you even got it into your head you
had to act tough to be popular. I can tell when you're upset."

"There's nothing wrong..." I mumbled, refusing to meet his worried eyes. I

nervously fiddled with the hem of my shirt, only looking up when the bed sunk down
next to me. I sat up slowly into a sitting position beside him, sighing in defeat
when he continued to glare at me expectantly. "Troye's just acting weird and it's
confusing me."

"What do you mean?" I blushed then, not sure just how much I wanted to go into
detail. The conversation so far had already proved that I did want to talk about
it, but the last thing I wanted was to seem needy or for him to tell Troye I said
stuff like this.

"I don't know, it's almost like he's ignoring me." I muttered, deciding not to give
details on just why I thought this. I'd probably get too into the explanation and
seem like an obsessive boyfriend or something. Marcus gave an intuitive hum next to
me, clapping a hand on my back.

"Maybe he's just distracted by the party. He's never really been to one before from
what I've gathered."

"But he's not even participating in the party! All he's doing is talking to Shane!"
I shouted suddenly, my eyes going wide when I realized what I'd blurted so loudly.
What if Troye heard me? Obviously he couldn't have if he's still downstairs, but he
could have decided to go upstairs for some reason. I have to be more careful.

"So is this about him ignoring you or him spending time with Shane?" Marcus asked
after a few seconds of thought, his tone almost tentative like he was worried he'd
anger me.

"Why's it matter, it's the same thing." I muttered, my eyes probably glowing with
anger the longer I stayed staring at the floor, just imagining what Troye and Shane
could be doing down on the floor beneath us. I wonder if he's snuggling Shane like
he cuddles up to me.

"No, one makes you feel dejected, the other means you're jealous." Jealous? Jealous
of Shane?

"I'm not jealous." I snapped immediately, my harmless fiddling with the hem of my
shirt turning into an angry clench, bunching up fistfuls of it. Why would I be
jealous of him? I'm more popular, I have better hair, I- He has Troye's attention.
"Do you think I should be jealous? I mean because he's stealing my best friend."

"He's not stealing your best friend, Ty, it's possible to be friends with more than
one person." Marcus sighed, sounding slightly irritated with me. I debated backing
out of the conversation then, worried I'd only get more clingy with time, but I
knew that I needed this. I needed to talk about these things with someone else.

"But I don't want to be his second choice." I whispered, my head falling into my
hands as a quiet sigh escaped my lips. It was probably the neediest thing I could
have said, but it was also the truest. Whether I'd realized it before now and had
been denying it or if the thought really had just set in, I wasn't sure. The only
things I was sure of was my jealousy toward Shane and my anxiety toward the whole
situation. What would it be like if I was Troye's second choice and Shane was his
first? I was breathing heavily and nervously just thinking about it.

"You won't be, Troye adores you." Marcus said finally, his words somehow giving me
little to no comfort.

"Then why won't he talk to me?" I argued, not bothering to lift my head up as the
worrisome thoughts kept running through my mind. It was all so confusing. We were
great yesterday and now we're... this? The worst part about seeing our relationship
change so fast without reason, is knowing that his relationship with Shane might be
able to do the same. "Do you think there's a chance of Shane and Troye ever
getting, like, together?"

"No. No way in hell." He answered immediately, his face scrunching up like he was
disgusted by the very thought. Good, that makes two of us. Still, that didn't
exactly make me just shed all my worries. Where was his logic?

"What makes you so sure? They're both out of the closet, they get along, they
relate to each other about being social outcasts when they were younger, they
both-"

"Tyler. Are you trying to convince me or something? Do you want them to get
together?" He cut me off, looking at me with genuine confusion etched into every
one of his features.

"No!" I blurted immediately, scrunching my face up in distaste. Realizing I'd

probably sounded a bit too passionate about the issue I sighed, toning down my
voice a level before repeating myself. "No, that's not what I want..."

This only seemed to confuse him further, his eyebrows knitting together in obvious
deep thought. I wanted to help him out, I just wasn't sure how. I knew for a fact I
wasn't capable of admitting my sexuality and feelings for Troye out loud, not after
how hard it'd been to say it to Troye, whom I could tell anything.

I waited patiently for him to get it, twiddling my thumbs and listening intently to
the shouting going on downstairs. I wonder what they're doing now.

"You like him." I jolted my head upward, eyes wide like a deer caught in
headlights. It wasn't really a question, more of a statement, making it clear he
was determined with his decision. Deciding it was pointless to deny it, I just
shrugged my shoulders and refused to meet his eyes again. "You're gay?"

"There's more than one sexuality where you can be interested in men, Marcus, don't
be so close-minded." I snapped, immediately regretting it. He's just trying to
help, I shouldn't be so short with him. It was just easier though. It was easier to
act cold and detached than to get all emotional. Or at least, that's the way I'd
always seen it.

"What are you then?" Marcus asked, sounding totally intrigued as he tilted his head
to the side, trying to force me to look at him again.

"Gay." I answered, chuckling softly when he hit me in the shoulder. Just because I
was gay didn't mean the other sexualities should be disregarded though. We sat in
silence for a few seconds then, Marcus probably processing the information in his
own way.

"And you do? Like him, I mean." I blushed when he asked this, not expecting him to
put me on the spot like that. Didn't I already make myself clear? Sure, I didn't
outright say it, but I think I implied it.

"He's alright, I guess-"

"Tyler." I was half glad he hadn't given me the chance to finish, considering how
poorly that attempt at explaining my feelings was going. Imagine if I confessed to
Troye by calling him 'alright, I guess'. No, that definitely didn't even begin to
capture my feelings for him. So what did? How do I put all the love and gratitude
and need for him I have into words without sounding obsessed?

Second thought, I doubt that's even possible. The short of the story is I am
obsessed and there's probably not a single way to make it seem otherwise.

"Yes, I'm obsessed with the idiot." I said honestly, not missing the huge smile
that sparked over all of his features, only for him to immediately sweep it away to
a pokerface.

"Are you together?" He asked next, eyes sparkling with all the new information he
was getting. I guess we'd never really been the secret-sharing type, even when we
hung-out the time. Serious conversations in general had never been our thing.

"Not yet, but we both like each other as far as I know and there's been a couple
almost kisses." I decided if I was going to be honest I might as well go all-out,
telling him everything I knew about our complicated relationship.

"How do you almost kiss-"

"Don't ask." I cut him off, loathing seeping through my very pores as I thought
about Shaun opening the door and interrupting us.

"Well, look, as cute as it is seeing you all jealous, I don't think-"

"Marcus! Alfie spilled soda on your Mom's couch!" We both jumped when the door flew
open to reveal Louise, her entire face in shock like she was mortified by Alfie
spilling the stupid soda. I felt loathing seeping through my pores toward her now,
glaring at her as I realized I wouldn't get to hear whatever Marcus was about to
say. What if he'd had some serious advice that could have really helped me out? Or
at least got me to stop worrying about all of it?

"Shit! Come on, let's go downstairs, we'll talk about this later." Marcus
exclaimed, grabbing my wrist before I could argue and dragging me with him after
Louise. I pouted slightly, not entirely sure I wanted to go back down there yet. I
didn't seem to have a choice though, sighing softly as I started to descend the
stairs after the two of them.

I wasn't expecting to find them all sat neatly on the couches, looking guilty in
complete silence. I guess Marcus must have warned them about how obsessed with her
furniture his mother was. I felt bad for him looking at that pink stain sunk into
the cushions of the white couch, knowing already there was no chance he'd be able
to get it out. Maybe he could paint over it or something?
I watched him march over, both anger and despair evident on his features. With a
long sigh he reached down and flipped the cushion over, making me giggle slightly
at his method of covering it up. She'd find it sooner or later, but I guess this
would put it off for a while. When Marcus straightened back up he still didn't look
very impressed and I almost giggled again at how nervous everyone looked. I was
definitely glad I was on Marcus's good side tonight, that's for sure.

"What do you guys want to do now?" He sighed out, his voice definitely matching his
looks.

"Actually before the, uh, accident happened, we were talking about starting a game
of truth or dare. What do you think?" Alfie asked, his voice noticeably wavering. I
wasn't sure how any of them found Marky intimidating, but I wasn't about to
question it.

"As long as none of the dares put my couch in further jeopardy-" He paused, casting
a glare around the room to each and every guest aside from me, "-it sounds like
fun."

"Great! How many chickens are we gonna have?" Louise asked immediately, clapping
her hands onto her thighs excitedly. I walked out from behind Marcus, casually
sitting down on the flipped over cushion between Zoe and the end of the couch.

Marcus opened his mouth as if about to respond, creased-lines in his forehead as he

thought out his answer. However, someone who didn't seem to think out their answers
at all, understandably, got to it first.

"It's no fun with chickens. How about the opposite? If you refuse to answer or do
your dare, you have to streak up the road." I resisted the urge to groan aloud at
Sawyer's stupid suggestion, sinking down the back of the couch until my chin was
practically pressed against my chest at the awkward angle. I could see Troye
staring tentatively out of the corner of my eye, almost as if he was scared I'd
catch him and was ready to look away at any time.

"Alright, fine, let's play." Marcus announced suddenly, snatching both Troye and
I's gazes. We both snapped our heads to face him, watching as he settled down in
the sole chair. I felt slightly envious that he didn't have to put up with sharing
his sitting spot like I did, but I guess it made sense. After all, he was the
birthday boy.

The room fell into silence for a few seconds then, all of us waiting for one of the
others to speak up. I expected it to be either Sawyer or Marcus, who seemed to be
running things, surprised when it was Troye's quiet voice that breached the
silence.

"Do I have to play?" He asked, his shaky tone making my heart clench in my chest. I
bet he's never played truth or dare in his life, much less with blunt people like
this. I was about to speak up and assure him he didn't have to, when another voice
rang out above mine.

"Wimp." Sawyer muttered under his breath, my jaw immediately clenching in anger.
Sure, it ticked me off a bit earlier when he tried to take his cake slice, but this
was a whole different level of anger. How could he put Troye on the spot like that
when he was obviously uncomfortable? How could he just completely disregard his
feelings like that?

I balled my hands into fists, eyes flickering over to glare at Sawyer. He seemed
oblivious to my anger, just staring at Troye with a smug smirk on his lips and
challenging eyes. Doesn't he realize Troye's not like other guys? He's not going to
do it just out of spite like-

"Fine." Oh. I guess I was wrong.

I let my gaze drift in Troye's direction, not even trying to hide the fact I was
staring at him in disbelief. He was determined to ignore me though, forcing his
eyes to stay on Sawyer even while my eyes raked over his body unabashedly.

"Who's going first?" Marcus asked simply, deciding to change the topic, clearly
noticing the stare-down between Sawyer and Troye. I had no idea what was up with
the boy tonight. He was always so apt to go under the radar and never left my side,
now he was willingly picking subtle fights with Sawyer and clinging to Shane?

"Me!" Joey practically shouted, bouncing up in his seat eagerly. He immediately

turned to the right before anyone even had the time to disagree with him, smiling
widely at Sawyer. "Sawyer, truth or dare?"

"Dare." Sawyer answered immediately, a cocky smirk ever-present on his lips. I'd
never had a problem with him before tonight, even thinking less-than-appropriate
things about him a couple of times, but now I couldn't stand anything about him. I
hated the way he gelled his hair back, I hated how blue his eyes were, and I hated
how insanely full of himself he was. It's not like he had reason to be. He
constantly acted like he was the most attractive intriguing thing in the room,
which was the biggest load of bu

Chapter Fifty-Three
*Troye's POV*

"Do I have to? I don't think it's doing anything but upsetting him." I sighed,
leaning heavily against the armrest, my cheek pressing into my fist so hard it was
almost uncomfortable. It was working as a nice distraction though, taking my
frustration out on myself instead of Shane, who was really the one that deserved
it.

When I agreed to drive him to the party I'd had no intention of using it as a
bonding moment. I was just going to pick him up, drive to Marcus's house, then
throw myself at Tyler because he was who I really wanted to be around. Yet I'd been
here for almost an hour now and hadn't exchanged a single word with Tyler, through
text or in person. And I only had one person to blame for that.

My plan had gone off the rails on the way here when Shane had questioned me on
Tyler, asking something about how far we'd gone. So, naturally, not even thinking,
I made a snappy comment about how we hadn't done anything and how I was getting
tired of waiting on him. It was meant to be a joke, a comedic take on how
frustrated I actually was with our relationship. I wasn't really asking him for
advice and I didn't really want it. That was at first anyway. When he offered to
share his thoughts I'd immediately shot him down. It wasn't until we were almost to
Marcus's that I couldn't fight the nagging curiosities anymore, breaking down and
asking him what exactly his thoughts were.

After the flood gates had been open there was no stopping him, thoughts and
opinions pouring out of his mouth. Some of them contradicted with himself, some
were positive and some negative, but there was one recurring suggestion that
intrigued me. He figured that ignoring Tyler for a bit would get me the attention I
wanted, that my momentary absence in his life would make him realize what an idiot
he was being by putting the move off. Apparently it'd make him realize I wasn't
going to wait forever or that I wasn't as dedicated to him as he thought, which
were both total lies, considering I'd be content to spend my entire life waiting on
him, but that was beside the point. I wasn't necessarily against the idea of
kissing him sooner and Shane was already too excited to say no to, chattering on
about playing matchmaker like he was born to do the task. So I agreed, I agreed to
avoid Tyler.

I lasted about five minutes before I regretted the decision.

That was when my phone went off, my hands immediately jumping to reply to the one
person that regularly texted me. Shane wasn't having that though, snatching it out
of the center console and insisting that it didn't count as ignoring if I still
replied to his texts. Which I guess made sense, but that didn't mean I was happy
about it. Little did I know how much I'd dislike being deprived of him in person if
that was the case.

And that's what led me to where I am now, sitting in the basement on an

uncomfortable loveseat with no one but Shane, while everyone else was eating cake.

"Yes, you've already made it this far, it'd be stupid to give up now." He answered,
breaking me out of my spiteful reverie. I sighed loudly, a frustrated grumble
escaping my lips as my hands balled into fists.

"What if I don't care if it's stupid?" I snapped, turning my head to glare at him.
He seemed to need time to think for his response, tilting his head to the side and
biting his lip as he stared off at nothing. A smirk found his lips then and he
looked back to me, a challenging glint in his eyes.

"I'll use your phone to text him your confession." He threatened, holding up my
phone between two fingers. Immediately I lurched to grab it, barely missing it
before he was snapping his hand away, turning his entire body away from me. My
heart was pounding in my chest, just imagining how Tyler would react to that. It's
not like I could tell him Shane had my phone, he'd never believe that. When had I
ever let others near my phone in the past? Worse yet, I doubted Shane would word it
right. It could be anywhere from 'Hey, I think you're pretty fuckable' to a seven-
text-long emotional sapfest I'd be embarrassed about for the rest of my life.

"Shane! You wouldn't dare." I growled, watching with wide eyes as he held up the
phone, exposing the screen that was opened to Tyler's chat. I didn't have time to
think through my reaction, jumping onto him and earning a grunt as I reached around
his form, flailing slightly as I tried to grab it back from him. I was so
concentrated I didn't notice the sound of footsteps on the stairs, only registering
the third person entering the room when a loud thump found my ears. I quirked my
eyebrows, throwing myself off of Shane and to the other side of the couch, whipping
my head around to look who it was.

I felt a smile tug at the corners of my lips when I saw the head of purple hair
from the back, slightly confused what had happened before I realized his head was
pressed against the wall. Did he really trip and catch himself with his forehead?
What kind of idiot is he?

"Ouch." He muttered, my restrain slipping as a full-fledged smile spread across my

lips. It only lasted for a second though, before Shane was hitting my arm and
reminding me what was going on. I'm giving Tyler the cold shoulder; or else.

I watched with a blank face as he lifted his head, his cheeks adorably flushed as
he turned to look at us. He lowered his head in obvious embarrassment, starting
toward us. It was only then that I noticed he had two plates in his hands, my mouth
watering. He does my homework and gets me cake, who cares if he's dense as fuck
when it comes to making a move.

In a random surge of spite and admiration for Tyler, I found myself moving over on
the couch to make room for him. He seemed delighted with this, grinning cheerily as
he walked over and threw himself down. He took a deep breath before turning to face
me, his smile only dimmed slightly.

"I figured you'd want some cake before everyone else totally devoured it." He said
quietly, his eyes darting from mine to look around the room multiple times as he
spoke. I'd never thought I'd like or even thought about at all what a shy Tyler
Oakley would be like, but those flushed cheeks and nervous smiles were quickly
becoming addictive. I wouldn't say I liked it more than the forward flirty Tyler I
was used to, but I definitely didn't have a problem with it.

I tried to hide how pleased I really was with the gesture, simply taking the plate
from his hand with a small smile. I didn't show the butterflies it gave me when our
hands brushed together.

"Thanks, Ty." I whispered, taking advantage of him staring at the floor to study
his features. His eyes were shy and unsure, but there was no denying the huge grin
on his lips. It was like the small bit of attention I'd paid him had just instantly
made up for ignoring him.

I watched as he started to settle back on the couch, realizing he could see me from
this angle and quickly getting to work eating the food he'd brought me. I took tiny
bites, purposely prolonging the moment and excuse not to converse with him. As much
as I wanted to, I knew he'd want some sort of explanation on why I was ignoring
him, and I just couldn't give it. That, and I wasn't entirely sure Shane would let
me talk to him at all, he probably has some secret plan to shoo Tyler out of the
room.

After I finished the cake slice the room remained just as silent, my thoughts going
wild as I tried to figure out what to say or do. Would Shane be mad if I talked to
him? Technically he'd initiated the interaction, so that was sort-of a move. I
doubt Shane would agree, but that didn't matter. I was about to speak up and talk
to him, about absolutely anything, when he cleared his throat and started to get to
his feet. My mouth snapped shut, resisting the urge to frown as he looked back down
at us.

"I'm going to use the washroom, I'll be right back!" He announced, fake cheeriness
radiating off of him. I wasn't really in the position to argue, just defeatedly
nodding in acknowledgement along with Shane. He turned around immediately, not
looking back at us once as he walked over to the stairs and started up them.

"Shane, what have you done? I swear to god, if you've fucked up our friendship with
this stupid scheme I will not hesitate to-"

"Calm down. Sure things are a little awkward right now, but they're supposed to be.
He's already missing you, it's only a matter of time before he comes back
practically begging for your attention." I glared at him for a second, though the
nagging image of Tyler pulling me off into another room and begging for my
attention refused to be ignored, making it really hard to seem angry.

"How do you know? What if he just gives up?" I muttered, showcasing my worries just
a little bit. I still wasn't entirely sure I wanted to go to Shane for advice, but
it was kind of too late now anyway.

"Trust me, he won't." Shane laughed, making me roll my eyes at how sure of himself
he sounded. How does he know? Are Tyler's emotions really that clear to everyone
else? Hell, I'm a mindreader and I can't even make sense of them most the time.

I decided not to question him any further though, mostly because I could hear
people starting down the stairs and didn't want to have this conversation around
anyone else.

I'd been excited to see Tyler come back downstairs, though with a quiet warning hum
from Shane I remembered not to let my eyes follow him around the room like they
wanted to. Instead I listened in on their conversation in silence, staring down at
my feet and subconsciously shaking them to the beat of the music.

My breath caught for a moment when they mentioned truth or dare for the first time,
just imagining all the horrible scenarios that could come out of that. If movies
had taught me anything it's that truth or dare almost always leads to uncomfortable
sexual things and I wasn't really looking forward to that. There was only one
person I'd ever consider doing stuff like that with and what are the chances people
would dare us to do anything together?

My anxiety only grew when they concluded there would be no chickens, meaning you
more or less just had to do whatever they said. Even worse, was the consequence if
you didn't. Streaking in front of the entire neighborhood? Sounds horrible.
Streaking in front of the entire neighborhood with the risk of hearing their
thoughts in reaction? No way in hell.

Curious, I decided to discreetly eye Tyler for his reaction. He had sunk down on
the couch, pure annoyance clear on all of his features. I had to remind myself I
wasn't allowed to be caught staring when I almost laughed aloud at his ridiculous
position. For the hundredth time, he was helping to put my nerves at ease. He
wouldn't let them force me to do anything I didn't want to. Even while I was
ignoring him he still cared about me.

"Alright, fine, let's play." Marcus concluded, my mood dimming slightly in

reaction. I was not looking forward to this at all. Whether they asked me to spill
secrets or participate in stupid dares, it didn't really matter, neither sounded
very desirable.

The silent seconds that followed his announcement only gave me more time to over-
think, my heart racing in my chest. I didn't even think before my mouth was flying
open, my worries controlling me as I asked the stupid question I'd immediately come
to regret.

"Do I have to play?" Way to not look like a total loser, Troye. I bet Tyler thinks
I'm some kind of weirdo for getting so beat up over something small like this. I
should just play it, it can't be that bad, right?

"Wimp." Sawyer's jab only reinforced my thoughts, making me sigh softly as my

resolve cracked. I didn't care if they looked at me as a wimp, but I did care if it
affected Tyler's opinion of me.

"Fine." I practically spat, trying and failing to hide the sour tone to my voice. I
could practically feel Tyler's eyes on me, disbelief oozing off of him in waves. I
guess he really hadn't expected me to change my mind. I refused to meet his gaze
though, knowing all too well Shane was watching me out of the corner of his eye as
well.

"Who's going first?" Marcus asked, leaning back in his chair and drawing my
attention away from Sawyer. He looked around the room expectantly, though he
probably only got about halfway before Joey was jumping up and shouting.

"Me!" He shouted excitedly, immediately turning his gaze on Sawyer. "Sawyer, truth
or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to prank call Caspar." I rolled my eyes at the girlish giggles Joey let
out after he'd said it, like he'd asked him to do something simply horrible. Sawyer
just pulled his phone out though, looking around the room to make sure he had
everyone's attention before pressing the call button. He put it on speaker phone so
we could all hear, throwing himself into an elaborate act of pretending to be one
of Caspar's college friends inviting him to a party tonight. A party that obviously
wasn't real. Caspar didn't show even a tinge of hesitancy, just accepting that it
was his college friend immediately. Imagine how angry he'll be when he shows up at
the 'party' to find nothing there. The thought alone was enough to put a smile back
on my face.

I listened intently as the next few turns flew by, not once feeling the need to
speak up. Part of me almost hoped that they'd forget about me if I was quiet
enough, let me listen in but not really participate in the game. I had no reason to
think otherwise, considering no one had even so much as looked in my direction yet.

It was Zoe's turn currently, her devious eyes scanning through all of her possible
victims before landing on Tyler. I was excited for a split second, eager to see him
flustered or pull off some crazy dare. However, just when I was sure she was about
to ask him something, she whipped her head around to look at Shane and I.

"Shane, truth or dare?" She asked, her bubbly sweet voice a total contrast to the
darkness in her eyes. She was scary, despite how much everyone seemed to love her.

"Dare." I resisted the urge to groan in response to his stupidity. It was stupid to
pick dare ever, but to pick dare when she was looking at him like that, he had to
be an idiot. He's just asking for it.

"I didn't really plan out a dare, give me a second." She mumbled, looking around
the room distractedly. It wasn't long before she was looking back over in our
direction, realization sparking on her features in the most intimidating way. "I
dare you to kiss Troye!"

"What?" I blurted, dazed as I stared at her with my mouth gaping.

"Oh, come on, you two are the only gay boys at school and you've been all over each
other tonight. No need to be bashful about it." She beamed, her eyes sparkling with
mischief as they flickered back and forth between Shane and I. This is not
happening. This is so not happening. She wants me to kiss Shane? Why Shane? I don't
want to kiss him at all, let alone for him to be my first kiss. And even worse,
Tyler's going to be watching. He's going to feel like shit.

I discreetly let my eyes wander as I registered Shane trying to reason with Zoe
beside me. Deep down I already knew it was going to happen. My alternative was
streaking naked with Shane and that sounded even worse. That didn't mean I was
happy about it though.

Inevitably my eyes ended up on Tyler, not even trying to hide the fact I was
staring at him now. If Shane got mad at me for looking at him right now I would
literally slap him across the face when he went in for the kiss.

Tyler looked stressed, his eyes wide and dark as they glared at Sawyer. Sawyer
wasn't paying any attention mind you, instead focused on making some stupid quip
about streaking buddies. His hands were balled into fists too, and I couldn't
recall a time Tyler looked so... angry. It would have been kind of hot actually, if
it wasn't for the context.

"If they really don't want to you can't force them to, it's not fair to-"

"Yes it is. So, what's it gonna be boys?" I left that question for Shane to answer,
instead channeling all my attention to watching Tyler. It was sweet of him to speak
up like that, even if it didn't really accomplish anything. It was relieving too,
to know it wasn't me he was mad at. He had every right to be with the way I'd been
treating him tonight, but he wasn't.

It was almost heartbreaking watching the different emotions flicker across his
face. He seemed more upset by the situation than even I was. He seemed angry, then
worried, then hopeful, then altogether defeated when Shane turned his head to look
at me.

My head was facing his direction but I still refused to look at him, looking around
the room as it really sunk in what I was about to do. My first kiss. Well, at least
now if some freaky mind-reading thing happens I'll know not to risk kissing Tyler.
Okay, let's be real here, I'd still kiss him. I'm too selfish not to. Maybe I can
even imagine it's Tyler I'm kissing.

"Troye, are you okay with this? Because I don't want to make things awkward between
us." Shane whispered quietly, making me sigh inaudibly. He would make me choose.
Didn't he know I hated decisions? I have to say it now. I have to say that I'd
rather kiss him than streak up the road, and I have a feeling that isn't what Tyler
wants to hear.

What if he thinks I just want to kiss Shane in general?

Surely he'd realize how stupid that suspicion is. I know I haven't outright
confessed to him or anything, but I have made my feelings clear in other ways. And,
judging by the way he's been so forward with me lately, he realizes it too. It's
all too easy to make a person doubt themselves though, as I know. Maybe I should
reassure him.

"It's just a kiss, it doesn't mean anything. At all." I might have kept eye contact
with Shane as I said it, but there was no doubt in my mind the message was for
Tyler's sake.

Shane started to lean forward, clearly not needing any more reassurance than that.
I squeezed my eyes shut tightly, waiting with pursed lips. I wasn't sure what kind
of kiss we were going for or which way to tilt my head or anything. I over-thought
it so much in those few seconds I found myself frozen completely, deciding that
making no move was better than making the wrong one.

I almost jumped when I felt his lips ghost over mine, the kiss so gentle it was
almost like it wasn't even happening. It definitely wasn't what I'd expected a kiss
to feel like. It felt no different than my lips touching anything else. There were
no fireworks or sparks or exceptional feelings, it was just physical contact. I
didn't even get to hear his thoughts, not that I'd wanted to.

He pulled away after only a couple seconds, leaving me confused and slightly
disappointed. It's not like I'd wanted some huge fireworks show or anything,
especially with Shane, but I'd expected it to at least be enjoyable. What if kisses
with Tyler are just as boring? What if I actually am asexual? No, I'd know that
before actually trying it, right?

There were people giggling like idiots around us and whispering stupid things to
one another like we'd shoved our tongues down each others throats or something and
it was actually starting to get on my nerves. From what I've experienced so far, I
definitely do not like parties.

I completely blocked out what was going on around us as I watched Tyler, my heart
dropping when he deliberately refused to meet my gaze. He looked absolutely
miserable and the thought that I might have had something to do with that was
horrible. I'd never felt so guilty in my life. What part of me thought that the
party would be a good idea at all?

When I finally let myself drift back into reality and took in my surroundings I was
surprised to find everyone looking at Tyler expectantly. A few seconds later Marcus
called his name, the laughing tone making it clear this hadn't been his first
attempt. A smile found my own lips despite the tense atmosphere, watching as Marcus
called for him again and Tyler just continued staring off into space. It was
adorable how detached from the rest of the world he was, even if he was upset.

I held my breath as Marcus picked up a pillow, resisting the urge to laugh aloud
when he drew his arm back and launched it across the room. His aim was perfect, the
small throw-pillow hitting Tyler upside the head with enough force to make him
nearly fall over considering he hadn't been prepared for the impact.

"Tyler? Tyler! I've been calling your name for like thirty seconds, what's your
problem?" Marcus laughed, completely disregarding the slight scowl on Tyler's
features. I guess he got used to seeing him like that after being friends for so
long or something. "Truth or dare?"

"I don't care." He answered grumpily, crossing his arms over his chest and only
making me worry more. He really was upset. Maybe I should try to talk to him.
Neither of us are enjoying the game anyway. That settles it, after this turn I'll
go and ask him if he wants to leave early, consequences be damned.

"Dare it is then! I dare you to kiss Troye-" I wasn't sure what happened to me
during the milliseconds gaps between each word he spoke and Tyler cutting him off.
My heart had stopped when he said the word kiss, a strange whirl of jealousy
overcoming me. I knew we weren't official and he'd kissed people in the past, but
something about him doing it now just felt wrong, in every sense. He was mine, even
if we refused to acknowledge it quite yet, the fact was still there.

My reaction when I heard him tack my name onto the end was completely different
though. I no longer felt jealous, obviously, but I wasn't entirely sure what I felt
now. What if the kiss did suck as much as my kiss with Shane? What would I do then?
But it'd be nice to find out for sure, to see what it'd really be like to kiss him.
But what if I messed up? What if I made a fool of myself in front of all these
people?

"No! I can't do that!" Tyler shouted, gawking at Marcus like he'd suggested he
murder children or something. There was no debating what that made me feel like, it
definitely wasn't a good feeling. Was he that against kissing me? Why? I thought he
liked me. He called me sexy, even if it was subconsciously, that should still count
for something.

"You cut me off!" Marcus accused angrily, glaring at Tyler until he let his mouth
snap back shut, giving him a chance to finish what he'd started to say. "I dare you
to kiss Troye, with tongue."

Holy shit.

An unwanted heat spread through my stomach at the thought of kissing Tyler like
that, my cheeks flushing as I looked over at him. I was suddenly hyper-aware of his
lips, how pink they were, how plump the bottom one was compared to the top, how
good they looked when he swiped his tongue out and wet them. For the sake of all
things good, please let Tyler's kiss be better than Shane's.

I wasn't sure if I was more nervous or excited as I watched him turn to face me,
our eyes locking in a strange stare-down of silent questions. Neither of us seemed
to know any of the answers.

"In front of all of you?" Tyler asked, turning his head as he spoke. I felt the
urge to roll my eyes at him. Where else did he think we were going to do it?

"Yep."

"And with tongue?" He asked quietly, my eyebrows shooting up when I realized just
how shy he sounded. At least I know I'm not the only nervous one.

"Yep."

"And if I don't I have to-"

"Streak up the road. With Troye, he was part of the dare." I scrunched my nose up
at this, still just as against the idea as I had been earlier. No, I would
definitely not be streaking this time. If I was willing to kiss Shane not to I was
definitely willing to kiss Tyler, granted he was willing to kiss me.

"Guys, that's not really fair to me-" I started, trying to get the point out there
that I was against the streaking, not the kissing. Zoe didn't seem to understand
that, cutting me off.

"Aw, come on, Troye, why don't you just let him kiss you? You just said it was just
a kiss and meant nothing, this is no different." Zoe said, obviously trying to
comfort me. It wasn't comforting I needed though, it was reassurance. I just needed
Tyler to make it clear he was okay with this, or even that he wanted to do this,
and then I'd be completely okay with it.

"Yeah, but this is different." I muttered, deciding that was the closest I was
willing to go to explaining the type of relationship I had with Tyler. The kiss
would definitely change things, whether it was for the better or for worse it was
too soon to tell.

"How?"

"It just is." I muttered, the finality to my tone making it clear I wasn't going to
tell her anything more. She seemed a bit disappointed, crossing her thin arms over
her chest, but I didn't care.

"Well, it doesn't matter if it's different or not. Kiss or streaking, your choice.
Rest assured there will be videos of the streaking on every social media sight on
the internet." Sawyer spoke up, only making me want to avoid the streaking option
even more.

"I guess I'll go with the kiss, but only if Tyler's okay with it." I said honestly,
knowing I wouldn't even consider it if Tyler said he would rather streak. I was far
from forcing him into anything.

Tyler didn't vocally tell me one way or the other, but he did get to his feet and
start toward the couch I was on. I was a bit embarrassed when I realized I hadn't
even registered Shane getting up in all my thoughts about Tyler, but I quickly
covered it up with a nervous grin as Tyler sat down next to me.
This is really happening. We can't back out this time.

Tyler didn't seem to be one to waste time, turning to face me with a gentle and
comforting smile. I noticed his hand shift off of his leg, my eyes immediately
falling shut as he started to lift it. I didn't really have the capability of
closing them as tight as I did for Shane and I's kiss, too distracted by reminding
myself to breath. He hand settled on my cheek a moment later, my body tensing as I
awaited his next move. Was he just going to go for it? How do I know when to pucker
my lips? To people actually pucker their lips for tongue kissing?

As the seconds ticked by I got more and more nervous, adjusting the position of my
lips and fighting the urge to open my eyes. Is he just sitting there staring at me?
Am I doing something wrong? Oh, maybe his eyes are closed and he's waiting for me
to lean forward too. I was about to do just that when his quiet whisper found me,
my heart racing at how hot it sounded with him so close.

"It's just a kiss, okay? It doesn't change anything." He assured me, making me
seriously wonder if I was disappointed or relieved by his words. It was good to
know we could mess up horribly and it wouldn't affect our friendship, but at the
same time, what if it went perfectly? Did that mean I'd know what it was like to
kiss him and still be waiting on him to make a move?

I wasn't really sure how he wanted me to react so I just nodded distractedly, still
considering the thought. I wasn't sure what to think. Though when I felt his hand
slide down my jaw further and his lips ghost over mine, I realized it didn't matter
because I wasn't going to be thinking anything at all for the next little while
anyway.

"Hey! You can't cover it up with your hand! That's cheating!" I resisted the urge
to laugh against Tyler's lips over her protest, using all of my control to just let
him kiss me as he started to press them onto me with actual force. He picked up a
steady pace, giving me plenty of time to learn as I experimentally moved my lips
along with his.

This was already much better than my kiss with Shane, my heart thudding heavily in
my chest as his soft lips worked against my own. His tasted better too, like the
chocolate frosting from the cake, but not enough to be over-empowering, just enough
to be desirable. It was only a matter of seconds before I decided I definitely
liked this, relief flooding through me and clouding my thoughts so much I didn't
realize what I was doing until I'd brought a hand up to Tyler's shoulder.

I hesitated for a split second, shocked by my own actions, before deciding to just
go with it. Tyler didn't seem to mind and part of me knew this wasn't the type of
moment you were allowed to over-think. I slipped my hand further, feeling the short
hairs on the back of his neck under my fingertips. I pulled him forward harder
against my lips, my instincts urging me on. His grip on my jaw tightened, leaving
me confused, but only for a second before I felt his warm tongue slip over my
bottom lip. I gasped, not expecting to like the sensation as much as I did, trying
and failing to ignore how hot I was suddenly feeling. I hesitated for only a second
before parting my lips further, worried what would happen if I let the kiss get any
more heated considering how into it I was now.

His tongue slipped into my mouth effortlessly, moving slowly as if giving me time
to adjust to the new experience. What he didn't seem to realize was that I didn't
need it, already more than comfortable with the feeling. It was hot, his warm
breath mixing just barely with my own, the way his tongue felt as it pushed against
mine. I could feel my cheeks blush as I realized I'd been subconsciously flexing my
fingers against his neck, tugging at the short hair there the more into the kiss I
got. I didn't stop though, deciding I liked the way his grip tightened just
slightly with each pull.

Despite my caution about getting too heated in front of everyone, knowing I

wouldn't be able to control my body's reactions, I was desperate to know what it'd
be like to kiss him faster. I wanted one of those hot and needy kisses like you saw
in movies, complete with hair-pulling and moaning into each others mouths. In the
back of my mind I realized that was a lot to ask for our first kiss, especially
considering it was only a dare, but I wasn't really using my mind right now, now
was I?

My hand slid up his head and my fingers wove into his hair, my grip on his purple
locks tightening as my tongue writhed against his, begging for more. For a second
he stopped his movements altogether, like he was debating whether it was a good
idea or not, clearly having more control over himself than I did, but then the
second had passed and he was kissing me eagerly, just the way I wanted. I found
myself slipping up more with the desperate pace, having to take deeper breaths and
not being able to keep up with him. He didn't seem to mind though, so neither did
I. More than once I had to remind myself not to pull his hair too roughly or
attempt crawling onto his lap, screaming at myself that that was not allowed in a
first kiss, and definitely not in front of all these people.

When Tyler started to pull away not too long after I found every nerve in my body
protesting, genuinely craving the feel of his skin against mine now. I whimper
tumbled past my lips in protest, my hands grabbing needily at his hair and trying
to convince him not to. He just smirked against my lips, puckering his slightly to
press them back against mine. That wasn't at all what I wanted but I went along
with it, realizing he hadn't been taking nearly as deep breaths as I had and
probably needed a breather. I still wasn't happy though, pouting my lips out as I
unwound my fingers from his hair. Who knows when I'll get a chance to do that again
with our current relationship. And I really want to do it again, a lot.

We didn't pull away far, his forehead tilting to rest against mine as soon as our
lips had disconnected. I kept my eyes closed, panting heavily as I tried to make up
for my lost breath. My eyes fluttered open as soon as I had, meeting Tyler's in an
intimate gaze. He looked adorably flustered, his lips fighting off a smile that
just refused to be put to rest. I wonder what he's thinking right now.

Once the idea entered my mind it was all I could think about, how great it'd be to
know his exact reaction to the kiss we'd just shared. It wasn't like me to embrace
my ability like this, but it was different with Tyler. Everything was different
with Tyler.

So with determination coursing through my veins I kept my gaze locked with his,
concentrating everything I had on trying to read his mind. I'd never purposely
tried to do it like this, always doing the opposite and trying to stop it from
happening.

I wonder what he's thinking.

My lips quirked up into a smile, realizing he'd been on the same thought train as
me.

Are my eyes easier to read than his?

Not really, but your thoughts definitely are.

They must be. There's only really one emotion there to find, it couldn't be that
difficult to pick it out. Then again, I thought he would have figured out my
feelings for him by now, it's not like I've been subtle about how in love with him
I am.

My throat suddenly felt dry, forcing the emotions from my face as I flickered my
eyes away from his, my heart racing. My hands felt heavy as I slid them off his
shoulders. I could feel my face twitching in protest, desperate to show some
outward reaction to what I'd just heard. I wouldn't let it though, I know from
experience how that would go. I couldn't stay in that moment with him either
though, instead scooting to the far end of the couch as my thoughts whirred around
in my head.

Love.

He's in love with me.

Sure it wasn't a confession, but there was absolutely no other way to interpret
things this time. There was no 'maybe' or 'what if's to fall back on, to self-
consciously convince myself it might not be the case. It just was. It was out there
and despite how long I'd been waiting for it, it was the most overwhelming thing
I'd experienced in my life. What did I do to deserve someone like him? What's going
to happen when he finds out about my ability? Will it change everything?

It's not like I'd been lying to him, I'd just been withholding the truth a bit. I
was the walking equivalent of 'don't ask, don't tell' and I was happy with that. I
was perfectly fine carrying on like we had been and putting off the serious aspects
of our relationship. But he had to know, sooner or later. If things did work out
between us, like really work out, I couldn't go my whole life hiding who I was from
him... or could I?

No, that's not fair to him and you know it, Troye.

It's not fair to me either though, is it? I don't deserve all the stress of hiding
it like I do, fighting so hard against a part of myself that obviously isn't going
to just go away like I'd always secretly hoped. Even if it was just one person,
just Tyler, it'd be such a relief to be open. I didn't even know what it was like
to be accepted for who you were, every fault and quirk. I'd never given anyone the
chance to.

It must be a good feeling though, having someone care about you so much that they
look at even your faults as beautiful, just because they're a part of you.

"Troye? Are you okay?" I blinked repeatedly, coming back to the real world and
cringing slightly at the feel of Shane shaking me. I shifted away from his touch,
noticing the apologetic smile he gave me in response. At least he's picked up on
the fact I don't like to be touched, I just wish he'd realized just how much I hate
it. "Zoe asked you something."

I furrowed my brows, looking over in Zoe's direction. I was surprised to see her
face in a totally serious expression, absent of her usual peppy smile. I was also
surprised to see so many people had left the room. Tyler, Marcus, Sawyer, and Joey
were all gone, making a pang of worry shoot through my chest as I wondered where
they were.

Well, where Tyler was.

Did he run off after the kiss? Did he think I was ignoring him? Did he not like it
as much as I did?

Zoe cleared her throat, drawing my attention back to her. I noticed Alfie had
replaced Louise's spot by her side, worming in between them and resting his head on
Zoe's shoulder. The three of them were all staring at me intently, Shane looking
over at me with a reassuring smile.

"Truth or dare?" Zoe asked, her expression purely friendly for a change. Ignoring
how suspicious that was I went with the obvious choice, knowing not to risk the
alternative. God knows what she'd make me do or kiss this time.

"Truth."

"Do you have feelings for Tyler?" My eyes went wide, a blush invading my cheeks the
same time a stupid smile found my lips. Overwhelming or not, knowing how Tyler felt
about me definitely changed a lot of things. I wasn't nervous when I thought about
my crush on him, just ecstatic. Which was great, aside from the fact it made it
damn clear what my answer was before I'd even spoken another word, Zoe's squeals
filling the room. With a defeated sigh, I nodded my head.

"Yeah." I muttered, watching in almost bemusement as Zoe reached over and slapped
Louise's arm, bringing the other girl into the squeal-fit with her. Are these girls
really eighteen and seventeen? They look about twelve right now.

Suddenly their giggles and noises ceased, a sullen expression invading both of
their faces. What? Had they communicated telepathically or something? What made
them stop?

"I'm sorry." Zoe whispered, looking over at me through her eyelashes, guilt
clouding her features.

"Why?" I laughed, surprising myself with how easily I covered up my worry over her
actions.

"Well, it just must suck having feelings for a straight boy who's as homophobic as
he is-"

"Are you kidding?" I cut her off, surprising myself by how aggressive my voice
sounded. It was usually no more than a whisper, especially while talking to people
I wasn't very close to. I couldn't help it though, something about hearing her just
assume stuff about Tyler like that irked me. The fact she didn't even try to get to
know him before slapping the labels on him. "Tyler is not homophobic."

Her eyebrows arched, clearly taken off-guard by how stern my voice was. I glared at
her, protectiveness seeping into the gaze. It was only when her eyes lit up and
that devilish smirk returned to her face that I realized just how badly I'd messed
up.

"So he's in the closet then, huh?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows. I bit my lip,
slightly panic-stricken. Oh no, what if she tells Tyler I outed him or something?
He'd be so upset! "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone! Scout's honor!" She beamed,
clearly noticing my discomfort.

"Good, because it's not really my secret to tell." I muttered after a few second's
hesitation, still unsure of how I felt sharing all these things with her. It was
the same as when I'd talked to Shane earlier about it. I wasn't used to talking
about my feelings or this secret-sharing stuff.

"So, in that case, does he like you back?" She pried, leaning toward me so far
Alfie was forced to pick his head up. I debated what to answer this with, my cheeks
heating up all over again when I remembered what I'd heard. Yeah, he definitely
likes me back. You could even say he loves me. I wasn't going to say that though,
instead shrugging nonchalantly.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Then why aren't you dating?!" She screeched, picking up a throw pillow and
chucking it at my head. I was shocked by how into it she was, considering this was
literally our first time meeting. Half of me was weirded-out by it, my other half
almost flattered by the attention. I wasn't sure why she cared so much, but it was
nice to know she did.

"It's complicated." I answered simply, begging her with my eyes not to make me go
into detail.

"You both want to bone each other, what's complicated about that?" My jaw dropped
when I heard those blunt words leave her mouth, the flurry of images that
accompanied it not helping me any. Now that I knew what it was like to kiss Tyler
it only made me want to know about everything else we could do together more.
"Sorry. You both 'like' each other."

"Well, we're both shy and it's our first time really having serious feelings for
anyone and-"

"So basically you're both too pussy to admit your feelings?" Again, I was shocked
by her blunt wording of things. For how sweet she seemed from afar this

Chapter Fifty-Four
*Troye's POV*

Two week timeskip

"Tyler, come here!" I shouted, pulling a face when my chair started to tip. I still
hadn't completely forgiven him for making me decorate the windows of the shop with
window paint, my arms already tired from holding them up so high above my head to
finish the top of my drawings.

"Yeah, what do you need?" He announced his present with the question, making me
look over my shoulder to greet him. He was standing a few feet away, wiping his
hands on his apron and looking over all of my artwork I'd finished so far.
Basically half a reindeer and a bunch of poorly drawn snowflakes that looked more
like stars. He didn't make fun of them though, a bubbly smile finding his face as
he bounded over to stand behind me. I thought he was just trying to get a closer
look, thrown completely off-balance when he threw his arms around my hips, the
highest place he could reach with me standing on the chair. However, that wouldn't
be a problem for long, the worn-down chair shifting on it's legs and on the edge of
tipping over.

"Oh my god! I'm gonna fall, Ty!" I screeched, the chair giving out the rest of the
way. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing to fall, surprised when Tyler just tightened
his grip instead, holding me up.

"You really think I'd just stand here and let you fall?" He giggled, taking a step
backward and letting me slip to the floor. I took a deep calming breath, adrenaline
still rushing through my veins at the scare. It didn't last long though, different
sensations shooting through me when I felt Tyler's breath hitting the back of my
neck in this position, my entire body shivering.

"Tyler, you're breathing on my neck." I stated, wiping my voice of emotions so he'd

understand just how unimpressed I was. He just giggled though, his hands slipping
from where they laid wrapped around my stomach, traveling further up my body.
"Tyler. Tyler!" My warning went in vain though, his hands ending up on my chest in
a matter of a few seconds and pinching both of my nipples simultaneously. I gasped,
trying to step away from him but failing when he caught me with an arm wrapped
around my stomach, pulling me back flush against him.

"I know I am." He purred, purposely blowing air all over my neck this time. I
squirmed against him, not really having the self-discipline to actually tell him to
let me go. It seemed I wouldn't have to though, the bell sounding as a customer
walked inside. We lurched away from each other, blushing like mad as we looked over
at the mother and her child shooting us weird glances.

"Hey guys! Anything I can help you with?" Tyler greeted, waving widely at the two
of them. The mother shook her head, flashing us a smile after she'd finished.

"No, we're just stopping to grab some snacks for my daughter's lunch, we'll find it
on our own." She walked off then, her daughter's hand tightly encased in her own as
they headed to the food aisles of the store.

"So, what did you originally want when you called me over here?" Tyler asked,
turning around to face me. His flirty mood seemed to have dissipated but that's
okay, I wasn't really one for PDA anyway. Okay, I'm not so sure about that after
the whole truth or dare thing a couple weeks ago, but I'm still claiming it until
proved otherwise.

"I was wondering why we don't have red paint. It's kind of necessary for the
reindeer's nose and Santa's outfit." I explained, looking over at the noseless
reindeer and cringing. Why did he make me draw? Santa is going to be horrendous,
even with the guides I brought up on my phone screen.

"Let's make a purple Santa to be original!" Tyler beamed, clapping his hands
together excitedly. I didn't see the glory in his plan though, just furrowing my
eyebrows and staring at him like he'd uttered total bullshit. He gave a guilty
small smile, as if desperately trying to convince me to just go with it. I sighed,
raising a hand to rub the creases in my forehead out.

"Tyler." I said, my tone not leaving any room for argument. He just nodded, clearly
understanding he couldn't get away with anything else.

"Ugh, but I don't want to dig through the closet any longer!" He explained, making
me roll my eyes now that his motives were clear. What a lazy little shit.

"Well I don't wanna paint. I'll trade you." I offered, holding out the brush with a
hopeful smile. He just shook his head though, grabbing my wrist and pushing it back
toward me.

"You suck. I'll go get the red, serve the customers when they're done shopping."
He sighed, turning and trotting off in the direction of the office. I put my
paintbrush down on the window's edge, heading over to the counter and falling into
Tyler's chair. He insisted he got the better chair because he'd been working here
longer than me, but that didn't stop me from trying to steal it every chance I got.
Once or twice he'd even let me sit in it without protest, but only when he was in a
really good mood or I'd been particularly flirty with him.

I settled in, reaching over and picking up Tyler's phone. I wasn't sure when, but
somewhere along the way we'd become comfortable with letting each other touch our
phones. Then again, I was pretty comfortable with him touching anything at this
point, and I'm pretty sure he feels the same.
I punched in his password, smirking when it opened to his Tumblr. I scrolled
through, smirking slightly as I got an idea. Seventeen reblogged posts later, I sat
the phone back down, surprised by how perfect the timing was considering the
customers were just headed over now.

"Find everything?" I asked as I stood up, picking up her items as she sat them down
on the counter. I didn't miss her daughter slipping the chocolate bar onto the
counter when she wasn't looking, locking eyes with her for a split second and
smirking slightly. I didn't call her out though, instead taking extra caution to
scan it quickly.

I was almost on the last thing when a sudden crash sounded from the other room, my
head whipping around to stare toward the office. My eyes were wide as I listened to
Tyler's disgruntled screech, the crashes following making it very clear what he'd
done. He spilled the contents of the closet. It's automatically his job to put them
back in- neatly. Still, I should probably make sure he's okay.

"Ty? You okay?" I called, leaning over the counter slightly in an attempt to get a
glimpse into the other room. I could see where a few items had rolled into the
doorway, but that was about it. Seconds ticked by and I started to worry, only
making it two steps toward him before he finally replied.

"No, I'm dead. It's all your fault for making me get the red paint." He sighed out
loudly, continuing on to make dramatic whining noises. Does he realize we still
have customers here? He is such a toddler.

"Did you find it yet?" I asked, deciding to try and change the subject before he
got any more embarrassing.

"Yeah, I think so- Oh wait, that's just all the blood I've spilled in the battle
against the closet. Think you can use that instead?" Now I was just annoyed with
him, rolling my eyes and turning back to the customers, completely ignoring his
pleas for 'help'.

"Sorry about him, he's a tad bit dramatic." I laughed, smiling as I went back to
work scanning her items.

"You guys are really cute together." I dropped the juice-pack package I'd been
scanning back onto the counter, fumbling over it as I tried to pick it back up in a
hurry. It wasn't until I'd finished scanning and was about to tell her the total
that I looked back up, finally comfortable that I'd gotten at least most of the
blush to drain from my cheeks.

"Thanks. He's more work than he's worth sometimes, honestly." She smiled fondly at
this, looking back over in the direction of the office. She could probably see him
from that side of the counter. I wonder what he's doing in there. Probably coating
himself in red paint so he can try to pass it off as blood, knowing him. "Your
total is exactly twenty-one dollars."

"Alright. Funny, I didn't think I'd have to go over twenty." My eyes went wide, the
daughter staring at me horrified like she thought I was about to give her away. I
didn't though, instead just shrugging my shoulders. The woman handed the money over
a second later, picking up her bags and flashing me a final smile.

"Merry Christmas!" She beamed, turning on her heel and starting toward the doors.

"You too!" I called after her, strangely bubbly after the exchange. She was such a
sweet person.
Deciding it was about time to go check on my lovable idiot I started toward the
office, turning into the room only to crash directly into a familiar chest. We both
let out matching 'oof's, Tyler's arms wrapping around me when I started to stumble.

Shit. He's going to get paint all over his outfit. He'll kill me.

I quirked my eyebrows, backing out of the hug a bit and looking down at my shirt.
He's kidding me.

"Ty! Don't get paint on my shirt!" I yelled, jumping away from him and looking down
at my chest defeatedly. My white shirt was ruined, my apron decorated with paint
spots that looked anything but professional. I glanced back up at Tyler, glaring at
him as I took in his state. He'd slipped on some type of garb he must have found in
the closet that was already covered in paint stains. He had stupidly speared fresh
red paint on himself, clearly the fake attempt at convincing me he was bleeding I'd
been expecting.

"Sorry, I didn't think you'd come check on me after waiting so long." He mumbled
awkwardly, running a hand through his hair. I just folded my arms across my chest,
not even trying to hide my annoyance as I glared at him.

"I had customers, I came as quickly as I could, you big baby." I spat, watching as
he unbuttoned the shirt and slid it off his shoulders. He sighed, folding it into a
bundle and tossing it onto the floor. He turned back to me then, an apologetic pout
on his face as he walked closer.

"I said I was sorry." He whispered, lifting his arms and throwing them around my
neck. I just shook my head, not ready to forgive him for just a bit of touchy feely
behavior. I just bought this shirt, I hardly ever buy clothes new. That's not even
mentioning the apron and how embarrassing it'll be to explain to Bruce.

"I don't care. How am I supposed to explain this to Bruce?" I asked him, trying to
shrug his arms off. He only clung to me tighter, taking a step forward and burying
his face in my neck. I still had every intention to push him off, my mind only
changing when I felt him press his lips against my neck, an obviously deliberate
kiss. I tensed again then, but for entirely different reasons, waiting to see if
he'd repeat the movement.

He was telling the truth when he said that kiss wouldn't change our relationship at
all, everything had stayed exactly the same. Well, other than the fact I managed to
be even thirstier for him than I was before. We were still touchy-feely, we didn't
bring it up again, and I was still stuck waiting on him to make a move. However,
he'd never kissed my neck before, even if it was just a peck like this.

"We can switch aprons." He muttered against my skin, my jaw clenching each time his
lips brushed over it.

"O-Okay, but I'm still mad." I insisted, trying to cling to whatever shreds of my
pride I still had left. It couldn't have been much, considering how clearly I was
reacting to his simple teasing. It's not like he was giving me a hickey or using
his tongue at all, he was just touching me with his lips.

He backed away just barely, looking up at me and locking our gazes together. I
noticed for the first time how dark his eyes were, my heartbeat immediately picking
up as I nervously clutched at the hem of my shirt.

"What can I do to make it up to you? I'll do anything." He said the last sentence
almost sarcastically, like he was going to use that to fall back on if I called him
out on his flirtiness.
"Anything?" I muttered, still slightly dazed by the tingly feeling his lips had
left just below my jaw. He nodded slowly, an expectant smirk just barely-noticeable
on his lips. Shit. I have no idea what I'm going to ask from him. Clearly he's
expecting it to be something sexual or romantic, judging by how intimately he's
staring at me and how all over me he's been today. I could ask him to kiss me...
but where's the fun in that? Besides, I'm determined to make sure he's the one to
make the move, I'm not asking him to kiss me. "You're finishing the window paint
and the comfy chair is mine from now on."

"What?" He blurted, clearly shocked with my requests. I just smiled cheekily, happy
to throw him off for once. He definitely looked surprised, disappointment
noticeable as well if you looked closely. Good, serves him right for just assuming
he can get away with stuff like that.

"Didn't hear me clearly? Or were you just expecting something else?" I said, the
teasing tone in my voice practically calling him out on what I thought he'd been
expecting. He blushed, slipping his hands off my shoulders and tucking them into
his pockets. "You have work to do, that painting has to be done by the time we head
home in an hour."

"Right." He muttered, tensing as I brought a hand up to pat him on the head.

"That'll do donkey, that'll do."

"I hate you." He practically growled, watching as I practically leaped out of the
room, thrilled to leave him breathless and flustered for a change.

I was genuinely surprised when he actually did finish the painting, although pretty
sloppily. There was a part of Santa's arm that could have easily been mistaken for
a red banana given it's poor shape, but I wasn't about to call him out on it. I'd
teased him enough for one day. I have limits.

"Are you sure it's okay? It'd only take a second to fix it!" He insisted, trying to
convince me to stay at work longer just to fix the stupid thing. I shook my head,
grabbing his wrist and practically dragging him out the door. We probably should
have cleaned up the paint first but I didn't know if I'd ever get him out if I
waited any longer. We'd worry about it tomorrow.

"It's freezing out here. Does your car even have a heater?" I asked, actually
curious. I wouldn't be surprised if it was broken to be honest. He just rolled his
eyes though, like I was supposed to know these things. Pausing as he reached the
driver's side door to look around with a dazed expression on his face. It faded,
turning into a huge grin of excitement.

"Troye! Troye, it's snowing!" He shouted, pointing up into the air in no general
direction. Making a face at how happy he was over it, I followed his lead, scowling
when I saw the little white flurries falling to the ground. Just great. Now I'm
going to have to start wearing bulky boots and winter coats, I'll have to take
actually pay attention while driving due to ice, and I'll freeze my ass off all the
time. How could he be happy about that?

"Great, all the more reason to get into the car and get home." Tyler looked to me
with shock on his features, his mouth hanging open.

"Am I best friends with a scrooge? How did this happen?" He gasped, walking around
me with wide eyes as if sizing me up. I groaned, shoving him and stomping over
toward the car.

"You are too peppy, has anyone ever told you that?"

"Never as an insult." He laughed, watching me as opened the passenger's side and

slipped inside. I shivered, hugging my arms around my body in a desperate bid to
stay warm. He joined me seconds later, a gust of cold air blowing in with him.

"Tyler! Hurry up and shut the door, you're going to turn me into a popsicle!" I
watched him reach for the door, purposely pausing to look over at me with a cheeky
grin. I just glared, producing a cackle from him as he slammed it shut and turned
to face me.

"Are you gonna make it? I don't think it's even below zero yet."

"Shut-up." I snapped, curling further into myself. He rolled his eyes at me,
awkwardly ambling over the center-console to grab my seat-belt, drawing it out and
clicking it into place. I found myself smiling, surprised he'd noticed something
small like that. He was always looking out for me. It was a good feeling. I bet
he'd even offer me up his sweater if I asked, but I would never ask.

I watched through a peeky-hole in my sweater cocoon as he dug his keys out, humming
something softly that sounded suspiciously like a Christmas tune. He shoved them
into the ignition then, hesitating only a second before turning it. I was eager to
feel the heater kick in, surprised when I was greeted instead with a pathetic
choking noise, the sound cutting out after a matter of seconds.

"Shit." Tyler cursed, dropping his head to rest against the steering wheel. No,
he's joking around. He did that on purpose. Please tell me his car didn't decide
not to start today. I shivered harder, my teeth beginning to chatter as he sat back
up. He tried it again, greeted by the same reaction. "She hates it when the weather
changes to really hot or really cold."

"First, don't refer to your car as a she. Second, I don't care what it hates, it
had better fucking start. I can't feel my toes." I groaned, realizing I was
exaggerating just a bit when I managed to wiggle my toes inside of my shoes.
Thankfully he couldn't see it, so he wouldn't know.

"Your fault for wearing such a stupid outfit. Converse and a long-sleeved shirt are
not going to protect you from the weather." I glared at him, feeling protective
over my outfit choices. I looked cute as fuck today. Well, before he decided to
paint me in red, now I just look dumb.

I didn't reply to him, just continuing my silent staring until he sighed loudly and
reached into the backseat. My eyebrows shot up when he retrieved a hammer, a laugh
tumbling past his lips in reaction.

"I'm going to see if I can fix it, one sec." I nodded, watching as he got out and
actually took care to close the door immediately now. I slipped my feet out of my
shoes, bringing them up onto the seat and tucking them under me.

I leaned down so I could watch him through the small crack under the hood, grinning
stupidly at his annoyed expression. He was just hitting the hammer around, I'm not
entirely sure what that's going to solve, but he seems to know his stupid car so
I'll trust him. The only reason I let him drive us today at all was because my
parents were out and I had no gas or money to buy it. If I had of known this would
happen I would have raided Sage's piggybank.

He returned a moment later, slipping into the car and running his hands up and down
his arms to warm up. He still didn't seem annoyed by the weather though, even
smiling cheerily as he turned to face me.

"The moment of truth." He said dramatically, grabbing the key between his fingers
and turning it. It spluttered to life for a second, hope flooding through me, only
to be shot down when it suddenly went silent and died yet again. "Well, there you
have it folks, the truth is it's not going anywhere."

"You're fucking hilarious." I muttered grumpily, turning to glare at him. He

giggled, wiggling his eyebrows and pulling a funny face as if trying to cheer me
up. It didn't work though. I was still frozen and covered in red paint. It only
made me glare at him harder, my bad mood seeping into my expression to the point it
was practically a death glare.

"Oh, come on, don't give me that look. I can't help it." He sighed, actually
looking guilty now. I let up on the glare, but that didn't mean I was cheering up.
Instead I turned to look out the window, glaring at the snowflakes falling down
now. There was far from enough to actually build up on the ground yet, but I still
hated them. Each and every one of them. I hate them all. "Come here."

I looked back at him, heart beating heavily when I saw his outstretched arms. He
means what I think he means. I leaned over the console awkwardly, falling into the
side of his chest and sighing contently when he wrapped his arms around me, bear-
hugging me to him.

Is he really that cold? Damn it, Tyler, why didn't you just offer to pay for gas
for his car?

"I hate winter. I hate snow. I hate shitty cars." I whispered angrily, shoving my
face into his neck and surprising myself with how comfortable it was.

"It's going to be fine, give me a second and I'll call my mother. She can pick us
up in the mini van." He reassured me, slipping one arm off of me to reach into his
pocket. I watched with one eye open as he unlocked his phone, suddenly remembering
what I'd done only after it opened to Tumblr. I giggled, backing up to watch his
confused expression. "Did you fucking reblog straight porn with my account?"

"No, I have no idea what you're talking about. Maybe one of the customers did it-"
He rolled his eyes, reaching up to lap me playfully. I fell back against him then,
smirking to myself. Seconds passed as the phone rang, both of us deadly silent.

"Hey, Mom-" His voice trailed off, suddenly unsure. I looked up again, sighing as
he mouthed the word 'voicemail'. "Look, the car won't start and Troye and I are not
walking miles to get home in this weather. He doesn't even have a sweater with him.
We're going to go to the coffee shop across the street, come pick us up when you
can."

"I'm going to die. I'm going to freeze over and fall into a ditch then the snowplow
will come and bury me. No one will find me until February or later." I whined as
soon as he'd hung up the phone, dramatically tossing my limbs around as I squirmed
against his chest. I tensed as he shoved me away, immediately regretting my over-
the-top reactions. Is he upset with me?

I went back to sitting formally in my own seat, looking over at him curiously and
eyes going wide when I found him peeling his sweater over his head. "Hey, I can't
wear that!"

"Why not? I mean, I know it's not that cute of a sweater but it's warm-"
"It's also yours. I'm not letting you walk around in a t-shirt, Tyler." I said
seriously, reaching up to help slide the sweater back onto his body. He sighed,
looking slightly disappointed that he couldn't help me. It didn't last long though,
a figurative light bulb going off as his eyes widened.

"One sec." He told me, jumping into the backseat. He sat braced on his haunches,
giving me a perfect view of his entire backside if I wanted to utilize it. I
wouldn't though, he could turn around at any second, he could call me out on it, he
could- Damn these jeans fit him well. "A-ha!"

"What?" I asked immediately, forcing my eyes off of him as he whipped around. I

looked back after a second, pretending I'd never looked back before this. My eyes
widened when I saw the hideous article of clothing he was holding, resisting the
urge to gag at it's gross green and brown pattern. I suppose the bottom half is
supposed to be a tree trunk and the top the needles of the tree? That wasn't the
worst part though, it was decorated too. There were bulbs and lights and- Oh God,
kittens with Santa hats.

"What the fuck is that?"

"The ugly Christmas sweater I bought for spirit week next week. It's really woolly
and warm." He explained, rubbing it against the side of his face. I was relieved to
hear he hadn't just bought it because he liked it, but that relief only lasted a
second before I realized why he'd dug it out.

"It has cats in Santa hats all over it. I'm not wearing that." I stated simply,
shaking my head as I looked back toward the front.

"Yes you are." He cooed, beginning to crawl back into the front seat, sweater still
in hand.

"No I'm n-" I was cut off, not expecting him to drop onto my lap instead of back
into his seat. He grinned happily at me, clearly pleased with my shock.

"Yes-" He started, pausing to lift the sweater and shove it over my head. "-you
are."

"If we see anyone we know I'm going to shove you in a ditch for the snowplow to
bury." I grumbled, crossing my arms and turning to look out the window. He giggled,
sitting back so far his butt rested against my knees. He lifted a hand to stroke
his chin thoughtfully.

"You look cute. Very grandma chic." I groaned, his words not comforting me at all.
He smiled genuinely then, leaning down to peck his lips against my cheek. "Come on,
hot chocolates are on me."

We both tried to get out of the car at the same time, inevitably ending up with our
foreheads smashing and curse words spilling from our lips. We sorted it out
relatively quickly though, both taking deep breaths before closing the door and
starting across the parking lot. For how horrible it looked and felt, the sweater
actually was pretty warm, and I couldn't help the thankfulness I felt toward him.

We'd made it to the edge of the road when I noticed the thin sheet of ice coating
it, my eyes widening. Tyler didn't even look at it twice, instead just reaching out
and slipping his fingers through mine. I felt secure with his hand in mine, not as
worried about slipping as we walked together. I hadn't even realize a stupid smile
had found my face until he turned to look at me once we reached the other side of
the road, curiosity alight in his eyes.
"What'cha smiling about?" He beamed, tightening his grip on my hand as we
approached the parking lot of the coffee store.

"Just surprised you're willing to be seen in public with me in this human death
contraption." I muttered, glancing down at the sweat begrudgingly for the hundredth
time. He rolled his eyes, shoving me gently, only to pull me right back to his side
when I got too far.

"It's a sweater."

"Sweater's are supposed to be comfortable, not feel like they're made from human
hair."

"Sheep hair actually." He corrected me, smirking as we walked through the doors of
the building. Surprisingly he didn't let go of my hand then either, swinging them
between us as we walked up to stand on the mat in front of the ordering place. The
place was basically empty, probably because people didn't want to venture out in
this ice age-like hell.

"Hello, what can I get you?" A girl greeted us, looking between us expectantly as
if gauging which of us would be the one to speak up.

"Two large hot chocolates. One with a mint flavor shot and- What do you want?"
Tyler turned to face me, tilting his head to the side. I looked up at the menu
board, furrowing my brows in confusion at all the options and extras. What the
hell? Why do they make all this junk? Can't they just sell normal hot chocolates?
How am I supposed to choose?

"Same as him." I muttered, deciding it was useless to try and decipher the stuff
all over the board. She just nodded, stating to wait right there and she'd be back
in a minute. I watched her buzz around for a second, immediately getting bored and
turning to look around the room. My eyes went wide when I noticed the table of
teenagers in the back corner, looking over at me and whispering. Oh God, they're
talking about the sweater, aren't they? "This is the most embarrassing moment of my
life."

"Even more embarrassing than when we made out for our friend's sick entertainment?"
MY cheeks must have lit up brighter than Rudolph's nose then, surprised by how
casually he'd managed to slip it out. It was the first time we'd even mention it
since it happened. "What about that time you got your lunch smeared all over you in
the cafeteria?"

"Shut the fuck up." I grumbled, disconnecting our hands. He seemed heartbroken for
a moment, staring at me wide-eyed. I just nodded toward the counter though,
watching the realization dawn on his features as he saw our drinks waiting there.
The girl stayed silent, just waiting for us to take them. I took mine first,
leaving Tyler in the dust and going to scout us out a table. I noticed one behind a
half-wall, cut-off from the rest of the restaurant. Perfect.

I led the way, sitting down and setting my drink on the table. Tyler sat across
from me, watching in bewilderment as I started to shrug the sweater off my
shoulders.

"What are you doing?"

"It's warm in here, I do not need this thing."

"Shame, you really did look cute." He muttered, pouting his bottom lip out. I
rolled my eyes, purposely shoving the heap of sweater to his side of the table.
"I always look cute." I replied, flashing a big convincing smile. He just quirked
his eyebrows, eventually giving in and nodding his head in agreement. I blushed,
not expecting him to go along with my teasing, turning to look out the window.
However, I was instead greeted by a huge portrait of some holly. Damn, their window
art puts ours to shame.

"Their window art puts ours to shame." My eyes went wide when Tyler uttered the
exact words I'd thought, worried for a minute it had something to do with my
ability. It seemed it was just a freaky coincidence though, considering he didn't
mention anything being off. He was studying the art too, turning his head around to
look at all the different windows.

"You mean yours. What I had finished was way better than banana-arm Santa." I
giggled, watching eagerly for his reaction to the teasing. He gasped, throwing a
hand over his heart like I'd mortally wounded him.

"Troye! I asked you if it looked alright and you said yes!" He almost shouted,
catching himself and lowering his voice a notch.

"Yeah, because otherwise we never would have left!" I laughed, meaning for it to be
lighthearted. He didn't seem to take it that way though, shaking his head and
grumpily turning to look out the window. I bit my lip, sticking my leg out and
kicking his foot, trying to get his attention back. It didn't work though, making
it clear he was stubborn about this stupid banana arm thing.

Deciding I'd have to use a last resort I got to my feet, walking back over to the
counter. I didn't miss the way his lips quirked up into a smile as he watched me,
probably knowing exactly what I was about to do to get back on his good graces.

I walked back over a few minutes later, coming up behind him rather than heading
for my seat. Reaching over him, my arms ending up on either side of his head, I
lowered the box of donuts onto the tablet in front of him.

"I come bearing donuts." I said cheerily, slowly lifting the top and gesturing to
them all. "Look at all this chocolatey goodness, all you have to do is forgive me
and it's all yours."

"Your snowflakes looked like they were drawn by a two month old." He muttered, his
tone still slightly sour. Deciding it was for the best, I just went along with him.

"Yeah, they did."

"Okay, fine, I forgive you." He beamed, clearly pleased with my confession. He

leaned his head back, resting it against my shoulder and looking up at me. I rolled
my eyes, shoving him off and walking around to my side. I sunk down into my chair,
absentmindedly grabbing a random donut to nibble on as I watched him devour the
rest.

It was about twenty minutes later when Tyler pointed out his mother pulling into
the parking lot. Both of us jumped up, smashing hands as we both reached to clean
up the garbage.

"I'll get it, you still have to put your sweater back on." I gave him a spiteful
glare, obediently picking it up and sliding it on. We were walking out together in
a matter of seconds, my hand feeling even colder now that I knew what it was like
to have Tyler's in it.

We opened the side door of the van, both of us slipping into the middle seat and
trying our best to amble around all of Jackie's groceries. I guess that must have
been what she was doing when we called. She turned around in her seat once we'd
settled, flashing her signature smile. It reminded me of Tyer's actually, must be
where he got it.

"And you said Troye didn't have a sweater! That's cute, Troye, very festive." She
beamed, giving me a small wave of greeting. I must have blushed to the roots of my
hair, shoving Tyler when he started to laugh next to me.

"It's Tyler's actually."

A/n: writing this AN super duper fast because like supper is ready apparently even
though i just had dinner totes rude. Anyway I attached some uber cute fanart that
is now my desktop background and it was made by, uh, shit i dont know and i dont
know how to find it fuck what do i do - oKAY HAD TO PAUSE SOMEONE HOOKED ME UP WITH
A LINK http://lilulovelee.tumblr.com/ (I know you cant click links on wattpad but
stfu type it into your search bar its worth it) (i think i just embarrassed myself
by asking if her work is photoshopped or painted ugh im a mess) (i dont understand
tho its so perfect how) (she has another one now too, of the piggyback scene from
way back and fUCK) shes amazing. *waits for the day she makes porny edit* I mean
what no ok im going to go the thirst is exposed (also emmy i didnt post for you i
posted for every other reader im still annoyed with you go write my threesome or
else)

Chapter Fifty-Five
*Tyler's POV*

I parked my car in the usual parking space, smiling cheerily as I reached to turn
the radio off. Any other day I would be incapable of functioning at this time, and
hour and a half before I usually got to school, but today I was ecstatic. It had
been exactly a week since last Tuesday when my car broke down at work and Mom had
to drive Troye and I home, and it had been the most boring week of my life. The day
after Troye seemed a bit off all day, zoning out and forgetting to reply. I didn't
think much of it, not even thinking until he called me later that night saying he
was sick and blamed me for it.

Naturally I felt horrible, despite knowing it probably wasn't my fault. Cold

temperatures don't actually make you sick, germs do. I guess it could have been
something he picked up from that coffee shop though, which we wouldn't have had to
go to if it weren't for my car. Either way, I found myself taking the blame even if
it wasn't warranted, offering to come over and make him soup or something. He'd
rejected the offer immediately though, insisting he looked like a rotting corpse
and I was not allowed to see him under any circumstances, not even through Skype.
That was disappointing, but I chose to respect his wishes.

The days that followed were worse. He was too sick to come to work or school for
the rest of the week, explaining it was the worst flu of his life and he couldn't
do much other than sleep and drink water. He told me on Friday that he had been
living off of tea and medicine tablets, which was probably meant to be a joke, but
it only worried me more. On Saturday I tried to pay him a visit, but he only opened
the door a crack to look out before slamming it in my face. I tried to argue, but
he called me and told me he was going to leave me standing out there until the snow
piled up over my head. Sunday was the day he told me he was finally starting to
feel better, telling me he'd probably be at school tomorrow. I waited until I was
late for class for him to arrive, miserable the entire day when I read the text
saying he wasn't quite up to it yet.

However, that was yesterday, today he was for sure coming. He even texted me a
selfie of him with his backpack on, captioned simply to 'stop worrying because he
was all better'. I'd believe it when I saw it. Which was exactly what I was waiting
to do now, see him. I'd been taking notes for him all last week, suggesting he come
in early today so we could go over them. Really it was just an excuse to spend more
time with him considering how much I missed him these last few days, but I wasn't
going to admit to that.

Given it was my first time seeing him in forever I'd also had to spend extra time
on my appearance, spending forever making sure my hair went the right way. I'd
started going to the hairdresser to get it re-dyed monthly now. Seeing as I didn't
have anything else to do the last few days I went to get it done then, eager to see
Troye considering how much he seemed to like my hair when it was more vibrant. Then
there was the matter of my outfit, which took ages more than usual today. It was
the last week of school before the holidays, aptly titled 'spirit week'. Everyone
definitely had high spirits knowing we wouldn't be stuck here for much longer.

Anyway, whoever arranged it this year was an idiot. Yesterday they'd chosen candy
cane day, where they expected everyone to dress up in horizontal red and white
stripes, the least complimenting outfit you can imagine. They didn't even have any
special events yesterday or movies during classes, the only thing different from
our usual school days being when they announced the school merchandise going for
sale in the student-run store. That was hardly exciting, but I'd probably end up
paying the small fee for my school ring, just to say I had the stupid keepsake.

I was hoping today would be more exciting, though the theme wasn't really.
'Snowflake day'. The farthest thing you can get from creative. They literally only
asked us to wear white, how festive is that? I'd planned on wearing all-white,
realizing after I put on the outfit that it made me look like a giant marshmallow.
I opted for black pants and a white t-shirt and sweater instead, looking slightly-
less marshmallowy now.

I was beginning to get impatient sitting here waiting for Troye, bouncing my legs
as I leaned forward to study my appearance closer in the mirror. I was the only car
in the parking lot aside from a couple in the 'staff only' section, giving me all
the privacy I wanted for self-checking-out. I scrunched up my nose in annoyance at
the under-eye bags I had going on, realizing I'd forgotten to put any product on to
fix them. I was still staring at them angrily when the gentle rumble of a car had
my head whipping around, smiling as I watched Troye's car park beside mine.

I immediately hopped out, grabbing my bag before sliding into his passenger's side.
I let out a deep breath as I slammed the door, relishing in how warm his car was
compared to mine. It was almost too warm, like when you're in the shower and you
turn the temperature to scalding.

I turned to face him with a cheerful expression, not even getting the chance to
take in his features before he was shoving a coffee toward me. Oh wait, it might be
a hot chocolate actually. I grabbed it, not even taking a single sip before sitting
it in the cupholder and turning back to him. He wasn't trying to distract me now,
sipping at the hot chocolate and taking in my appearance with hooded, tired eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like you woke me up at 6am." He muttered, rolling his eyes to dismiss my concern.
I giggled, even finding his grumpy scrooge personality endearing after so long
apart. I snatched my bag up from by my feet, pulling out the school notes and
sitting them on the seat between us. I shoved the bag away then, scooting closer to
him and picking my hot chocolate back up. He had quiet music playing in the
background, making me realize his car was still running. Is he really wasting gas
just to keep the radio and heater on? "What's with all the white?"

"Didn't you know it was spirit week?" I asked in disbelief, staring at him wide-
eyed. He just gave me an unimpressed look which I mistook for confusion, deciding
to elaborate further. "Today's snowflake day."

"I never got it really, why everyone was so into the stupid spirit week thing. Sure
it's great to have so many free classes but why let the school restrict what you
wear?" He huffed, crossing his arms and sitting back in his seat. Leave it to him
to make the funnest week of the school year into something cynical and reformative.

"They're not restrictions, it's like a tradition. We all wear matching outfits to
celebrate Christmas." I explained, smiling cheerily as I gestured to my outfit. He
just shook his head though, turning to look out the window on his side.

"See what I mean? Dumb." He's such a party pooper, I don't know why I even like
him. Okay, yes I do, but that doesn't change the fact he's the most negative person
I've ever met.

"There's the secret Santa and dance too, if you want to get involved with that
stuff." I said, my tone almost hopeful. He just shook his head, snootily turning
his nose up.

"Well, I don't."

"Why not?" I asked immediately, willing him to go into more detail.

"It just doesn't appeal to me."

"Whatever. You could at least participate in the outfit aspect, I'm going to look
like a weirdo standing next to the only person dressed in black." I complained,
knowing everyone else would definitely be participating, they did every year. Come
to think of it, why haven't I noticed Troye before? If he's stood out like this
every year it'd be impossible not to.

"Says the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man." He snapped, making me worry he was genuinely
grumpy for a splt second. That was al it took to realize he was just teasing me,
his eyes full of mirth despite his blank expression. I rolled my eyes, wracking my
brain for a way to get back at him. A smile spread across my face as the perfect
idea came to me.

"I was going to offer my sweater to you-" I paused, looking over at him with a
pointed glare. "But if you want to be a dick-"

"But won't you be cold?" He cut me off, clearly interested in my offer. I'd meant
to use it to tease him and get back at him, but now that I'd brought it up all I
could think about was how cute he'd look in my clothes. It's not like I hadn't worn
it to school before either, the thought of people recognizing my sweater on him
strangely appealing for some reason. I guess I just liked the idea of him walking
around in my stuff, making it clear he was mine.

"We'll be inside all day, I'm spending lunch indoors when it's snowing like this."
I explained, gesturing outside at the swarm of snowflakes pelting the ground.
Little did Troye know I could still see his reflection in the window, watching in
fascination as emotions flickered across his face. He looked hesitant and nervous,
biting his lip and repeatedly opening his mouth, only to chicken out and close it
again. I grinned despite myself, a bubbly feeling finding me now that I knew Troye
wanted to wear it just as bad as I wanted him to.

I decided not to give him an easy feat though, keeping my mouth shut as I watched
him struggle through his response in the window. Thirty seconds passed before he
was snapping his mouth shut for the hundredth time, letting out a loud frustrated
sigh. I giggled, turning to face him with a smile that made it very clear I'd been
watching his struggle. He seemed confused for a minute before piecing it together,
a knowing glare narrowing his eyes into slits a moment later. "Do you want the
sweater or not?"

"I guess, wouldn't want you looking like a weirdo or anything." He said
sarcastically, still looking slightly pouty as he extended a hand. I rolled my
eyes, peeling the sweater off and tossing it at his face on purpose. With a screech
about messing up his quiff and a flimsy slap to my hand, we managed to finish the
exchange.

I sat back in my seat again to watch as he slipped his winter jacket off,
immediately replacing it with the sweater like he'd freeze over if he wasn't quick
enough. Even with the speed he pulled it on he was still shivering afterward,
hugging his arms tightly to himself and trying to stop his teeth from chattering. I
debated offering to warm him up before remembering what we were actually here to
do, sighing as I gathered my bag back up off the floor and started to rummage
through it.

"We should probably go over the notes, that is what we met here to do." I
explained, watching his face fall from grumpy to disappointed. I couldn't really
blame him though, I wasn't looking forward to this part either. I hadn't really
thought through just how boring it would be when I offered to help him with it.

I started to dig the book out, freezing when his hand suddenly grabbed my wrist. He
hesitated for just a second before explaining himself.

"How about we go inside instead? The library opens in half an hour, it'd be warmer
there and save all my gas from running out." He explained, looking hopeful. I
nodded, tossing the bag over my shoulder and reaching for the hot chocolate on my
side of the cupholder.

"Let's go." I said cheerily, slipping out the door and immediately gasping at how
cold it was. I should have waited to give him the sweater until after we were
inside, the t-shirt I had left on doing nothing against the harsh winds. I still
waited for him to get out though, cuddling the hot chocolate to my body like that
would heat me back up.

The first thing he did after getting out was scowl, glaring at the snow and
stomping through it to stand beside me, gesturing toward the doors. I managed to
take a single step before being forced to stop, his arm snaking around my waist and
pulling me back against his side. I let out a content hum, cuddling further against
him, the warmth making me completely forget about any inhibitions I might have had.

"And you said you wouldn't be cold." He muttered, steering the both of us further
on. I just blushed, sniffling slightly as we treaded toward our goal. His arm slid
up from my waist about halfway there, instead rubbing my arm in what was probably
an attempt to warm it up. It helped a bit, but I was definitely thankful when we
finally stumbled into through the school doors. A teacher walking by paused to give
us a weird look, probably for being so early and so cuddled up like we were, but
she simply kept walking after a couple of seconds.

"Alright, do you need to stop by your locker for anything?" I asked, grinning when
I managed to get all the words out clearly despite how frozen my face felt. Troye
had to think about this, ultimately just shaking his head and asking me the same
question back. "I don't think so, I think we can just head for the library. She
might even let us in early if we're lucky."

"Alright, sounds good!" I beamed, taking his hand in mine and swinging the two of
them between us. I didn't let go as the swing came to a stop though, knowing I
didn't have to worry about anyone seeing us at this hour. Well, not anyone that
mattered anyway. Then again, it's not like there even was anyone that mattered more
than him.

We walked through the hallways in what was mostly a comfortable silence,

occasionally speaking up just to point stuff out. The first thing was our math
teacher, caught stuffing his face with takeout Chinese food at 7:30am in a dimly-
lit classroom. The second thing was the disgusting spitball collection someone had
left in the hallway leading to the library. And the last thing was the posters
thrown up all over the bulletin board beside the doors to the library.

"Look, Troye! The dance this year is themed winter wonderland, what an original
idea that's definitely never been done before!" I beamed sarcastically, tugging on
his arm until he was forced to veer off-course from the library doors. Instead we
walked to the left, looking up at the posters together. "It's perfect for you, you
know, with how much you love winter."

"Shut-up." He replied simply, stuffing the hand that wasn't entwined with mine into
his back pocket. He turned to look around the narrow room then, clearly making a
point of just how disinterested in the dance he really was. I didn't let him bring
down my mood though, turning back and reading over the posters smaller print
instead of just the title.

"Are you gonna go?" I quirked my eyebrows, looking at him out of the corner of my
eye, surprised to find him watching me intently. I wonder how long he's been doing
that.

"Well duh, I go every year." I replied simply, turning to face him now. He sighed,
shrugging his shoulders.

"Just because you go every year doesn't mean you have to this year." It made sense
what he was getting at all of the sudden, a giggle escaping my lips without my
permission. He thought I was going just because my friends in the past used to.

"It's fun, I like going." I explained, remembering how crazy it was last year.
Caspar and I hardly ever even interacted at those events. He was 'too cool' to go
dancing, instead sitting in the back and talking about spiking the punch. They
never did, mind you, but they'd been making plans for years. This would be their
last chance, I wonder if they'll go through with it finally. I was the opposite of
them though, stumbling around on the dancefloor until my hips hurt, dancing with
people I'd never spoken to once in my life. It'd be even better this year, not
having to spend my slow dances with girls for my 'reputation'. Then again, it's not
like I can dance with Troye either if he's not going. What am I going to do during
slow dances?

"What do you even do at a dance?" He asked skeptically, breaking me away from my

hectic thoughts.

"Dance." I answered without hesitation, earning a shove so forceful I would have

stumbled into the wall, had his hand not been clutching mine still. Realizing he
wanted a more elaborate answer I decided to continue, trying to think of what I'd
have to say to convince him to come along. It shouldn't take that much, surely he's
not such a scrooge he'd refuse to go if I asked him to. "There's food, hot boys
body rolling, obnoxious pop anthems, gorgeous decorations. What's not to love?"

"The crowds." He answered quietly, his withdrawn voice causing a pang of hurt in my
chest. I hadn't even considered that, no wonder he doesn't want to come. Of course
he's made a ton of progress just since we've started hanging out, but that doesn't
mean his fear of crowds and people has just vanished.

"Hey, if you want we can do something else that night. The bowling alley has
special Christmas deals on." I offered, more than willing to change my plans for
him. It's not like the dance would be that much fun anyway, not when I was stuck
wondering what he was doing the whole night. Knowing me I'd end up in a corner
texting him if he wasn't there, so it made sense to just go somewhere he could be
with me.

"No, you should go, you're obviously looking forward to it. Don't let me rain on
your parade." He said, his tone still so quiet it was worrying. I was about to
argue with him and explain my reasoning, but the sound of peppy skipping resounding
around the room had both of us turning around. We caught our balance just as Zoe
came to a stop in front of us, her hair tied-up into the most elaborate braid I'd
ever seen.

"Hey guys! What's up? Planning out your matching ties for the dance?" She asked,
wiggling her eyebrows as she stared at the same poster we'd been studying a moment
ago. Troye blushed while I shot her a glare, watching in fascination as her
expression turned to one of guilt. Since when does she feel bad about making people
uncomfortable? "Sorry."

"Nothing actually, we're just waiting for the library to open. Troye has a lot of
catching up to do after being sick all last week." I explained, jerking my head
toward Troye. She nodded, looking back and forth between us, her eyes inevitably
falling on our intertwined hands. She started to smile, correcting herself by
coughing and covering her mouth with her hand.

"Are you both going to the dance though?" She asked once she'd stopped her
'coughing fit'. I noticed Troye's obvious discomfort, squeezing his hand tighter
and answering for the both of us.

"I am, he's not."

"Well, either way, you should both join the dance committee. You know, the people
that make the decorations." She suggested, batting her insanely long eyelashes. I
made a face, confused why she would even say something like that. She sighed,
clearly realizing she was going to have to explain herself a bit more. "It's the
first year none of my friends are willing to join with me, I don't really want to
be all alone."

"What's the point of joining? It's basically just doing free labor and staying
after school when you could be doing fun things." I complained, genuinely seeing no
good points to the idea. She shook her head, the smile on her lips telling me she
hadn't expected us to show even a shred of consideration and that even my
complaining was a surprise.

"It is fun!" She insisted, desperate hand gestures accompanying the words. Troye
and I both turned our heads to face each other in unison, giving a shared look of
doubt. Zoe sighed, frustration oozing off of her as she clearly wracked her brain
for another bribing piece. "They order pizza or some sort of takeout meal every
day, completely paid for by the school."
"Why didn't you say so? Of course I'll join!" I beamed immediately, mouth watering
at just the thought of all the free food. I'd have to talk to Bruce about our work
schedule for the week, especially if Troye joined, but he'd said once before we
could take some time off around Christmas. He said we should enjoy the holidays
with our families and that he never had any plans anyway so it was fine. It was sad
actually, now that I looked back on the conversation, but I'd be lying if I said I
wasn't excited to have a couple weeks off both school and work.

"Troye?" She asked, looking at him expectantly. He scrunched his nose up, clearly
considering all the details.

"Isn't it weird to join and not go to the dance?" He asked, tilting his head to the
side in curiosity.

"Not really, a lot of the less-social people like this better, we're all really
friendly because the popular snobby kids are 'too cool' to make decorations. Plus
you can always change your mind and come to the dance after all." I couldn't help
but notice that this meant I was no longer considered a popular snobby kid, at
least to her, but it didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. That title
didn't even appeal to me at all anymore. I didn't care what title I had now, as
long as the people that mattered knew the real me.

"I doubt that's going to happen, but yeah, I'll join if Tyler does." Troye
muttered, my heart falling into a familiar flutter fit at the way his choice
depended on mine.

"Do you guys ever do anything without the other?" Zoe giggled, both of our faces
lighting up red at her words. It wasn't so much that we didn't realize it that
she'd actually pointed it out in front of us both. It was one thing to do it
without really addressing it, but there was no way not to now.

"We should go-" I started to turn toward the library doors, pausing when she spoke
up again.

"Actually the reason I walked all the way down here wasn't to pester you guys, I
actually do have to go to the library." She explained, skirting around us and into
the room ahead of us. We paused once we were all inside, watching as she turned
around to whisper what I was expecting to be a goodbye. "Anyway, we'll talk about
the committee at lunch. Bye guys, have fun studying."

"Okay, bye." I muttered, trying to ignore the way she made quotation marks in the
air as she said the word 'studying'. What did she think we actually came to the
library to do?

I decided not to linger on the options, instead starting to lead Troye through the
aisles and toward the beanbags furthest away from the librarian. It was only
blocked by a single bookshelf and they were only a couple feet away from the rest
of them, but even the little bit of a barrier was better than none. I didn't like
the idea of her watching us from her desk the entire time, her beady little eyes
judging our every move.

We both fell onto opposing seats, him choosing the fluffier one without even
hesitating. I didn't complain though, falling onto the near-flat yellow one with a
content smile still on my lips. I was too happy to be near him again to really care
about anything else. I immediately pulled the notes out of my backpack, taking a
deep breath and looking over at him.

"Okay, which subject do you want to start in?" I asked, watching him cross his arms
and furrow his brows.
"None." He said grumpily, causing me to giggle quietly before remembering where we
were and silencing myself.

"How about science? All you have to do for that is copy my notes word for word." I
offered, watching him sigh in defeat before nodding. I handed him the papers and
the sharpest pencil I could find, watching as he went to work copying it all into
his neat scrawl. Realizing I hadn't really thought-through what I was going to do
while I waited, I got to my feet, heading over to the fiction aisle and scouting
out a random book to start. I ended up going to the aisle over and just choosing a
big book of dog breeds to flip through and look at the pictures, knowing that'd be
more exciting than actually reading.

Troye was already half finished when I returned to his side, astonishing me by how
quickly he could write while still keeping it neat. I didn't bring it up though,
just letting him concentrate on his work as I flipped open the book to the
beginning, making a face at the ugly dog covered in so much matted hair you
couldn't see it's face.

I was still flipping through when he randomly reached over and tapped my hand when
I was in the midst of turning the page. I froze, flickering my eyes over to his lap
and realizing he'd finished. Setting my book by my feet I reached for the next
subject's notes, pulling out math and noticing the face he pulled in reaction.

"We started something new in math but it's not really that hard to do." I
explained, continuing to tell him all the details of the procedures. I even did a
couple of practice questions for him before announcing that was all. I looked up
when I didn't get a response, surprised to find him staring at my face rather than
the paper. He blinked as if he'd zoned out, absentmindedly reaching a hand up to
fix his hair.

"I'm sorry, what?" I couldn't help but grin at the embarrassed tone he had, though
secretly I was a bit worried by the fact he'd completely zoned out like that,
missing my entire explanation.

"Are you sure you feel okay?" I asked almost tentatively, studying his eyes like
there was some way to tell. He just rolled them at me.

"Yeah, sorry, just got distracted." He explained, not completely putting me at ease
yet. I reached a hand up and set it lightly on his forehead, biting my lip as I
tried to figure out if it was warm or abnormally warm. "Tyler, I don't have a
fever."

"Doesn't hurt to check." I beamed, letting my hand slide down to slap at his cheek
playfully, a stupid smile finding my face as he scrunched his up in distaste. He
returned to a neutral expression, just looking at me with his eyebrows slightly
quirked as I ran my thumb over his cheekbone, knowing exactly what memories it'd
make him think of.

"Stop." He said simply, making my grin grow impossibly wider.

"Stop what?" I urged, pretending I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Stop smiling like that." He said quietly, a light pink blush spreading across his
cheeks.

"Would you rather I smiled like this?" I scoffed, drawing my top teeth out in a
horrible over bite, shimmying my shoulders and wiggling my eyebrows to make for
what was probably the most hideous face I could pull. He just giggled though, the
sound immediately ending when the librarian cleared her throat pointedly.

He shoved me then, or at least tried to, my body falling back onto the beanbag to
dodge last second. His eyes went wide as he lost his balance, toppling forward onto
my chest with a disgruntled oof. He started to pick himself back up immediately but
I grabbed his shoulders, pulling him back down into a hug. I kicked my feet against
the floor to push us back behind the bookshelf even further, realizing his feet
probably stuck out past it.

He kept himself uncomfortably hoisted up onto his elbows, looking at me with an

unimpressed face ever since I'd forced him back down. I pursed my lips as if to
blow him a kiss, taking pride in the way he immediately blushed, ducking his head
down against my chest in an obvious effort to hide it. "I missed you while you were
sick."

"We talked the entire time." He muttered against my chest, the words coming out
quiet and distorted. I shook my head, his hair brushing against my chin with each
movement.

"It's not the same." I answered, my hand coming to rest on his back, running along
it in sure comforting strokes. I wasn't lying, I really had missed him, this kind
of closeness exactly what I needed to make up for the loss, even if it wasn't in
the most preferable conditions.

"The librarian is gonna see us and yell at us about physical contact, you know." He
muttered, voicing my thoughts aloud. I wouldn't admit to that though, instead
insisting the opposite just so I wouldn't have to let the moment go.

"Nah, we'll be fine." I whispered, earning a soft sigh before he was relaxing
against me. He whispered something back that I couldn't quite make out, assuming it
must have been some sort of threat if anyone saw us. Minutes ticked by and it
reached the time when other people were probably going to start filing into the
library, my hand sliding up slightly further than it had been to rest between his
shoulder blades in an attempt to alert him of this. He didn't even shift though, my
head lifting at an awkward angle to stare at the top of his. It took a bit of
uncomfortable rearranging but I managed to find an angle that I could see his eyes
from, my heart clenching in my chest when I found they'd fallen lightly shut. He
wasn't kidding about being tired, huh?

I was torn between waking him up and just sitting here for the next half an hour or
so before class started. I knew he'd want me to wake him up, embarrassed to be seen
cuddled up to me like this and worried about what the librarian would say, but I
couldn't bring myself to do it even if I knew I should.

So instead I grabbed my dog book, flipping through it above his head. I was so
caught up in it I didn't notice the incoming click of heels against the linoleum. I
did, however, notice the librarian when she came to a stop directly in front of us,
her arms full of books. I froze with the book still in my hands, locking eyes with
her and waiting for the lecture I was about to get. I just hope she doesn't wake up
Troye, imagine how embarrassed he'd be.

She stared at me in silence for a second, her eyes flickering from mine only to
take in Troye's sleeping form. Eventually she just shook her head, the hint of a
smile playing at her lips, and then she was walking away. I grinned cheerily,
making a note to stand up for her if anyone ever bitched about how grumpy of a
person she was. I guess she had to be if she wanted to keep the library a quiet
place.

After that students did start filing into the room, nobody I knew well enough to
want to start a conversation with though. There were a couple of familiar faces and
that was it. All of their eyes lingered on the awkward guy asleep on top of another
guy in the corner of the library, but nobody actually had the guts to say anything.
I didn't care if they would after they left either. What do their opinions matter
when I get an extended cuddle-session with Troye?

After about twenty minutes I was bracing myself for the bell to go off, the one
alerting us we had ten minutes until class started. I was hoping it didn't send
Troye flying or anything, knowing he'd never live it down if he made an idiot of
himself in front of the people in the library. It was only a couple of quiet girls
working together on a project now, both of them younger than us, but he'd still
make a big deal over it.

Despite knowing it was coming I still jumped slightly when the bell finally rang,
my fingers digging into Troye's shoulder blade where they'd been resting. He
groaned loudly, both of the girls looking toward us with confused looks. I blushed,
trying to calm him down as his arms flailed about in an awkward stretch.

"Troye. Troye! We're at school." I hissed, watching him immediately still, his eyes
opening wide with horror despite how disoriented he looked.

"W-What?" He stuttered out, sitting up on my knees and looking around the room with
his eyebrows scrunched together. He had confusion etched on all of his features,
like the books themselves didn't give away where we were. He turned around to look
behind him, the way he tensed alerting me he'd probably realized we weren't alone
in the room. I could hear the girls giggle in reaction, knowing he was going to
kill me about it later.

"That was the ten-to bell, come on. We'd better head for class." I explained
gently, sitting up to brush the hair back out of his eyes. He pulled a face,
shoving my hands away and stumbling to his feet. I followed his lead, slipping the
book back onto the right shelf before gathering up my things. He grabbed his bag,
debating it for only a second before thrusting it toward me. I rolled my eyes,
accepting it anyway and throwing it over my other shoulder. He smiled cheerily
then, the first remotely positive gesture I'd gotten since he woke up, and only
because he was getting his way.

He started out of the library ahead of me, the way he dragged his feet alerting me
he was still groggy. I was not looking forward to when the realism of the situation
set in and he flipped out at me. I nodded toward the librarian as we walked toward
the doors, giving her a genuine smile. She just nodded back, immediately turning
back to her work like the exchange had never happened.

After we walked out of the doors Troye reached a hand out flimsily, fumbling around
without looking until it knocked against my hand. He immediately latched on,
sliding his fingers between mine and letting out yet another groan now that we were
out of the library.

"Did you actually let me fall asleep in the library?" He sighed, his tone a lot
less hostile than I'd expected. I nodded my head, deciding not to take my chances
with a sassy reply about him being the one that fell asleep. "Ugh, come on, I have
to go check that I don't look like roadkill now."

"You don't." I assured him despite knowing he'd just ignore me, letting him drag me
into the men's room. Given this hallway only led to the library and a couple of
tech rooms it was hardly used, meaning the bathroom was pretty much guaranteed to
be empty at all times. He walked to the mirror immediately, gasping loudly like he
saw a completely different person in the mirror.
"Ugh, look at my hair!" He groaned, waving me over like I hadn't been looking at
his hair since he woke up. I didn't argue though, obediently coming to stand behind
him, letting my chin rest against his shoulder as he used the other arm to fumble
with his hair.

"It looks fine." I insisted, growing tired of watching him stress out over his
hair. I let my eyes roam in the mirror, swallowing so harshly that he could
probably hear with his ear so close to my mouth when my eyes fell on the way his
sweater was riding up. It was his fault for having his arm up above his head like
that.

"It's completely flat on one side!" He groaned, completely oblivious to what was
going on right next to him. I rolled my eyes, letting my hands come to rest on his
hips. He froze then, meeting my eyes in the mirror with a questioning glint. I slid
them around to his front, my thumbs tucking into his belt loops closest to the
button of his pants.

"Come on, we're going to be late for class, you look fine." I repeated, holding his
gaze in our reflections. I didn't miss the way his eyes flickered downward, clearly
looking at where my hands were resting, before meeting my eyes again.

"Just fine?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I meant to say amazing, breathtaking, handsome, flawless,

fergalicious-"

"I fucking hate you." He groaned, clearly picking up on the sarcasm rolling off of
me in waves. He grabbed my hands at the same time and pulled them away, keeping one
of them in his as he led us toward the door. "You're carrying my bag the whole way,
just for that."

"Don't lie, you would have made me anyway."

My first class was the only one I shared with Troye, and hence, the best hour of my
day. The teacher had announced the second we walked into the room we'd be watching
a movie and being asked questions on it afterward. I couldn't help the jolt of
excitement it gave me knowing we'd be sitting in the dark with more or less no
responsibilities. Inevitably, the second the lights had shut off, Troye had reached
for my hand while I reached to set it on his thigh, ending in an awkward exchange
of nervous glances and us not touching at all for the first twenty minutes of the
movie. I was the one to put an end to the awkward vibe, just grabbing his hand
before he had the chance to argue. He definitely didn't seem like he wanted to
though, his smile so big it was noticeable even in the flickering light from the
movie.

I couldn't help but wonder if this was what it was like to be in a relationship in
highschool. It felt like it, aside from the fact I couldn't kiss him whenever I
wanted to. Well, I guess I could. It was basically a relationship without any of
the sexual benefits, which was enough for me, though I definitely wouldn't be
opposed if he suggested we add that to our relationship eventually. But maybe I
should just worry about actually getting the label of romantic relationship first.
I doubt we're going to do anything sexual if we can't even get the guts to ask each
other out.

Looking back on it now, as we lined up in the lunch line, it was probably quite
weird to be thinking about all that while sitting there holding hands with Troye.
Thankfully he had no idea, so it wouldn't lead to any awkwardness between us.
"So, are we going to sit with them now that it's so cold outside?" I looked up,
following Troye's gaze to the back corner of the room. A table filled with Zoe,
Louise, Alfie, Marcus, and Shane stuck out like a sore thumb, mostly because of
what a scene they were making from here. There was a lot of laughing and play-
fighting going on, almost enough to make me turn my nose up and suggest we go eat
somewhere on our own. However I had agreed to talk about the committee with Zoe and
I didn't want her to think we'd stood her up.

"I guess so." He sighed loudly in response, my head immediately whipping to face
him in question. I knew we were getting closer to the front of the line and I
should have been figuring out my order, but I couldn't not question him on that. "I
still haven't fully come to terms with the fact Shane and I kissed and it's Zoe's
fault."

"Have you come to terms with the fact we've kissed and it's Marcus's fault?" I
asked, smirking as I watched his eyes flit to the ground.

"That's different."

"You keep saying that but you refuse to elaborate. How's it any different?" I
urged, biting my lip as I realized there were only a couple people ahead of me. If
the conversation got cut off now we may never pick it back up. I counted the
seconds ticking by, watching another person walk off with their food. I was
beginning to think he wasn't going to reply when he spoke up, his voice so quiet it
could barely be heard over the chatter of the cafeteria.

"Well, I wasn't against the idea of kissing you." As soon as I heard what he'd said
it was like the rest of the room had been put on mute, the only sound I could hear
being my own heart thudding loudly. Of course I couldn't actually hear it over all
the commotion, but it seemed like it as I looked back to Troye, taking in his
flushed face and nervous smile. He wasn't staring at the floor anymore, looking up
at me through his lashes with that steadily growing toothy grin, like he just knew
how his words would affect me.

"Oh?" I asked, purposely putting on a confident mask in spite of him. He'd looked
so cocky like he just knew he'd pull my strings the right way with the confession,
part of me was determined to prove him wrong. For good measure I even wiggled my
eyebrows suggestively.

"If you're going to be like this about it I take it back." He snapped, crossing his
arms. There was only one person left in front of me now and I hurried to come up
with a comeback.

"You can't take it back, it's too late. Troye Mellet thinks I'm kissable." I said
the last sentence in a sing-song voice, purposely being quieter so nobody heard.
However he still seemed to radiate annoyance in reaction, rolling his eyes and
turning to face away from me, blatantly ignoring me. I poked him in the side in
hopes of getting a reaction, not even getting a flinch before the lunch lady was
asking me to step up.

I ordered my lunch, using the time as she got it ready to glance over at Troye.
Realizing he was still making a big deal of ignoring me I started to feel bad. It's
not like him to say forward things like that, I shouldn't have taken it for granted
like that. He wanted a shy reaction out of me obviously, why did I just
instinctively act all cool like that? That is not the Tyler he befriended or the
one he likes. That's not who I am anymore.

Hurriedly I fetched my phone out of my pocket, knowing I only had a matter of

seconds to type out the text before she finished and was shoving my food toward me.
I opened up Troye's c

Chapter Fifty-Six
*Troye's POV*

This is literally last chapter from Troye's POV, don't complain about how short it
is or I'll yodel to death kbyethanks

I was halfway out the door, shoving a handful of dry cereal into my mouth and
shrugging on my jacket, when I realized the most peculiar thing. I wasn't just in a
rush to get to school because I would get in trouble for being late, I was rushing
because I genuinely wanted to be there. I was excited for school. God, what the
hell has Tyler done to me?

This last week had been utter torture, constantly puking or just feeling too gross
to eat or do much other than lay in bed and text Tyler. I was definitely glad I'd
seen the last of it, feeling completely better as I walked into the coffee shop to
grab hot chocolates for both Tyler and I. I figured it was only fair considering he
agreed to meet me so early to help me go over everything I'd missed.

Actually I was probably ready to go back to school yesterday, but when I'd been
offered the option of staying home instead I wasn't about to reject it. Excited to
see Tyler again or not, if the alternative was movies in bed all day we all knew
which I'd be choosing.

Besides, I'd seen him just a couple days ago on Saturday, even if it was only for a
few seconds. I hadn't expected him to actually come by to check up on me. Why would
I have? So of course I looked like the sickest most disgusting creature to walk the
Earth when I answered the door, somehow feeling even worse than I looked. I
panicked seeing him standing there, immediately slamming the door in his face and
shrinking away from it. I realized what a dick move it was a moment later, digging
out my phone and calling him on it. I watched him answer his phone through the
peephole, finding myself smiling for the first time in days at the grumpy
expression he had etched onto his features.

"Hello? Why won't you let me in?" He'd asked, getting straight to the point.

"I told you you weren't allowed to see me when I was sick. I'm not opening the door
again, the snow's going to pile up over your head before I let you in here."

"What if I offer to make you soup and look after you?" He asked, the offer making
me stomach growl. I wasn't going to give in though, determined to hold true to my
word. I don't want to scare him off with my horrible sick mood-swings and looks
yet, I'd wait until we were together before I let him see any of that.

"No, I look horrible."

"Is it even possible for you to look horrible?" He sighed, pouting his bottom out,
obviously still oblivious to the fact I could see him. I decided he didn't need to
know that though, enjoying seeing his reactions to what I said for a change.

"Trust me, it is." I said simply, watching his answering eye roll. There was
silence then, though I could practically see the gears turning in his head as he
tried to figure out what move to make next. I decided to make it easier on him,
yawning loudly into the phone so he wouldn't try to argue with me. "I'm going back
to bed, you can stay out there if you want."

"Alright fine, text me when you wake up." That was the last thing he'd said before
hanging up, his head hanging between his shoulders as he walked back to his car. I
followed him into the living room so I could watch out the window as he walked
across the street, starting to regret my decision just slightly. Tyler's company
would have been nice and I doubt he really would have cared what I looked like...
No! I already said I wouldn't give in and I'm not going to.

That's the mindset I kept the rest of the weekend too, resisting the urge to call
him afterschool on Monday. My entire family had gone out and even said I could have
a friend over considering I didn't seem that sick anymore. At one point I'd even
typed the text out inviting him over, ultimately deciding against it and spending
the night just as alone as I had been the rest of the week.

That was yesterday though, today I was for sure going to see him. If I somehow
didn't get to after waking up at 6am for it, I was going to be a whole new level of
pissed off. I doubted that'd happen though, considering he'd told me he was already
waiting at school. All I had to do was make it through the line-up for coffee and
through the three minute drive the rest of the way to the school, which hardly
sounded like difficult feats at all knowing I'd already achieved getting out of bed
as early as I did today.

After finally getting through the never-ending line and getting our drinks I was in
a total rush, realizing how long Tyler had probably been waiting for me. I almost
knocked a girl's drink out of her had in my rush to get out the door, earning a
glare and a curse word in my direction. I didn't slow down even after that though,
rushing to my car and nearly slipping on a patch of ice in the process. However, I
managed to finally make it to my car unscathed, slipping the cups into their
holders and reaching for the keys.

I pulled into the parking lot not two minutes later in record time, grinning
cheerily when I saw Tyler waiting for me there. It was still early for anyone else
to be here, his shitty car sticking out like a sore thumb in the empty parking lot
despite the snow hindering my sight. I chose the parking spot next to his, knowing
neither of us would want to walk through the snow any further than that.

He was getting out before I'd even put the car in park, a smile finding myself as
he cheerily threw his bag over his shoulder. He was sliding into my passenger's
seat in a matter of seconds, exhaling contently at the obvious change in
temperature. I immediately shoved the hot chocolate toward him, using his momentary
confusion to check him out without getting caught. He'd re-dyed his hair, the
vibrant purple only making it harder to hide my smile. He didn't look nearly as
tired as I was, his eyes bright and cheerful and his cheeks flushed an adorable
pink. He sat his cup in the cupholder after a couple of seconds, looking back to me
and raking his eyes over my state instead, not even making an effort to be sneaky
about it like I had.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like you woke me up at 6am." I muttered honestly, earning the adorable giggle I'd
missed hearing in person so much. I found myself resisting the urge to laugh along
with him despite knowing it'd completely ruin the grumpy act I had going on. I
wasn't really grumpy. How could I be when I'd finally been reunited with him?

Not even fifteen minutes later we were standing inside studying posters about the
dance, his hand in mine and his sweater fitted tightly around my lean body. It was
definitely a good start to the day, that's for sure.

I tried to act disinterested in the posters and indifferent about how excited Tyler
seemed, but I couldn't help it. I ended up looking back toward him, swooning
slightly when I took in the way he was rocking on the heels of his feet, studying
the poster with a concentrated expression. I skimmed through it while he was
distracted, scrunching up my nose at all the cheesy lines and over-the-top
adjectives they used to describe the entire experience. What was so appealing about
these things anyway? Tyler looked positively thrilled staring up at the stupid
poster, intriguing me to know the 'why' behind it.

"Are you gonna go?" I asked, watching his eyes flicker to my direction. He gave me
a skeptical look for a couple seconds before replying, turning his body to face me
as he spoke.

"Well duh, I go every year." He replied, glancing back up at the poster as I took
in his words. So was he going because he wanted to or was he going because it was
what he thought he should do?

"Just because you go every year doesn't mean you have to this year." I said, trying
not to sound too much like an over-concerned boyfriend. I didn't want him to accuse
me of worrying too much or caring too much and make things awkward.

"It's fun, I like going." I guess it was better than an accusation, but his reply
still left something to be desired. I'd expected something a bit more elaborate. I
studied his features, noticing the distant expression on them. I wonder what he's
thinking about.

Before it even fully set in what I was doing I was running my thumb over the back
of his, concentrating on solely the idea of hearing his thoughts. I might not be
able to turn the ability off, but I seem to be getting better at using it on
command when I actually try. I find myself trying a lot more actually, constantly
curious to hear what Tyler's thinking about.

Then again, it's not like I can dance with Troye either if he's not going. What am
I going to do during slow dances?

"What do you even do at a dance?" I blurted, cursing myself silently for letting my
interest in it show even a little bit. There was no way I could go. There's a
thousand reasons I couldn't.

But doesn't Tyler count as a million reasons I should?

I scrunched my face up at my own disgustingly cheesy thoughts, half revolted and

half bubbly but how stupidly obsessed with him I was. That didn't mean I was going
to listen to them though, reminding myself the reasons I couldn't go yet again.
There would be so many people packed into a small area, I have no dancing skills, I
don't even know what people do at social events like th-

"Dance." He answered, cutting off my thoughts this time. I shoved him almost
instinctively, more angry with him for interrupting my thoughts than the sarcastic
response. I clutched his hand tighter the second I realized what I'd done though,
making sure he didn't hurt himself.

It shouldn't be that hard to convince him to go, surely he's not such a scrooge
he'd say no if I actually asked him to come along. What can I mention that might
make him change his mind?

My heart felt uncomfortably heavy, guilt seeping into me upon hearing how badly he
wanted me to go. It's not like I didn't want to- Wait. Did I want to? What does it
matter, I can't anyway.
"There's food, hot boys body rolling, obnoxious pop anthems, gorgeous decorations.
What's not to love?"

"The crowds." I muttered, my tone not matching his peppy one at all. I was quiet
and withdrawn suddenly, feeling bad the more I thought about the situation. What if
I ruined his last dance experience just because I couldn't come along and he was
left worrying about me all night?

"Hey, if you want we can do something else that night. The bowling alley has
special Christmas deals on." He offered, squeezing my hand tighter. I immediately
shook my head, clinging to the idea he'd probably still have a good time even if I
wasn't there. Surely he isn't so obsessed with me he couldn't enjoy himself without
me there.

"No, you should go, you're obviously looking forward to it. Don't let me rain on
your parade." I insisted, my quiet voice doing nothing to reinforce what I was
saying. Damn it, why can't I be as good as him when it comes to putting on those
confident acts? To be honest the idea of spending an evening bowling with Tyler was
amazing, but I refused to admit it. I'd only ever gone a couple of times before as
a kid, but it was always fun. It'd only be more fun with Tyler, both of us duking
it out with our competitive streaks showing.

He looked like he was about to argue with me and I was getting ready to hold my
ground, neither of us getting the chance to say anything before the sound of peppy
footsteps were sounding behind us, causing us both to turn and greet Zoe.

My time with Tyler seemed to be passing on fast forward, my eyes constantly

flickering up to the clock and dreading the time. The time with him in the library
had been practically non-existent considering the idiot let me sleep through it.
Now it was first period and it was practically flying by, probably because we were
watching a move rather than doing work.

I couldn't really complain though, it was definitely better than schoolwork. The
second the movie had started I distractedly reached for Tyler's hand, jumping when
it bumped against his just beside my thigh. We both snatched our hands away
immediately, forcing our eyes to the front and paying attention to the boring
history movie. Why were we even watching a history movie in math? Why didn't the
teacher just let us watch an actually good movie, it's not like anyone takes the
week before Christmas break seriously anyway.

I waited impatiently for him to reach for my hand again, glancing over after every
couple seconds passed and scowling when I found him focused on the movie. How could
he actually watch that stupid thing? Is it really more interesting than me? I
grumpily slumped over my desk, burying my face into my arm. Of course it was the
arm on the opposite side from him though, my other hand staying purposely hanging
at my side, just waiting to be held by some boy sitting next to me that may or may
not be the worst guy on the planet for picking up hints. Was he waiting for me to
make a move? I hope not, if that's the case he's got even less brains than I
thought.

I was beginning to give up hope when I finally felt his fingertips fumbling along
my palm, eventually finding their slots between mine and squeezing tightly. I
grinned to myself, probably looking like a total idiot to the rest of the room.
They probably thought I was smiling at the gruesome war scenes on the screen, which
actually might have been a bit worrisome if I had the capability of caring about
anything other than Tyler's touch right now.
It was weird how I could be on cloud nine and the rest of the room was totally
oblivious. While they were all bored or dreading their next classes, I was sitting
here so bubbly I had to fight the urge to squeal. I guess this was the sort of
thing I'd missed out on during my other school years, all this crush stuff. I'm
kind of glad I did though. Imagine if I had of met someone and missed out on
getting close with Tyler. Maybe there's a reason none of my other friendships
worked out. Well, I'm going to keep telling myself that either way.

There was about fifteen minutes left of class when I finally decided to sneak a
glance in Tyler's direction, surprised to find him distractedly looking over at the
windows. Maybe this would have been a bit more normal had it not been for the fact
the windows had curtains covering them, meaning he was literally just staring at
the brown fabric. I wonder what he's actually thinking about. It doesn't hurt to
check, right?

Making sure he wasn't paying attention, I leaned back in my chair and let my eyes
fall closed, pretending to be tired. Really I was just concentrating, biting my lip
in focus as I tightened my grip on his hand.

I doubt we're going to do anything sexual if we can't even get the guts to ask each
other out. That doesn't mean I can't think about it though.

My jaw must have dropped when the images he was imagining started to flood through
my mind, eyes snapping open as I sat back up in my seat. My heart was racing in my
chest and I felt uncomfortably hot, thankful my sudden movement seemed to have
distracted him, seeing as I wasn't about to break my hand away from his. He would
have questioned me on what the reason was, and I couldn't think of a decent way to
explain to him the fact I'd been accidentally peeping on his fantasies. Who thinks
about stuff like that in math class anyway? Well, me, now, but that's his fault.

I flinched as he dug his nails into my palm, an obvious bid to get my attention. I
begrudgingly looked over at him, hoping he'd miss how flustered I looked in the
low-lighting. His eyes hesitated on mine for a few seconds before he just smiled
and shook his head in dismissal, like my face had given away whatever he was
looking for. That didn't exactly put me at ease, but it was better than actually
having his eyes on me.

I settled back against my chair, not focusing on listening to his thoughts at all
now. Part of me was intrigued to see more of it, every other part of me screaming
about how inappropriate it was to read thoughts like that. It was probably a total
invasion of privacy, but I mean he's the one thinking stuff like that while holding
my hand, who's the real pervert here?

The images seemed to stick in my mind all day, even worse than the stupid dream I'd
had about him a couple months ago. Thankfully I didn't have to see him in my next
couple of classes, because he definitely would have picked up on the fact something
was off about me. Curse him for having such an actively dirty mind.

It was in my last class before lunch that I made the promise to myself that I
wouldn't let it affect how I acted around him. I could easily be awkward after
reading thoughts like that, I could even go out of my way not to touch him in fear
of hearing more like them. I wouldn't do that though. It'd confuse him and he
seemed to be easily confused enough as it was. That, and it's not like it's his
fault that I overheard them. He was probably comfortable over the fact I had no
idea what was going on inside his head, while secretly I was watching the whole
show. No, if anyone's in the wrong here it's me.
I tried to keep as casual as possible throughout the lunch line, even being honest
about my feelings toward Shane and Zoe at the moment. They were both awesome
people, I just couldn't look at them quite yet without remembering the awkward
first kiss. Sure, I hadn't thought a big deal of it at the time, but that was
before I realized the fact I have to see Shane practically every day, constantly
reminded of the exchange.

"Have you come to terms with the fact we've kissed and it's Marcus's fault?" I'd
been expecting a caring worried response, blushing crimson when he came back with
something flirty like that. He has a one-track mind today it would seem. He'd been
almost constantly touching me, even slipping his thumbs through my belt loops at
one point. I'd surprised we'd made it this far without any sort of butt-groping,
which was usually his signature favorite way to touch me. Or at least, out of the
ways he'd touched me regularly so far.

"That's different." I insisted, repeating my mantra from the other day as I looked
back down at the floor.

"You keep saying that but you refuse to elaborate. How's it any different?" He
pressured, his tone absent of any emotions. The question itself gave away his
motives though, not really leaving any place for debate.

I didn't answer him immediately, instead thinking of the best thing to say in my
head. There wasn't really an indirect way to reply to something like that either. I
could either ignore his question or be blunt. I planned to avoid the question, only
changing my mind when he looked back up at me with those huge expectant eyes. Would
it really be so bad to just tell him? I mean, it's not like he doesn't realize it
already, he just hasn't heard me say it.

"Well, I wasn't against the idea of kissing you." I muttered bashfully, glancing up
to watch his reaction. I wasn't sure what I'd been expecting, but it definitely
wasn't that shocked dazed expression he was sporting all of the sudden. A strange
surge of pride overcame me knowing I'd managed to make him speechless for a change.
Instead of looking back down at the floor like I'd planned I continued to watch him
through my lashes, even after he came back to Earth and registered me staring. My
smile only grew the longer our gazes stayed locked, relishing in the deep blush I'd
managed to evoke from him.

"Oh?" He purred, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. I made a face, scrunching my

features together in annoyance. What happened to the cute blushy Tyler from a
second ago? This just looked like, well, it looked like what I might have thought
Tyler would react like a few months ago.

"If you're going to be like this about it I take it back." I snapped, slightly sour
after not getting the reaction I'd wanted out of him. I wanted something to put me
at ease, or at least a reaction that showed he cared I'd taken the time to confess
to it. This just seemed, well, emotionless and fake.

"You can't take it back, it's too late. Troye Mellet thinks I'm kissable." He
practically sang the last sentence, my ears heating up in a blush as I stressed
about someone overhearing. Despite how shyly my body reacted, inside I was fuming.
He knew I wouldn't want people overhearing something like that, how could he be so
insensitive? I'd just made the closest thing to a move either of us had in what
seemed like forever, and yet this is what I was greeted with. I huffed, rolling my
eyes before turning away from him. I'd rather face the intimidating stranger behind
me in line than him. I know he's an asshole, at least the stranger has a chance not
to be.

I ignored him as he stabbed his short little fingers into my hip repeatedly, trying
to draw my attention back to him. I ignored him when he gave up and started to
report his order to the lunchlady, not paying attention like I normally would have.
I was completely ignoring him, the only thing to break me from it being my phone
vibrating in my pocket. I doubted it was him so I fished it out, making a face when
I saw his name on the screen. However he'd seen me take it out, I had to read it
now. I clicked on the message, getting ready for something stupid like him asking
why I was acting so grumpy. I wouldn't put it above him to be completely oblivious
even to this.

"I think you're pretty kissable too, just btw." I blinked, gaping at the text for a
few seconds, my eyes running back over at it like there was a way to misread that.
A stupid smile found my lips, Tyler immediately forgiven. I didn't like being angry
with him anyway, it was for the best.

I looked up to check on him, surprised to find his expression utterly horrified. I

was confused, searching his face for a clue. Eventually my eyes landed on his hand
instead, noticing the way it was still feeling around in his pocket after so long.
Ah, he forgot his money. That idiot.

"I've got it." I announced, stepping closer to Tyler and extended my arm to the
woman. She took the money with a smile, my mouth immediately opening to list off my
own order. Tyler picked up his tray and took a few steps away, my eyes following
him. He didn't go far, stopping just out of the way from everyone else to wait for
me. He turned around and for a second I was worried he'd see me, put at ease when I
took notice of his flushed cheeks and eyes trained on the ground. Aw, someone's
nervous. He probably didn't get the chance to see my reaction to the test at all.

I walked over to join him after getting my food, waiting until he fell into line
beside me to start toward the lunch table. I decided not to put him at ease just
yet, remembering how rude he'd acted a moment ago. No, he could suffer a bit.

Our tables was already loud and booming with conversation as we settled beside each
other, both of our attentions going to eating our respective food trays. I tuned
out from the conversation after realizing they were just talking about Shane and
Marcus, not that intrigued by the topic. I was more curious about Tyler, resting my
head on my hand and watching him pick at his food noncommittally. He still refused
to even glimpse in my direction, staring at the fries so hard I had to wonder if it
was hurting his eyes.

"Tyler, Troye, that's your cue to look up." I quirked my eyebrows, drawn out of my
awkward staring at the top of Tyler's head by the sound of my name. I looked across
the table at Zoe, furrowing my brows.

"What?" I looked over at Tyler with a smile when we both said it at the same time,
though he refused to acknowledge it, turning his head to stare at just Zoe.

"Troyler, it's your names spliced together into one so I can just refer to you as a
couple rather than individuals. It saves time and it's cute." Troyler. It's
different, but I kind of like it. Our relationship is different too, it suits us.

"What do you want?" Tyler sighed out, sounding annoyed and casual about the
conversation. He still hadn't looked in my direction once yet though, making it
clear he was far from comfortable.

"So, how come you haven't asked each other to the dance yet? If you asked him he
might want to actually go, Tyler." I looked over at her in reaction to this,
meeting her blue eyes in a curious stare. Would I go if Tyler asked me to? Does she
mean in general or like as a date? Oh god, if he asked me to be his date it'd be
impossible for me to say no.
"Zoe. Stop meddling." I smirked to myself at Tyler's simple answer, knowing I
shouldn't have expected him to make a clear preference either way. It's not like he
was going to pour his heart out to her on the matter when I was sitting right here.

"Aw, come on, Zo, don't be upset. You can bug me about my relationship." I looked
over at Louise, surprised to hear her speak up. I hadn't heard her say much of
anything since meeting her. I wasn't even entirely sure she was capable of doing
anything other than laughing. She was constantly laughing, even more than Tyler.

"Your relationship?" Zoe asked, her tone making it clear she knew about as much
about the relationship as the rest of us. Sneaky, Louise, I wonder who you're
seeing.

"Me and this cup of frozen yogurt. We've decided to make it official. We're nervous
about the reactions we'll get, but the feelings we have for each other run too deep
to fight any- Hey!" Louise's loud screech probably turned a lot of heads, but the
one that followed probably turned even more. "Zoe! Stop eating my boyfriend!"

"Fine, he was a little too fruity for me anyway." I buried my face into my hands at
her cheesy pun of a reply, wondering to myself how I ever got to be friends with
these people.

"Why am I friends with these people?" I looked over at Tyler, knowing he wouldn't
acknowledge it but still smiling at our shared thoughts all the same. I wouldn't
change it for anything though. Weird and annoying as they could be, I'd grown quite
fond of these idiots, one in particular.

"Aw, you're just jealous you didn't get to try him. Fruity is your type, right?"
Zoe giggled, mischief showing clear in her voice. I wasn't sure why, but she
reminded me of a little fairy. The troublemaker type you see in books sometimes.
Wait, maybe it's an imp I'm thinking of. "Nevermind, I'll ask Troye." My eyes went
wide, realizing her deadly gaze had been set on me.

I'd never been more thankful for Tyler than when he tore her attention away with me
with an over-used internet saying, making me roll my eyes at how cheesy he was.
However, it did the intended purpose, getting her beady eyes off of me, so I
couldn't really make fun of him for it.

"I came out to have a good time and I honestly feel so attacked right now."

"You came out? When? I think I missed that." I smirked slightly at her response,
knowing I should have expected her to come up with a comeback like that. Tyler
didn't reply, simply lifting his middle finger into the air. "Ugh, come on, Ty,
work with me here. If you're not gay just tell me and I'll stop bugging you about
your relationships."

"And if I am?" A smile found my lips at his immediate question, surprised by how
open he was being with the idea. It was a total contrast to how nervous he'd been
the night he came out to me. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't proud to see how far
he'd come. "That's what I thought."

"So you are then?"

"No, I'm straight as they come, sorry." The table fell into an immediate
uncomfortable silence, all of them looking around and exchanging knowing glances.
It was quite clear they didn't believe him, probably just thinking he was
uncomfortable admitting it and trying to respect his wishes. I knew that wasn't the
case though, knowing he was purposely lying just to tease them. The thought was
laughable actually, him thinking they believed he was straight for even a second. I
found myself giggling the more I thought about it, Tyler groaning next to me.
"Troye! I had them believing me!"

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did!" He said stubbornly, looking around the table for someone to back him
up. Nobody did though, instead just shaking their heads slowly with warm smiles on
their faces, making it clear they supported him. He sighed loudly, sinking down
against the table like he was heartbroken no one had believed his little act. What
did he expect? It's not like he went out of his way to make it believable. Still I
felt the need to comfort him, not wanting him to stress out like his last coming-
out experience. I reached over and settled my hand on the middle of his back,
rubbing circles up to his shoulder blades and continuing the process between them.

"So, do you like anyone?"

No, Zoe, definitely not the boy giving me a supportive back massage at the lunch
table. Caring and loving guys like that are not my type at all.

I smirked at his sarcastic thoughts, letting my hand trail higher to squeeze his
shoulder just once before it moved back down his back. I hadn't really heard him
think it, but part of me just knew it was where he wanted my hands to be, knowing I
was right when a gasp left his lips as I rubbed my hand into the spot.

"No, there's no boys I really get along with at this school. I've yet to meet one
that I just click with. You know, one I can spend all my time with and not get
bored of. This school is seriously lacking." I couldn't help but snort at the
bullshit he was sprouting, resisting the urge to pinch his back for being such a
dick. We both realized how we felt about the other at this point. Hell, we even
teased each other about it. But as much as I loved the carefree teasing, I longed
for us to take it seriously for a second, just long enough to admit our feelings
and take our relationship to where we both wanted it to go.

Zoe was obviously frustrated by our teasing more than we were, groaning loudly and
tugging at her braids. She definitely did not look fairy-like now, definitely more
of an imp.

"You're both the most frustrating people I've ever met." She snapped, stomping off
toward the counter. I noticed Louise get up to follow after her before I couldn't
fight it any longer and laughter started to wrack my frame, my entire body shaking
with the giggles. I clutched at my stomach, listening to the bubbly cackle that
belonged to Tyler next to me, only urging the laughter on more.

"I wonder what she's on about?" He laughed out, leaning on me for support.
Instinctively my hand left my stomach, wrapping around his shoulders to keep him
pinned against my side.

"No idea."

The rest of lunch passed quickly, all of us deciding to just spend the entire hour
sitting at the table talking and joking around. There was more teasing from Zoe and
her attempts at getting 'Troyler' to stick were never-ending, but overall it was
fun. Zoe told us what to expect about the committee after school and we continued
to refuse to tell her anything about our relationship. Not that there was really
all that much to tell, but we definitely gave her the impression there was,
purposely getting her all riled up.

Tyler didn't avoid my gaze anymore, interacting with me the same way he had before
the text. That didn't change the fact he'd sent it though, and I think we were both
still thinking about it in the back of our minds.

A/n: This wasn't even supposed to be a chapter but you all wanted to see Troye's
thoughts during the day so I was like what the hell lets do it who cares it'll be
short and easy to write. For whatever reason, it was a total pain in the ass to
write but hey it's up now. Okay, um, I KEEP FORGETTING TO MENTION. In this fic
Troye isn't Jewish, before you all get your panties in a wad over him celebrating
Christmas. No, I'm not an uneducated swine, I'm writing an alternative universe
fanfic and I do what I want. Thank-you, that is all, Kali has left the building.

Chapter Fifty-Seven
*Troye's POV*

For whatever reason (trust me, I regret it already), I had agreed to let Tyler
drive me to school today. The last time I even got in his car was the day it broke
down, purposely avoiding the tin can of doom ever since. However, when he'd offered
last night and made the point about how much gas I wasted driving him around all
the time, I couldn't find it in me to refuse. Looking back I really should have
just asked him to pay gas money, but it was a bit too late for that now.

My alarm didn't wake me up on time today, meaning I had twenty minutes to shower
and get ready before Tyler got here. That was totally impossible, which meant I'd
definitely be sporting flat hair today and rocking the confused five-year-old look.
That wasn't even mentioning the matter of finding my outfit, which I knew would
take exceptionally long today. After Tyler's reaction to my lack-of-spirit
yesterday, I'd vowed to take part in the stupid spirit week activities every day
this year, just to prove to him I wasn't a total scrooge.

That wasn't where the problem laid though. The problem was I didn't own a single
ugly Christmas sweater, for obvious reasons. Which meant I was going to have to
raid the closets of my family members. Given the short amount of time I had to do
it, I was going to have to ask for their permission. What's more embarrassing than
telling your parents you want their ugliest Christmas sweater they own to impress
the boy you like? It wasn't just the sweater either, more the fact that I was
participating in spirit week as a whole for Tyler. I hadn't just been against it in
the past, I'd skipped that week every single school year, refusing to participate
but refusing to stick out as the only one not participating as well. My parents
were going to be on cloud nine seeing I'd changed my mind, and for Tyler too.

I'd worry about that when I came to it though, stepping into the shower and
momentarily putting my problems on hold. It'd be fine. I'll get out of this with
minimal life-scarring and embarrassment this time. Surely the odds are on my side
considering how many times my encounters with my parents have been life-scarring
and embarrassing in the past, right?

I was wrong, of course. Upon walking out of the shower I checked my phone, seeing
just how late it was already. Tyler would be here in five minutes! That sent me
into panic-mode, my feet moving faster than my brain as I rushed down the stairs in
just a towel. I clutched it to my hips as I turned into the kitchen, mouth already
open to ask my question.

"Do any of you have an ugly Christmas sweater I could-" I managed to get the
majority of the sentence out before I registered that the chair that I usually sat
at, was already full. After that clicked into place it was easy to recognize the
familiar head of purple hair, the thick-framed glasses, and of course the cheeky
smirk as he raked his eyes over my under-dressed body. Fuck.

"A sweater you could what?" My mother asked, turning to look at me over her
shoulder, her hands still buried in the dish sink. Her eyes went wide when she saw
me, a fit of giggles filling the room from every family member as it sunk in just
how little I was wearing in front of my crush. I hate them, every last one. Tyler
surprised me however, staying completely silent and even offering an apologetic
smile.

"A sweater I could borrow." I finished, trying to seem casual as I gripped the
towel tighter, sliding it up almost to my navel. I did not like the way Tyler's
eyes were traveling. Okay, I did, but not in front of my entire family.

"Why do you want an ugly sweater?" Mom asked, her tone laced with confusion. I took
a deep breath, totally embarrassed to admit the reason. It was one thing just
telling them and putting up with their teasing, but in front of Tyler, in a towel,
that was just unbearable.

I opened my mouth to reply, but the sight of Tyler standing out of the corner of my
eye had me freezing. He walked over to me with an innocent smile tugging at the
corners of his lips. I could feel my family's eyes on us curiously, all of them
averting when Tyler turned back to face them, likely just to catch them staring. He
reached my side a few seconds later though, grinning devilishly as he threw an arm
around my bare shoulders, hugging me to his side. I grabbed the towel before it
managed to slip lower on my hips, staring at him begrudgingly.

"For spirit week, Mrs. Mellet. He's being festive." Tyler explained, relief washing
over me despite the awkward position I was still stuck in. At least I wasn't the
one that had to explain myself now. Though I couldn't really be thankful for him
when his hand suddenly started to slide down from my shoulder, down my arm and
causing me to shiver. I hate him. Is he really being touchy like this in front of
my family? Doesn't he realize all the questions I'm going to get on this the second
I'm alone with them again?

"Well, he's definitely lighting up redder than Rudolph's nose! Very festive
indeed!" I turned to glare at my father, hatred hopefully seeping out of me in
noticeable waves. I knew I was blushing, but that didn't mean he could call me out
on it. Especially not when he got that adorably obnoxious Tyler cackle in response.

"Dad, I just want you to know, I hate you." I said flatly, staring at him with my
eyes narrowed into the most hostile glare I could manage. And, given the fact it
was before noon and I was out of bed and already embarrassed, it was a very hostile
glare.

"Shaun, go find the poor boy a sweater. Troye, go get the rest of your clothes on,
nobody's enjoying the view." My mother laughed, mirth showing clearly in her voice.
She turned around fully then, wiping her hands on her pants and taking in Tyler and
I's closeness for the first time. Her eyebrows shot up, a smirk starting to find
her lips. "Actually-"

"Don't even say it." I snapped, prying Tyler's hand off of me and turning to stomp
out of the room. He could deal with my family, because I wasn't willing to today. I
made the dramatic exit about as graceful as I could while just in my towel,
wondering how we ended up in towels around each other so often. It's like fate just
wanted us to be naked together at this point. Good to know I can rely on fate to
help us out, because it's surely never going to happen if I just have Tyler to rely
on.
I practically slammed my door in my haste to get out of their sight completely,
immediately locking it behind me and marching over to my dresser. I pulled out
random bits of my wardrobe, knowing it didn't really matter if I looked cute if I
was going to be topping it off with a hideous Christmas sweater. Besides, Tyler had
confirmed he was wearing that hideous cat sweater from a couple weeks ago, there
was no way he could make fun of me if he was wearing that. I could walk back out
there in a potato sack and still have a cuter outfit than him.

Despite how annoyed with all of them it didn't stop me from rushing, ever-eager to
get back to Tyler's side. I grabbed my bag and stuffed all of my materials back
into it, complaining under my breath about the way they'd spilled out when I threw
it down yesterday. After that I swung it over my shoulder, glimpsing myself over in
the mirror and trying not to scowl at how young I looked with my hair down. I hate
it.

I still didn't have time to put it up though, sighing before unlocking the door and
stepping out. I was immediately greeted by my father standing outside my door, his
arms completely filled with sweaters to the point I could only see from his eyes-up
of his face.

"What the hell is all this?"

"My Christmas sweater collection!" He announced proudly, wiggling his entire body
given his arms didn't have the space to move at all. I groaned, glimpsing at the
pile before picking out the dark blue one that caught my eye. I knew for a fact the
color suited me well. I immediately tossed it back into the pile seeing the
demented demon snowman imprinted onto it, opting for the lighter blue one. I was
pleased to find it only had an array of white circular 'snowflakes' all over it,
considerably less atrocious than the last option.

Deciding that was the best I was going to get I dropped my bag and slid it over my
head, pleased to find it about three sizes too big for me. The sleeves hung down
past my hands and I waved them contently, picking up my backpack with one hand and
dragging it behind me as I practically skipped down the stairs. I actually didn't
mind the whole ugly sweater thing. This one wasn't itchy and wool like Tyler's and
it was insanely comfortable given the size of it. Then again, it probably just made
me look more like a fetus, adding to the effect of my flat hair tremendously.

I walked into the kitchen as soon as I reached the first floor again, pausing in
the doorway to drop my jaw.

"Tyler!" I groaned, watching as he innocently looked up at me, slowly moving the

fork the rest of the way to his lips. I could have killed him, taking in how
comfortable he looked curled up on my chair, shuffling bites of scrambled egg into
his mouth. Tyde seemed to have left already, Sage still sitting next to Tyler and
looking at him in a way that made it clear they'd been having a conversation before
I returned. Realizing Tyler wasn't about to stop on his own accord I stomped over,
grabbing his wrist and trying to pry the utensil out of it while he struggled to
chew and swallow the bite of food.

What's his problem? Why's he in such a rush?

"Tilly, we're going to be late for school!" I hissed, only realizing after I said
it what an idiot move it was.

"Aw, you have a pet name for him? That's adorable." Sage cooed, another groan
escaping my lips. I just wanted to get out of here already, I'd had more than my
fair share of family for this morning. Possibly this lifetime. "Does he have a pet
name for you too?"

"Yeah, sometimes I like to call him Big Daddy." My jaw dropped again at Tyler's
bubbly quip, watching my mother and Sage join me in gaping at him wide-eyed. He
didn't seem to regret it though, possibly even expecting this reaction as his head
fell back, laughter filling the room.

"Tyler!" I snapped, bringing my hand down to slap the top of his head. Realizing it
was a joke my mother and sister started to laugh along, their eyes fixed on me and
speaking silently. They were never going to let me hear the end of this, oh god. "I
hate you, so much."

"Come on, it's not good to skip out on breakfast. Who cares if we're a bit late for
first period, your health comes first." He persuaded, lifting his arms to snake it
around my waist. I didn't miss Sage's lingering eyes that followed the movement,
but I made no effort to pull away either. I was curious what he planned on doing,
curious if I'd hear any thoughts.

"He's right, you know." My mother added, only to turn back to the stove and start
to scoop out what was probably my breakfast. I hadn't planned on actually eating
it. I never did, always rushing to get out the door and to Tyler. Then again, I'm
already with Tyler.

"Any other time you'd be yelling at me to get out the door!" I said skeptically,
sinking down onto my seat, sharing it with Tyler. We were both half falling off but
we were also both stubborn as hell, refusing to give in and just separate seats. I
settled as comfortably as I could, sighing as he tilted his head to rest against my
shoulder, whispering something and making it clear no one else in the room was
supposed to hear.

"Stop being so grumpy, babe. Where's your Christmas cheer?" I blushed, wondering
why he'd tried so hard to cover up something like that. Just because he called me
babe? Just to make the moment more intimate? Either way it seemed to have worked. I
wasn't going to let him know that, determinedly clinging to my morning grumpiness.

"I think I left it in my other pants-" He pinched my hip at my sarcastic response,

causing me to nearly fall off the chair in my attempt to get away from the touch. I
smacked his chest this time, knowing the flimsy hit probably didn't even hurt but
still attempting to show my annoyance through it. It somehow ended up a competition
of sorts, both of us flailing our hands in pathetic slaps and completely
disregarding our meals. That is, until my father walked back into the room, both of
us freezing.

"You're going to be late for school." He said dully, looking over the three of us
still sitting at the table.

"Can I just stay home? Please?" Sage piped up immediately, batting her eyelashes up
at him. He just shook his head though, taking his usal seat and flipping open the
morning paper.

"No, Sage." He said simply, looking up at her for only a second before returning to
reading. She sighed loudly, draping herself dramatically over the table, expertly
avoiding Tyler and I's unfinished meals.

"You let Troye stay home every year during spirit week! It's not like we even learn
anything." I froze at her sudden confession, wondering how Tyler would react to
knowing that. He must think I'm a total weirdo now, forcing my parents to let me
stay home I hated the event so much. However, whatever it was he thought about it,
went unshown, his face completely blank as he looked around the room again. He was
probably taking notice of all the Christmas decorations my mother had insisted we
set up in every room of the house. The nutcrackers lining the tops of the cupboards
were terrifying, especially when I made 3am food runs and felt their eyes all over
me in the dead of night.

I quickly turned away when Tyler started to look back toward me, way too stubborn
to let him see that I'd been staring. But my gaze ended up focused in front of me,
falling on my smirking father and realizing he had definitely noticed the staring.
He didn't say anything though, just grinning slightly as he looked back to his
paper. I noticed then that Sage had left too, probably in an angry rush because she
didn't get her way.

"So, are you guys going to go too?" My mother asked, the gross sound of the sink
draining starting as she pulled the plug. I made a face, watching her wipe her
hands off again on a dish towel before making her way to the chair Sage had just
abandoned.

"Are you offering an alternative here? Staying home?" I asked hopefully, not
dwelling on what that would mean for Tyler. I'm sure he'd skip with me if he had
the option, especially if it meant laying around the house doing nothing in
particular.

My mother seemed to be genuinely considering, making me seriously wonder why I

didn't think to get an almost-boyfriend before. If their obsession with Tyler gets
me more days off from school then I really wish I had of met him a couple of years
ago. Well, really met him.

"Shut-up, we have to go to that committee after school. It's our first day really
doing anything." I sighed loudly, angry that he chose today of all days to be
reasonable, when I actually had a hope of staying home without getting in trouble.
He had a point though, we couldn't just leave Zoe completely alone. Yesterday after
school had actually been pretty fun, mostly just discussing all the things we were
going to do and looking up cool ideas on the internet. Sure, Zoe made her fair
share of 'Troyler' puns and quips, but never to the point it got annoying. Could
that even get annoying? I quite liked listening to people talk about how cute Tyler
and I were together.

"Committee?" I blushed, realizing I'd neglected to tell my family about it. It

wasn't that I was keeping it secret so much as just forgetting. None of them had
even questioned how late I was getting home yesterday, probably just assuming I was
out doing something with Tyler. Well, they weren't wrong, but it was almost
concerning how much they encouraged us to hang-out. Where most parents would be
cautious about their kids going out and getting in relationships they were
practically grabbing me by the hair and smushing our faces together. Very backward
methods if you ask me, but I couldn't really complain. It was a lot better than
having them forbid me from seeing Tyler or something. Oh god, can you imagine that?

"Kinda like a prom committee. We're organizing the music, food, and decorations for
the dance on Friday." I was thankful for Tyler being the one to explain, once again
saving me from the awkward questions and looks I'd get if I tried to put it into
words. If I had of been the one to say it they probably would have questioned my
motives for joining as well, which I didn't really want to share right next to
Tyler. 'Oh, I only joined so I can spend even more of my conscious time trailing
around after Tyler.'

"Oh, are you two going together?" My mother asked, her eyes lighting up excitedly.
She's probably thinking of all the picture opportunities already. I felt Tyler
stiffen next to me, knowing he wasn't about to answer this question for me.
"I'm not going, Mom. I don't do crowds." I said quietly, my tone meek but still
completely serious. Her face fell, her and my father both sighing in unison.

"Poor Tyler, I don't know why you put up with him." She said dramatically, causing
me to scoff and roll my eyes. He puts up with me because he loves me, obviously.

"Me either, Laurelle, he's not worth it in the slightest- Ow!" I cut him off with
an actually effortful punch, jabbing my fist right into his gut. Of course I knew
he was just teasing, but I much preferred the idea of him sticking up for me and
elaborately describing all the reasons I was worth it.

I went to punch him again, his hand grabbing mine and forcing it down against his
leg, weaving our fingers together and holding me firmly enough it was clear I
wasn't allowed to hit him again. My parents just exchanged a look, my father
getting to his feet and walking over to where the coffee machine had been quietly
brewing.

"You'll be back by six though, right?" He asked as he poured a cup, not even
looking over at us as he spoke. I nodded before it fully sunk in he couldn't see
me, deciding to backtrack a bit and try to cover up my slip-up.

"Why?" I asked curiously, wondering why it mattered to them today when it hadn't
yesterday.

"We're going to the tree lot!" He exclaimed excitedly, throwing his hands up in the
air for dramatic effect as he spun around to face us. It was like he'd been just
waiting for a chance to announce it, so for his sake I threw a huge excited smile
on my face as well.

We'd been going to the tree lot as a family for as long as I could remember, Steele
even coming home to join us most holidays. He was with his girlfriend's family
right now though, but he'd be here for Christmas itself.

"Yeah, I should be back by then." I said cheerily, knowing Tyler was probably
staring at my ecstatic face in disbelief. He knew just how much I hated the winter
and the snow, seeing right through my act that my father was so blind to.

When I turned to face him I was shocked to see his thoughtful expression, looking
like he was debating whether to say something or not. What if he asks why I'm so
cheerful about tree hunting? Dad would be crushed to know I didn't find it as
exciting as I did when I was five. I'll just suggest we leave for school, Tyler
won't argue with me on that.

"We should-"

"Hey! Tyler! You should come with us!" I wasn't sure if I was more annoyed with him
for cutting me off or for inviting Tyler without my permission, but either way I
found myself shooting daggers at my father from across the room.

"Tree hunting?" Tyler asked cautiously, clearly getting used to the idea and
probably debating if it even appealed to him. Why would he want to come to some
crummy tree yard and trudge around in the snow with us, freezing our asses off?
Ugh, why does my father insist on being such an idiot sometimes.

"Yeah! You can come over for dinner afterward, we'll make a night out of it!" He
chirped excitedly, settling back at the table across from us, his fresh cup of
coffee between both of his hands. I waited patiently for Tyler's reply, curious to
see whether he'd go along with it for my father's sake or just be honest. Surely he
wouldn't actually want to go.
"That's a lovely idea, Shaun, but make sure he even wants to first, don't peer
pressure him into it." My mother laughed, earning a scoff from her husband before
he was turning his attention fully to Tyler. He was smiling expectantly, making it
very clear which choice he'd prefer. I wasn't expecting it when Tyler turned to
look at me, an unspoken question in his eyes. Why does he want my permission? If he
wants to freeze his butt off with my annoying family and I he's more than welcome.
Hell, maybe he'll even find a way to make it enjoyable. I wouldn't put it past him,
everything's better when he's around.

I nodded my head, silently telling him I was okay with it. I wasn't expecting it
when he gave an ear-to-ear smile in reaction either, looking positively ecstatic
about my approval. He is such a loser.

"Yeah, it sounds like fun!" He chirped, turning back to face my parents. They
smiled back, leading into what could easily be mistaken as a competition who could
smile the biggest for the longest. Deciding I'd had about enough of their
ridiculously cheery morning personalities, I got to my feet without another word. I
grabbed my bag and started out of the room, not even checking to make sure Tyler
was following.

I made it out the door and just off the steps before I heard any sign of him behind
me for the first time, the door opening again after I shut it. I paused for a
second, debating whether to wait for him or keep walking. I'll keep walking, serves
him right for being so obnoxiously happy and so chummy with my embarrassing
parents. I made it about half a step before I was toppling over, squealing and
flailing my arms out in hopes of catching myself.

I fell into the snow face first, gasping at the temperature and rolling over
immediately, Tyler falling off my back with a cackle. Did he seriously just jump
off the porch steps onto my back? What is he, five? I groaned, sitting up and
already knowing my entire outfit was soaking through.

"I literally hate you." I groaned, looking over at him and widening my eyes when I
saw how dry his clothes were. Oh yeah, probably because he used my body to catch
himself. He saw me staring, eyes wide like he was about to bolt if he needed to. He
never got the chance though, only getting half to his feet before I punched him in
the back of his knee, his legs giving out and body falling back into the snow. I
immediately grabbed a handful, throwing it into his face roughly before getting to
my feet. I grumbled under my breath as I brushed myself off, looking up only when I
was finished. My jaw dropped when I noticed Tyde and Sage still standing at the end
of our drive, the bus idling in front of them. Great, a bunch of fellow students
just watched me roll around in the snow like a child with that idiot.

Tyde and Sage burst into a fit of laughter before turning and quickly scrambling
onto the bus, as if they thought I'd fly into them with that many witnesses
watching. Instead I stood there frozen, staring dumbfounded back at all the curious
eyes looking out their windows at me. Tyler was still on the ground, sitting in the
snow and obviously giving up and salvaging his outfit as he cleaned his glasses
off. He still looked like he was on cloud nine though, his cheeks adorably flushed
and a smile on his lips as he continued to swipe at the lenses.

It wasn't until after the bus had drove off that I swallowed my pride and extended
a hand to him. He looked up adoringly, grabbing it and shocking me with how frozen
his hands were. It wasn't actually on-purpose when I let go, my body not expecting
how cold his was. He probably thought it was though, screeching as he fell back
into the snow. He immediately rolled over onto his hands and knees, visibly
shivering before stumbling to stand up. Once he'd managed to he turned to face me
with a glare, just shaking his head when I reached out a hand for his, a silent
peace offering.

"We're going to miss first period at this rate." I muttered, knowing the bus was
late as it was. I would never have joked around with him like that if I thought
there was even a chance of the bus seeing us. Leave it to me to play around the day
it's late.

"Good, maybe if you have time to style your hair you'll stop acting like you have a
stick up your ass." My jaw dropped at his snappy comment, worrying for about two
seconds that he was seriously upset with me. However then he was laughing, that
adorably obnoxious laugh where he threw his head back and clutched his stomach, and
I knew it was stupid to even think something like that.

I didn't show how much I treasured his reaction though, instead crossing my arms
and stomping up the steps. I knew he'd follow so I held the door open for him,
wiping my shoes off on the mat before kicking them off. I walked into the house,
biting my lip as Tyler shut the door behind him, the noise surely noticeable by my
parents if they were still in the kitchen.

"Troye?" My mother called out, worry slipping into her voice. I wasn't sure what
exactly she was expecting, but she always found a way to assume the worst. She
appeared in the doorway of the kitchen a moment later, the concern on her features
quickly flickering into a knowing smile. "What happened?"

"Tyler being an idiot happened." I muttered, ignoring the teasing light in her
eyes. She knew exactly what happened. I looked to Tyler for him to confirm,
watching as he fought off a smile of his own, shrugging his shoulders innocently.

"What can I say? He looked like he needed a moment to cool off." I groaned at his
horrible pun, kicking him in the foot before continuing toward the stairs, not
bothering to exchange another word. I was about halfway up when laughter sounded
from the kitchen, my mother likely reporting the story back to my father.

I gestured for Tyler to go into my bedroom, steering off course without him into my
parent's room. I found the pile of Christmas sweaters on the bed, knowing there'd
be no way Tyler would take his off unless he had an alternative. He was way too
into this stupid spirit week shit. That didn't stop me from gathering up every
single one in my arms though, deciding in the back of my mind that he should have
his pick out of all them.

I awkwardly carried the ball of sweaters down the hall and through my open door,
kicking it shut behind me. I couldn't see Tyler over the pile but I did hear his
intake of breath, obviously excited about what I'd brought back. I threw them all
down onto the bed, surprised to find him awkwardly standing at the foot of it
rather than sitting- Oh yeah, he's soaked.

"Here, you're lucky my dad seems to have an abundance of hideous holiday sweaters."
I laughed, gesturing to the pile and watching his face light up as he walked over,
immediately starting to sort through them. He picked up the same one I'd almost
chosen earlier, giggling at the demon snowman. I watched him for a few seconds
before noticing the pool of water collecting by his feet as the snow melted off his
pants, the mess sending me into hyperdrive as I turned and headed over to my
dresser.

I rummaged around with a determined lip bite, knowing that the pants I was looking
for were in here somewhere. Tyler had forgotten them here ages ago, just like how
I'd been forgetting to give them to him practically every day. However, in this
situation with the sudden reminder and him right here in my room, it would be
pretty hard to forget.
I grinned in triumph as I saw the beige resting in the bottom of the drawer,
grabbing it and dragging it out. I stood up, beginning to speak as I turned around.

"Also very lucky you forgot this pair of pants here on Halloween and I kept
forgetting to give them-" I stopped speaking mid-sentence, not entirely trusting
myself to get a single coherent word out as I watched Tyler lift his hands behind
his head, gripping his wet t-shirt and stripping it off. I bit my lip, raking my
eyes over his exposed chest and appreciating the way his damp skin glistened. Once
again, fate is determined to get us naked together.

He tossed it to the floor carelessly, landing on top of his utterly soaked sweater
that he must have stripped off while I was searching for his pants. I didn't let my
eyes follow the movement though, instead focusing on his muscles intently. I didn't
even look away when he finished and looked back up at me, quirking his eyebrows at
my intense stare. At first I thought he was going to tease me, his mouth
immediately turning into a cheeky smile. But when I still made no move to react or
do much of anything other than blatantly check him out, something in his mood
seemed to shift, the smile fading to a smirk and his eyes narrowing in thought.

I gulped as he started toward me, not entirely sure what to expect but willing to
go along with just about anything he initiated. He came to a stop less than a foot
away from me, freezing as if giving me time to react. I still couldn't though, only
managing a shy smile in his direction. He smiled back, albeit a bit more cunning
than his earlier one. I found myself practically quivering in anticipation as he
raised his hand to my cheek, hoping he'd take my jittering as a reaction to the
cold instead. He cupped it gently, my eyes fluttering shut immediately and my hand
balling into nervous fists at my sides. However seconds ticked by and he made no
move other than running his thumb over my bottom lip, a movement that had me
momentarily jumping thinking it was his lips on mine. Realizing it wasn't, my eyes
fluttered open, likely full of confusion as they locked with his again.

He was still smirking, clearly content with himself and the reactions he was
pulling out of me. Did I really just close my eyes when he wasn't even going to
kiss me? Way to seem desperate, Troye. Why am I such an idiot. I probably weirded
him out and-

"You know, you might catch a pneumonia if you stay in these wet clothes." He
whispered, my breath catching in my throat at the seductive tone. I wasn't worrying
that I'd weirded him out then anymore, instead focusing on keeping my reactions
appropriate and not weirding him out that way. He slid his hand from my cheek to
rest on my shoulder, only staying there for a second before it was moving lower,
gripping the hem of my t-shirt tightly between his fingers. His eyes looked back up
to mine questioningly, immediately greeted by my shy nod. He used his other hand to
help guide it, tugging the shirt over my head with minimal struggle.

My heart was racing in my chest as he tossed the shirt over his shoulder, leaving
us both standing shirtless and so close our bare chests were practically touching.
He bit his lip, the movement doing nothing to help the frustration I was feeling
all of the sudden. He reached forward, seeming almost hesitant. It wasn't until I
really focused on the movement that I noticed his hands were shaking slightly,
making it clear he wasn't quite as confident as he acted. He didn't chicken out
though, his hands coming to rest on either side of my hips lightly.

God, I want to touch him.

I blushed at Tyler's thoughts, knowing I should have expected something like that
but surprised all the same. Summoning all of my courage I decided to help him out,
my hands coming to rest on his and sliding them higher. His jaw clenched, hands
sliding up my stomach and pausing on my chest. He quirked an eyebrow when he looked
up and caught me watching his reactions intently. I blushed deeper, the tension
between us intoxicating. I still couldn't look away though, my eyes staying locked
with his as my heart thudded insistingly inside my chest. He smirked suddenly,
showing the beginnings of a grin before his hands shifted again, fingers tweaking
both of my nipples simultaneously.

I gasped and took an unsteady step backward, the realism of the situation suddenly
setting in, like a cloak being lifted. I'm not doing this right now, right before
I'm supposed to leave for school and with my parents downstairs. Hell, I'm not even
sure exactly what 'this' is, considering our non-existent relationship status,
idling in the space between friends and something more. No, it was better to stop
it here before we did something stupid.

"I-I should go get dressed. You know, don't want to catch a pneumonia and all." I
stuttered out, cursing myself for how nervous my voice sounded. He immediately took
a step back, nodding in agreement as he raised a hand to brush his damp hair back.

"Yeah, you're right... Sorry, couldn't help myself." I nodded, offering an

understanding smile before quickly turning and grabbing the clothes I'd picked out
off the dresser. I didn't even risk another glance in his direction before turning
around and walking into my washroom. I closed the door behind me gently, pretending
to be composed. I wasn't actually, but I could act like it until I was out of his
sight at least.

After I was out of his sight with the door closed though, that was fair game. I
brought my hands up to squish my face up, disbelief coursing through my veins. Did
that just happen? Is this another one of those dreams? It felt real. It felt really
real.

I walked over to the sink, glimpsing at my flat hair and flushed cheeks. Sure I
knew something like this was coming, it was only a matter of time before one of us
snapped with how much tension we had growing between us. It'd always been tense
between us, but after Marcus's party, it was just a waiting game to see which of us
gave in first. I guess it ended up being a joint effort though. It was the first
time we'd actually gone through with anything without people around us forcing us
into it. It didn't feel the same. It somehow felt... Realer. It was more genuine
knowing we did it on our own accord, even if it was just him feeling up my chest.
It might not have been insanely romantic or sexual, but it definitely wasn't
friendly behavior either.

And then there was what he'd said afterward. 'Sorry, couldn't help myself'. There
was no way he could pretend it was just a friendly gesture after saying something
like that. He knew just as well as I did that this was new territory for us. I
couldn't say I was scared or uncomfortable with it though. Excited sounded more
accurate.

The way I'd backed off had absolutely nothing to do with not wanting it to happen.
I wasn't sure what exactly I wanted it to lead to, but I knew whatever it was I was
definitely okay with it. Except, now wasn't the time. I wanted to know what we were
first and I wanted to be alone without the risk of people overhearing it. Can you
even imagine how awkward that'd be? God, no. No, this is for the best. We should
wait. However, I just really hope he doesn't think I stepped away because I didn't
want it, because I did.

I was quick to change into my dry clothes, determined to ignore the bulge in my
briefs. I was definitely not getting off with Tyler in the room over again. That
was a one time thing. Instead I turned all my attention to my hair, concentrating
on solely the way it looked and making sure it ended up perfect. It was a good
distraction, the heat in my belly completely gone by the time I finally got my
quiff to a point where I liked it.

I took a deep breath now that I had nothing else to fill my time with, looking over
at the closed door and wondering how long I'd been in here. I couldn't really avoid
him any longer, especially when my only exit involves walking past him. I should
just face the problem head-on. Maybe we'll talk about it, maybe we'll continue on
in a comfortable ignorance of it like we did our kiss, but either way I had to do
something.

I kept my face emotionless as I could manage as I gathered up my wet clothes and

tossed them into the bathtub, deciding to deal with them later as I walked over to
the door. I opened it slowly, unsure of what kind of thing I'd find on the other
side. I was pleasantly surprised to find Tyler cuddled up in the blankets of my
bed, my laptop placed on his lap and his eyes fixed on the screen. That was
considerably less awkward than what I'd imagined happening, him standing there just
waiting for us to talk.

I walked out of the doorway, just standing in the middle of the room and staring at
him expectantly. Is he ignoring me? Oh god, what do I-

"Why haven't you shown my your playlists before? These are so good."

"Hey!" I shouted in protest, crossing my arms angrily that he'd looked at them
without my permission. He looked up for the first time then, carefully plucking out
the one earphone he had in, giving me a guilty smile.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself." I rolled my eyes at him quoting his earlier self,
trying to hide the blush invading my cheeks at how easily he brought it up. The
seriousness of the moment had obviously faded considering he was already teasing me
about it like he did the kiss, trying to make a joke out of it, probably to make
things less uncomfortable. I wasn't sure if I was grateful for it or still wanted
him to take it seriously and really talk to me about it, but I decided I could
decide later, glimpsing at the clock and realizing how long I'd spent on my hair.

"Tyler!" I groaned, hurrying to grab his wet clothes off the floor too. I ran back
into the bathroom and tossed them into the tub with mine, rushing out to find him
still comfortably curled up in the same spot. I widened my eyes, making frantic
gestures at him. "Second period is starting now!" He raised a single eyebrow,
looking over at the clock in utter disinterest.

"Well, what do you know, it is." I balled my hands into fists, resisting the urge
to tug at my hair in frustration. He's so insolent! I knew that wouldn't help
though, instead just grabbing my bag and starting toward the stairs for what felt
like the fiftieth time just since waking up. I only made it to my doorway before he
was speaking up in an urgent tone.

"You're forgetting your ugly sweater!" I sighed, pausing to turn on my heels and
look back at him. He'd gotten to his feet and closed the laptop, standing beside
the bed and shrugging his backpack over his shoulders. As soon as he had he turned
and snatched a sweater off the bed, holding it up beside his. "Look, I found us
matching ones."

He sounded almost shy as he wiggled the shirt in the air as if showing it off, a
blush on his cheeks. I realized it was probably from my lack of a reply, hurrying
to comfort him. I sighed softly, walking back over and snatching it from his hands
a little too forcefully. He looked a bit shocked so I quickly made up for it with a
genuine smile, alerting him I wasn't upset, just in a rush. I tugged the sweater on
with a bit of a struggle, ever-careful not to mess up my hair. I'd spent forever
styling it, that would be such a waste of time.

It was only after I poked my head out through the hole in the top that I realized
Tyler had been watching me, a huge smile on his lips, clearly amused by my
struggle. I rolled my eyes, grabbing his hand and tugging him toward the door. He
followed without fighting, until we reached the mirror just before the door. He
jerked my arm until I was forced to stop with him, sighing and looking over at the
mirror. My eyes widened when I saw the pair of us, surprised by how... coupley, we
looked with those matching sweaters on and our fingers entwined.

"Can I take a picture?" Tyler asked, his tone almost hopeful as he started to fish
his phone out of his pocket. It's not like I could say no when he already had the
phone out, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to remember this day. Instead I
simply posed next to him, smiling into the mirror. I waited for his confirmation,
instead jumping when he jabbed his finger into my ribs. "Smile with your teeth."

"Fine." I sighed out, giving an over-the-top fake smile. He looked up from his
phone screen to lock eyes with me in the mirror, the angry glare te

Chapter Fifty-Eight
*Tyler's POV*

When I told Troye not to tempt me before we left for school I was being completely
serious. It took everything in me to turn away from him and head for the car, my
hands balled into fists where they were buried deep in my pockets. The tension had
been nearly unbearable for weeks now, my mind coming up with constant scenarios on
what would happen if I kissed him right now, my body constantly acting on it's own
and touching him before I even thought it through. It was never anything too
forward, just little things like reaching for his hand or swatting at his ass
playfully. It's not that he seemed to mind, and I didn't either, but it was the
fact I was acting before I thought it through that worried me. It was only a matter
of time before I did something that went past the line.

At the same time, the line was beginning to get harder and harder to distinguish,
blurring more and more with each touch we shared. None of what we did really fit
under the platonic friend category anymore, but yet we acted like it did. I was
beginning to wonder if the line even existed at all actually. Half of me was
terrified of taking it too far and having things get awkward, half of me worried
there was no line at all and I could do anything I wanted without managing to
change our relationship. It was a constant waiting game, full of unsurities and
hesitation, and I hated every second... Nearly as much as I loved them.

Even right now, driving to school in the dead of silence, I was completely high off
of his company. We hadn't even said anything to each other since getting in the
car, yet just being near him was enough to put a stupid smile on my face and a
bubbly warmth in my chest. Any other day I'd probably be grumpy, looking at the
dreary cloudy sky overhead and the slush of half-melted snow all over the road, but
not after spending my morning with Troye.

And what a morning it had been! Troye in nothing but a towel, Troye in an adorable
ugly Christmas sweater, Troye panting and spiteful in the snow, Troye shirtless and
guiding my hands over the smooth planes of his chest, Troye nervous and blushy in
his front yard after whatever slip-up it was he'd made. He refused to elaborate on
what he'd actually been getting at, but I wasn't about to dwell on it. He was
probably just going to say something then thought better of it.

I pulled into the parking lot with a soft sigh, knowing we'd have to separate
immediately given how late we were already running. There'd be no few minutes of
the morning to just hang-out with each other before classes started, we had to go
now. I parked the car, immediately reaching for my backpack in the middle seat. I
giggled as my hand collided with Troye's, closely resembling those awkward moments
in movies where love interests both reach for the same thing at the same time.
However, he was reaching for his bag, not mine.

After locking eyes with each other and exchanging smiles we actually looked where
we were reaching, sorting the predicament out and grabbing our corresponding
belongings. I pulled mine onto my lap, looking out my window and curling my upper
lip up in distaste at all the slush and puddles in the parking lot. Today was far
from hot, but it was definitely not as cold as yesterday, leading some of the snow
to melting.

"So, we should probably get to our classes before they end." I laughed, glimpsing
at the clock and realizing second period was nearing half over. He nodded, his
features proving he was about as enthusiastic as I was. I reached over and sat a
hand on his thigh, squeezing lightly. "I guess I'll see you at lunch then?"

"Same place as always." He laughed, gracing me with his voice for the first time
since leaving his house. I grinned, nodding eagerly and already looking forward to
the moment we were reunited, despite not leaving his side yet. We both got out of
our doors, me quickly jogging around to grab his hand and lead the both of us
inside. I noticed some people were outside, likely skipping or on free periods, but
they didn't dwell on our embrace. They glimpsed over and gave us a once-over,
apparently deeming us uninteresting as they turned back to their conversation.

We managed to retrieve our late slips and continue walking up until the fork in the
road, knowing we both had to go in different directions from here on. I slipped my
fingers from between his, pouting internally but outwardly smiling. We turned to
each other, eyes locking and searching for any sign of the other speaking up.
Neither of us found one, instead just smiling harder before turning and leaving in
opposite directions without another word. I made it about two steps before I was
balling my hands into fists angrily all over again, frustrated with our less-than-
satisfactory goodbye.

This was a regular thing though, I was never happy with the way we parted. I had a
feeling it had more to do with the fact we were separating itself than how we
didn't give some extravagent parting speech. Then again, maybe it wasn't the speech
I was after. Imagine what it'd be like to kiss him goodbye. I'd always looked at
teenage couples kissing goodbye between classes as stupid and desperate, but I had
a completely different outlook now that I knew what it was like to not be around
someone you cared about that much. Their presence quickly grew to be addictive, the
way you were always your happiest around them, it was only natural to be upset
about giving that up, even if only temporarily.

By the time I reached the door to my current class, history, I had worked myself
into an even greater state of despair. The more I thought about what it'd be like
to kiss him goodbye, or even just whenever I wanted to, the more I craved it. The
more it frustrated me that we couldn't have it. Well, we could, but how long was I
going to have to wait for it?

I walked into the classroom still thinking about it, walking to the teacher's desk
almost lost inside my own thoughts. Being able to kiss Troye like I did at the
party whenever, can you imagine? I didn't even realize I'd reached my destination
until I bumped my knee against the teacher's desk, cursing automatically in
reaction.

"That kind of language will not be tolerated in my classroom, young man." I darted
my eyes up, actually paying attention to my surroundings now. My face scrunched up
in confusion when I saw the little old lady sitting in my usual teacher's spot,
internally groaning when I took note of the name sprawled across the whiteboard. A
substitute. My favorite teacher would be out today of all days, replaced by this
hateful looking woman.

"Sorry, ma'am. I'm here late, this is my slip." I explained, setting the thing
paper down on her desk. I immediately turned to leave, surprised by the coughing
sound of her clearing her throat.

"Why are you late?" I sighed, turning around with the biggest fake smile I could
muster glued onto my lips.

"It says on the slip." I said politely, gesturing toward where it laid face-down on
her desk. She gave me a skeptical look, her worn skin and narrowed eyes almost
reminding me of some type of reptile. She reached forward slowly while keeping her
eyes on me, as if waiting for me to interrupt. I didn't, instead bouncing on the
heels of my feet, eager to get to my seat and away from her unwanted attention. She
flipped it over, eyes running from left to right as she read the text.

"You're late because you 'slept in'?" She scoffed, looking back up at me before
opening her mouth to continue. "That's hardly a reasonable excuse, Tyler."

"Well, the receptionist downstairs thought it was, so your opinion doesn't really
matter." I said, beginning to grow tired of her bitterness. She scoffed, looking
back down to her book she'd had sitting open in her lap this entire time,
apparently calling our meeting withdrawn. I had no problem with that, hastily
turning around and marching over to my usual desk in the back.

It was easy to figure out what everyone else was doing just by looking at the
board, however it was impossible to figure out how to do it myself. It was some
sort of special format we had to use to write our papers, however her notes all
over the board were impossible to make any sense of. So with a noticeable sigh I
raised my hand into the air, knowing I'd need her help to get anything done.

As the seconds ticked by I began to get frustrated. As the minutes ticked by I

began to get angry. When she looked up, locked eyes with me and saw my raised hand
before looking back down at her book, I began to get furious. What is her problem
anyway? Gathering up my books I stomped over to her desk, throwing them all down
with a heavy breath of anger. She gasped, looking up at me with total shock written
on her features. It was like I'd thrown a dead body on her desk rather than a pile
of schoolwork.

"I've been sitting there with my hand up for ten minutes. I need help." I stated
blandly, like I took notice of her taken-aback state. She narrowed her eyes again,
looking up at me and shaking her head slowly in dismissal.

"It's my job to teach, not to help."

"Helping people because they didn't understand your lesson is teaching. It's part
of your responsibility." I responded snappily, trying my best to keep my calm
despite how outwardly rude to me she was being.

"It's part of a student's responsibility to be here on time so he doesn't miss said

lesson." She replied, reaching forward to close my book. I watched in a shocked
silence as she gently pushed it across the desk to me, batting her eyelashes
obnoxiously before picking up her book again. I made a disgruntled noise of
offense, yanking it off the desk and storming back to mine. I practically threw the
book down, a loud crack resounding throughout the room. She didn't look up, but I
noticed her eye roll, annoyed by her immaturity despite her age.

I sat down then, pulling out my phone and checking for texts from Troye. Finding
none, I decided to try something else to keep me entertained. I spent a few minutes
on my social media before deciding I couldn't put off my work any longer. With a
sigh I opened up my internet browser, deciding to try and figure out the format on
my own.

"Put your phone away." I'd been expecting her to snap at me, but that didn't make
me any less angry with her when she did.

"Why? If it's not your job to help me I'll do it myself, I'm sure Google can
explain it better than you anyway." I replied, my tone full of sass. She got to her
feet then, walking over to hover beside my desk, looking down at my judgementally.
She held her hand out like she really expected me to just hand it over. I turned it
to show her the screen, flashing an endearing smile. "Do you know what Google is? I
don't think they had it around in the jurassic period when you were young, let me
explain-"

"That's enough out of you. You can go use you 'Goodle' in the principal's office."
She interrupted, crossing her arms and stalking back to her desk. She pulled out a
detention slip, all of the students in the room looking over at me with knowing
smirks or sympathetic smiles. I was quite impressed with the amount of slips I'd
managed to get so early in the day.

I walked over and wordlessly accepted it from her hand once she'd finished writing
out the details, ignoring her glare as she handed it over. I turned on my heel,
gathering up my things before heading straight for the door, not at all annoyed
with the situation. If it got me out of time spent with her then who cares- Shit.
I'm going to miss lunch. What if they don't let me go to the dance committee?

I was stressing over it as I walked down the familiar halls, not really paying
attention to where I was going until the sound of a gasp right in front of me had
me stilling. I looked up, eyebrows arching when I found an unfamiliar boy in front
of me. He had a wad of papers in one hand and a tape roll in the other. What's he-
Oh. Looking around and taking my surroundings in for the first time, I noticed all
the papers stuck to every surface in sight. I took the time to glance over the one
closest to me, my expression skeptical.

"Hi Jenna! I know you've probably been asked by tons of people already and may even
have a date, but I was wondering if you'd be interested in being my date to the
winter dance? I'm willing to pay for dinner before and buy you any corsage you
want. Yours sincerely ~L. (You'll know who I am)"

Ew. He's literally hanging up hundreds of fliers asking Jenna Mourey to the dance.
The fact that I have no idea who the kid is makes it very clear what her answer is
going to be. He's going to get rejected, hard. He'll also probably be found out and
get in trouble for 'defacing school property'. However, that's his problem, not
mine.

I looked back to him, surprised to see he was still frozen in the same spot he'd
been earlier. Is he really that worried about being caught?

"Ten bucks if you don't tell anyone it was me." He blurted, a smile finding my lips
as I reached my hand out. He dropped the bill into it, a huge relieved smile on his
face as he looked back up to my eyes. I smiled back, using every ounce of energy I
had to look genuine as I whispered my reply.

"I hope she says no." And with that I shoved the bill in my pocket, resisting the
urge to snicker as I turned and marched on. I didn't even look back, knowing that'd
ruin the entire thing. Instead I looked forward, my feet feeling heavier the closer
I got to the principal's office. It's not that I was nervous, I'd been there lots
in the past, but that didn't mean I was looking forward to it either.

Deciding I needed to distract myself before my nerves got out of order, I thought
of my usual go-to distraction; Troye. I wonder if he's had a better morning than
me. I wonder how angry he'd be if the principal does force me to skip committee. I
wonder if we're going to be put in the same group in committee. I wonder what he'd
do if I asked him to the dance- Wait.

A scowl found my face in a matter of seconds, angry with myself for letting my
thoughts take that course. I'd thought about it a couple of times since yesterday,
but never for any longer than a couple seconds as I always caught myself. I knew
it'd only lead to me being disappointed if I thought about it, knowing he wouldn't
go. It's not just that he wouldn't, he genuinely couldn't. It'd be selfish of me to
force him or even ask him to go when I knew how the crowds would affect him. Just
because he didn't put me before himself didn't mean he didn't care. I'm sure if he
could he'd want to go to the dance with me.

Imagine what it'd be like if he could though. We could get all dressed up and have
his mother take pictures, she'd love that. He'd probably drive us, considering his
car works a thousand times better. He'd lead me inside with his arm around my
waist. We could laugh and joke around with our friends, genuine friends for a
change. We could eventually mingle out onto the dance floor, having fun until the
DJ announced a slow song. Then it'd be a game of nerves and shy glances in each
other's direction to see who made the first move. Of course it would be me,
considering how dense he is. He'd probably be the male role considering his height,
holding me close with his arms on my hips, my arms wrapped snugly around his neck.
I could almost feel my face resting against his chest, the gentle thud of his chest
loud in one ear while the other got to listen to whatever mushy love song they were
playing. It'd-

"Tyler? Can I help you? You look lost?" I blinked, coming back to reality in a way
similar to be dropped into cold water. I jumped, startled by the intrusion on my
pleasant daydream, surprised when I found the principal standing in front of me,
clearly confused. Well, this is awkward.

"Uh, yeah, actually I was on my way to your office."

"Oh? Did you need something?" I blushed, deciding it'd be easier not to explain,
instead just pulling the slip out of my back pocket and handing it to him. He
sighed when he saw it, clearly he'd been hoping for something different. He'd
actually been acting a lot nicer to me this year, probably because I was no longer
associated with Caspar. "Alright then, I was on my way back to the office anyway.
Come on."

The principal's office wasn't actually that bad. Most of the day I just spent
talking to him, actually getting to know him in the process. He said that
technically I wasn't allowed to participate in after school activities after
getting a detention that day, which made my heart momentarily stop, only to start
up again when he immediately afterward told me he'd be willing to make an
exception. He said he knew the substitute was hard to get along with and that he'd
noticed me trying to get my act together for my last year and was willing to cut me
some slack. I didn't dare tell him any improvements were unintentional, instead
just going along with it when he told me he was proud of me for joining committees
and mixing with other social groups. I guess he'd had his eye on me for a while
considering how much of a trouble maker I used to be, impressed by how much I'd
'changed for the better' this year.

That said, I was totally relieved when the end of the day bell rang, jumping up
from my seat before he even gave me the okay. I looked back guiltily, smiling at
him in case he was angry with me. He just laughed though, waving his hand toward
the door.

"Get out of here, you seem like you're excited. Try not to end up here again
anytime soon, got it?"

"Yes sir!" I said, adding a salute for extra measure. He smiled warmly, nodding his
confirmation when I started to inch toward the door. I turned and took off then,
trying not to run while in his sight and ending up in an awkward speed-walk hobble.
I didn't care though, practically skipping with how eager I was to see Troye after
being apart all day. I was going to barrel into him in a hug, regardless of who was
near when I finally met up with him.

I didn't expect to find him in the hallways, knowing he probably left a little
ahead of the general group or a little later so he wouldn't have to get caught up
in the stampede of eager to leave students. I decided my best bet would be to just
head straight for the gymnasium, knowing he'd either be there already or at least
end up there sooner or later.

The room was relatively empty when I got there, obviously one of the firsts there.
The teacher running it was sitting on a chair surrounded by the three youngest
members of the committee, discussing decorations with them or something. I bounded
over, greeting the four women with an over-the-top wave.

"Hey guys! What are we doing today?" I greeted, looking around at them. The three
girls just blushed and giggled amongst themselves, making me wonder if my
reputation decline has spread to the younger grades already. I just assumed
everyone in the school thought I liked dick by now. Maybe they're just shy around
anyone though, I shouldn't make assumptions.

"Splitting up into three different groups. It's first come first choice. Which
would you like to be in; decorations, food, or music?"

"Are you kidding? Definitely food." I laughed, already imagining all the exciting
things that could entitle. It was definitely settled, food was hands down the best
option.

"You're over there by the tables." She laughed, pointing to the far corner. I just
nodded, starting over with an eager bounce to my step. I could already see the
cupcake trays set up, my mouth watering at the array of colors and decoration
styles they had. I sat down at one of the seats, the first person in this group
apparently.

People started to filter into the room a lot quicker after a couple of minutes,
making it clear they were all quite good friends with each other seeing as they
traveled in a pack. They didn't seem to have any trouble splitting up into the
three smaller groups though, all obviously having their own preferences. I watched
the seats around me fill up with talkative girls, realizing only when the table was
nearly full that Troye being too late to be in my group was a reasonable concern.
He was hardly ever late, it shouldn't be a problem. What if it is though? I can't
save seats, can I?

I began to get nervous each time a new person walked into a room, relieved when
they joined other groups, or even angry when they started toward the food corner.
It wasn't fair. We had about two seats left, meaning if Zoe and Troye walked in now
there'd be just enough room. What was taking them so long anyway? I don't think we
get the option to switch groups after today, they'd better hurry up.

I watched the door nervously, breathing out a sigh of relief when Zoe and Troye
walked in finally, the two seats remaining empty. It's going to be okay, he'll be
in my group. I relaxed back down onto the seat, risking a glance around the rest of
the members of my group. I didn't recognize any but they were all chatting among
the group and obviously knew each other well. All the more reason to be happy Troye
can still join, I won't be the odd one out that doesn't know anyone else.

Smiling, I looked back over toward the teacher, eyes going wide when I didn't find
them talking to her. Where was he? I looked around almost frantically, jaw dropping
when I saw him settling down at the decoration table, a frown evident on his lips
even from here. What the hell? There was room in this group, why didn't he join?
Surely he knew I was over here?

I pouted, looking back over at the others as they started to lift the tray off the
cupcakes. Well, at least I can drown my sorrows in expertly-made baked goods.

I wasn't wrong when I said expertly-made, they tasted like something straight out
of heaven. I ate way more than my share, but none of the girls called me out on it,
only offering me soft smiles whenever I made eye contact. One girl even offered me
hers, a clear attempt at flirting, but I wasn't about to say no.

After that I started to join in on their conversations, not really befriending them
but passing time with the lighthearted topics. They talked mostly about the dance,
who was going with who and who they thought would make a good king and queen. It
made me uncomfortable to know that people were rooting for Caspar and Jenna, but
it's not like it really mattered anyway. If people wanna support their positions of
power good for them.

Time actually passed quicker than I thought it would, the constant gossiping really
distracting even if I didn't give my input most the time. They had more than enough
opinions without mine. The best part was when they disagreed, watching them fight
it out only to 'come to an agreement to disagree' and 'make up'. You could still
see the hatred burning in their eyes, but nobody mentioned it.

I was actually surprised when one of the girls told me it was time to start
cleaning up, looking around the room and finding that everyone else already had.
Some people were even walking over to wait for their Chinese food already. That
seemed both pathetic and realistic seeing as I was still hungry despite all the
cake sampling. I'd had detention straight through lunch, only getting three granola
bars from the principal to tide me over. It was child abuse, truly, I don't know
how they can get away with stuff like that.

"Tyler, you can go over and wait for your food if you want. We only have to take
the cupcake displays apart, it'll only take a minute at most and it's definitely
not a job we need the whole group for." I smiled, thankful for the flirty girl
who's name I suddenly couldn't remember. I didn't let her know that, simply
thanking her before turning and looking around the room. Part of me wanted to head
straight for line-up, especially seeing how long it was already, but I had
priorities.

I spotted Troye in the middle of the room, walking with Zoe beside him, frustration
clear on his features. I started toward him in a near-sprint, eager to talk to him.
By the time I reached them they'd came to a stop beside their decorating table from
earlier, both facing each other and in the middle of some kind of conversation. Zoe
noticed me approaching Troye from behind obviously, but she made no move to
acknowledge it to my delight. I wanted to surprise Troye anyway, knowing he
wouldn't expect me to get out of my group this early. I paused behind him, deciding
to check what kind of conversation I'd be interrupting. I didn't want to mess it up
if it was important.

"Okay, so all you've done is kiss each other's cheeks? I kiss my grandmother's
cheek, Troye, that's just sad." My eyebrows quirked up, immediately realizing they
were talking about Troye and I. Well, I hope they are, if he kisses a bunch of boys
cheeks then that will be a bit of a let-down.

"Well, we did some other stuff today." He said, his tone almost defensive, like he
was trying to prove himself to her. I smirked, a surge of pride coursing through
me. He wants to prove our relationship to her, how cute is that?

"Other stuff?" Zoe asked curiously, surprising me by how easy it was for her to
disregard the fact she knew I was listening. She's so sneaky, it's almost worrying.

"Touching I guess, but nothing below the waist." He explained, his tone almost shy.
My heart bounded in my chest, glad he'd taken as much away from the moment as I
had. It was strangely hot hearing him talk about it too, the way he sounded so
nervous but prideful at the same time, almost like he was bragging indirectly.

"What'd he do? Give you a sexual back massage?" Zoe scoffed, my lips quirking up
into a smile as I caught her eye for a second around the corner of Troye's
shoulder. She smiled back, though her gaze shifted back to Troye's in an obvious
attempt to cover her tracks. He seemed oblivious, just biting his lip as I peered
up at him over his shoulder, curious of his response to that.

"No, he like... Well, he-" He shut his mouth, pouting his lips out and creasing his
face up in obvious thought. I bit my lip, waiting to hear his response. It didn't
come though and I grew impatient, taking a step closer to him and deciding to
explain it myself.

"This." I whispered, pressing my front up against the back of him, heart racing as
my hands wrapped around his torso. They immediately landed on his upper chest
rather than starting at his stomach, knowing I had a short timeframe before he'd
push me off all shy.

"Ah! Tyler!" He gasped, making me swallow roughly as he jumped back against me. My
breath caught at the friction, giggling at his reaction despite the different path
my thoughts were taking. It didn't help when he leaned further back against me
rather than breaking away, surprising me when I knew there were people looking over
at us. I couldn't push him away though, knowing what a big deal him not jumping
away was. Instead I let my chin settle on his shoulder, taking only a second to
catch my breath before speaking up again.

"-But with less clothes, right, Troye-boy?" I muttered, pecking my lips into the
dip where his neck met with his shoulder. He nodded desperately, his breathing
ragged despite how little I'd touched him. We were definitely easily excitable, at
least when it came to each other.

"How was the food group?" Zoe asked, smirking slightly when I gave a surprised
eyebrow quirk to her calm and composed exterior. I guess she managed to keep her
crazy in check if it meant not creeping us out to the point we would stop touching.

"Good aside from the fact my stomach wouldn't stop growling the entire time. Man,
am I looking forward to our ending snack!" I laughed, still trying to sound casual
and get a grip before I ended up with a problem I couldn't fix. I wasn't that
turned on or anything, but if I let my thoughts dwell on how cl- No. That's exactly
what I'm trying not to think about.

I brought my hands off his hips and rubbed them together excitedly in front of both
of us, both a bid for distraction and to seem more normal to Zoe. I doubted she
could notice how flustered I was when I was more or less hidden behind Troye, but
it didn't hurt to be safe.

I jumped slightly as the teacher suddenly yelled around the room, announcing the
arrival of the food. I decided to use that as my escape excuse, I slipped my hands
back around Troye. I paused, only thinking it through for a second before bringing
my hand down against his butt, squeezing lightly before letting go. I tried to
ignore the way his breath hitched and how I noticed his hands in tight fists at his
sides, telling myself that it had nothing to do with me. Deciding I couldn't let
myself dwell on his reactions or not-reactions any longer I cleared my throat,
shouting cheerily. "That's my cue!"

I immediately headed toward the food, breathing heavily the more I thought about
Troye. How hot his reactions always were, how good it felt to have my hands on him,
how good it felt to know it was my hands causing the reactions.

The drive back to Troye's had been eventful despite how quiet it started out. It
was a weird mix of emotions and fighting and flirting, but it left me feeling oddly
content. It wasn't really a necessary conversation per say, but it felt good having
it. I hated to think that Troye could believe I didn't see what he was worth for
even a second. He was everything to me, he had a right to know as much.

We continued a more lighthearted conversation the rest of the way to his house,
discussing the Christmas decorations we drove past or the cheesy songs that came on
the radio. His mood seemed to have changed considerably just over a couple of
compliments, something I took note of for the future. If that was all it took to
get back on his good side I'd better learn it now.

We kept up the lighthearted chatter as we got out of the car, talking over the roof
until he walked over and joined me again. It was only natural now that we ended up
holding hands or with our arms around each other, the way his fingers wove between
mine almost instinctive as we started toward the front door. It was the same way
that I waited for him to walk around the car before moving forward, or how we
always texted or called each other before sleeping.

"Mom? Dad?" Troye called as he led me through the door, stomping the snow off onto
the mat. I followed his lead, pushing the door closed and looking down to watch
what I was doing. However, that meant I didn't realize Troye had walked away until
I stood back up. I practically threw my shoes off then, padding further into the
house and peeking into every room I walked past. When I didn't find him in the
kitchen or living room I was torn betwen going further on the first floor or taking
my chances upstairs. I was about to head upstairs when Troye walked down the
hallway, holding a huge box that had me quirking my eyebrows in confusion.

"Christmas tree decorations." He mutterred, dropping them onto the couch. A huge
smile found my lips, walking over to peek in at the contents. They had at least
three times the decorations I did, all of them just for the tree by the look of it.
I was about to comment on just how impressive the collection was when I turned to
Troye, jaw dropping when I saw his siblings walking down the hall with more boxes.
Are these all for the tree? God, Laurelle, you're insane. Where do they even keep
all their holiday decorations?

"She told us to go wait in the van after this, apparently they'll both be out in a
minute. They're looking for some certain decoration I guess." Sage muttered, giving
a pointed glare in the decoration she'd came from. Troye sighed, reaching up to run
a hand through his hair.

"They'll never find it down there in the basement. Whatever, let's go." He sighed,
marching back toward the front door. I pouted slightly when he didn't grab my hand
even though I knew it was for the best, knowing Sage would make a way bigger deal
out of it than needed.

Instead I trailed behind him, dragging my feet slightly and listening to Sage and
Tyde bicker about who got what seat in the van. I really hoped they didn't keep the
conversation up once we got outside, it was already beginning to give me a
headache. The obnoxiously high tone of Sage's voice when she was irritated compared
to Tyde's that only got lower was absolutely horrible on the ears.

Much to my dismay they did, not shutting up for a second as we all stood hovered
around outside. At one point Tyde started to play dubstep through his phone, only
adding to the annoying levels of the situation. We lasted two minutes waiting
around with them before Troye decided to go back into the house for the van keys,
hoping their fight would die down once they'd already sat in their seats. However,
he never got inside, angrily fighting with the doorknob for twenty seconds before
trudging back over to me.

"I'm sorry, we're locked out of both the house and the van. Are you cold? Should I
go see if the back door's locked?"

"I'll be fine. If worst comes to worst you can warm me up." I whispered, relishing
in the blush that darted across his face in reaction. His siblings were completely
oblivious, screeching at each other from where they now stood on the front yard. I
saw the occasional snowball whir past one of them, one even landing at my feet, but
I tried to tune them out for the most part.

By the time his parents finally walked out, laughing and in the middle of a
conversation, I was about ready to murder two of their children and then die myself
from hypothermia. They seemed more than surprised to find us all standing outside,
Shaun yelling at Tyde and Sage while Laurelle walked over to us to ask if we were
alright. We explained the whole locked-out situation, earning an apology and a
sympathetic smile before she was rushing to unlock the van.

I'd never been more thankful to climb into a small space full of annoying kids,
sighing contently as the van already started to warm up. I was the first to get in,
remembering what Troye had said about making sure I sit in the backseat. Apparently
that's what his siblings had been fighting over but they wouldn't get mad if I was
the one to steal it. I decided to take my chances for him, climbing into the
furthest back corner and looking back over to the door expectantly. Troye was the
next to get in, making a face when the roof of the van messed up his hair. He fell
into the seat directly next to me rather than the other side by the opposite
window, making a smile form on my face subconsciously as I immediately launched
myself at his side. I wrapped both arms around one of his, slipping my shoes off
and bringing my feet up under me on the seat, cuddling up against him as I tried to
warm up. It wasn't until the vehicle started that I pulled my phone out to pass the
time or that Troye's head fell down against the top of mine, making me smile at
just the thought of how cute he probably looked right now.

A few more minutes passed in silence, both of his siblings had quieted down once
they put their headphones in and he hadn't said a word since his head fell against
mine. I decided it was safe to assume he was asleep, nuzzling my head further into
the crook of his neck and taking a deep breath. The smell of his cologne was
overpowering everything else in this position, but I was nowhere near the point of
complaining.

Minutes passed in a comfortable silence throughout the car. If I had to guess I'd
say we were about halfway when the first person spoke up, Sage's voice ringing out.

"Can we stop here?" She asked excitedly, pointing to the coffee shop Troye and I
usually stopped at, the one across from the store. Shaun looked out his window
before looking back at her, giving an almost pouty look.

"Do we have to? I want to get there before all the good trees are gone."

"Dad. They have an entire lot of trees." She stated blandly. I watched Shaun's
inner debate, not able to hide a smile at how difficult it seemed to be for him to
choose. He was such a child at heart, it was both adorable and annoying, depending
what you were trying to talk to him about.

Sage seemed to grow tired of waiting, throwing her hands up in exasperation just
before we passed the drive-through. "I have to pee!"

Upon hearing that Laurelle made the choice for him, swerving the car into the
parking lot and nearly sending Troye flying in the opposite direction, had I not
been clinging to him so tightly. Tyde wasn't as lucky. He'd clearly been oblivious
to what was going on with his headphones in, meaning he wasn't expecting the sudden
turn in the slightest. I watched in amusement as his upper half flew across the
seat, crashing into Sage who simply shoved him back equally as hard against his
window. Laurelle had parked and Sage was already getting out before Tyde got the
chance to retaliate. So with a sigh, he simply sunk back down in his seat, tucking
his headphones back into his ears.

I let my own eyes fall shut as I waited for Sage to get back, not really tired but
simply enjoying the closeness to Troye. I only got to saturate in it for a few
seconds though, the silent moment pierced by the sound of Laurelle calling my name,
asking if I was asleep. Part of me debated if it'd be wise to tell her the truth,
wondering what it was she wanted, but I also doubted it was a good idea to ignore
her. She'd probably know that I was somehow, using her strange motherly powers.

"Yeah, I'm awake, Troye's not." I called softly, careful not to wake him up. Even
as it was I felt him shift against me, ending up with his lips pressed to the
corner of my temple. I tried not to show how much that affected me, just opening my
eyes to stare straight ahead with a difficultly-achieved blank expression. After
getting myself under control my eyes darted to meet with Laurelle's, going wide
when I found her with a camera in hand. I made an unimpressed face, greeted by the
sound of her giggling as she simply snapped another picture.

"Come on, smile." She said softly, backing away to look at me over the camera,
giving a puppy-dog face of persuasion. I sighed, letting the smile I'd tried to
ward off earlier find me, a blush no doubt gracing my face now that I was letting
myself think about the way his lips were pressed agaist my skin. She snapped a few
more pictures before telling me I could stop smiling, only to exchange a look when
I found it physically impossible to wipe the grin off my face. Shaun just shook his
head, turning to look out his window in a rare bid of restraint to not fangirl.

"So, are you two dating yet?" Laurelle asked, clearly enjoying Shaun's gasp of
shock that he failed to cover up with a coughing fit. I guess they must have
decided not to ask about it and she went against the agreement or something. That's
the only reason I could think of that he'd be so surprised about her asking
something like that.

"No, not yet." I laughed, blushing as I let my gaze fall down toward the floor. It
was useless to lie to them at this point, they'd just keep pestering us until they
got the answers they wanted. I much preferred they ask me on my own than when Troye
was conscious next to me, that'd be even more awkward.

"Why?" She prodded, seeming genuinely surprised by my answer. I shrugged my

shoulders the best I could while snuggled up to him, knowing the gesture could
convey my stance on the situation better than words.

"Ask him."

"Trust me, we have. He tells us even less than you." She sighed dramatically,
turning back around and settling in her seat. It took everything in me not to let
my usual cackle burst out in reaction to that, knowing that even Troye couldn't
sleep through something like that. I didn't have to worry about keeping control for
too long though, Laurelle providing more distractions when she spoke up again, this
time just locking eyes with me in the rearview mirror rather than actually turning
around. "What about the dance? Are you gonna ask him?"

"Probably not." I muttered, suddenly not feeling quite as bubbly. It was one thin

Chapter Fifty-Nine
*Tyler's POV*

Troye's family surprised me when they stayed silent the rest of the drive, giving
us time to stop being flustered and move back close to each other. It didn't all
happen at once, the both of us just slowly moving closer as the minutes passed,
ending up pressed tightly to each other's sides. I was almost disappointed when we
pulled into his driveway, knowing this meant detaching from my comfortable position
curled up to him, leeching his heat while enjoying him being so close.

"Everyone head inside while we take the tree off! Get ready to decorate it!" I
heard Troye groan softly beside me, making it clear just how much he enjoyed this
step of the process. I loved decorating, biting my lip as I debated what I was
supposed to do next. Technically he hadn't invited me to stay longer and I didn't
want to impose. Should I just leave? It's better than being that annoying guest
that overstays his welcome.

I got out of the vehicle with the rest of his siblings, noticing how Sage and Tyde
immediately ran for the house while Troye idled beside the van. I decided this must
be a sign he was trying to hint at me leaving, going in to hug him goodbye. He
stumbled a bit like he hadn't been expecting the gesture, though he immediately
squeezed me back once he got his footing.

"What's this about?" He whispered, his lips brushing against the top of my ear as
he lifted me just barely off the ground, his arms giving out after a second and
letting me slip back down. I shrugged my shoulders, muttering my answer into his
shoulder.

"A goodbye hug." He tensed then, grabbing handfuls of my sweater. His response took
a few seconds, like he was having trouble figuring out how to word it.

"Are you leaving already?"

"Don't you want me to?" I asked cautiously, not wanting to pry but also surprised
by how disappointed he sounded over my departure.

"Not really. I mean, I know decorating the tree isn't very fun but we can just
ditch to my room if you really don't want-"
"No! Well, I do- Want to decorate the tree, I mean." I groaned out loud at how
embarrassing I was, ashamed of myself for stuttering over my words the way I did.
What happened to the composed and confident act I could normally rely on? Was it
really that easy for Troye to steal it from me?

However he seemed amused by my state, giggling before backing out of the extended
hug. He still had that cloud nine smile on his lips and I was beginning to wonder
if it'd ever falter. I definitely wouldn't be complaining if I got to see him
smiling all the time, a big wide toothy grin like this one.

"Then what the hell are we doing out here freezing our butts off? Come on." He
laughed, throwing an arm around my shoulders and squeezing me to his side. He led
us both into the house, not once looking back to check his parent's reactions. I
was still shocked by how confident he seemed to be all the sudden, completely
throwing our usual relationship off balance. Again though, I wasn't complaining, it
felt good to give the control up for a change and let someone else call the shots.

I was still snuggled into his side when we walked into the house, likely more than
I had been before. I'd gotten colder with each step out there, meaning by the time
we reached the door I was practically freezing, trying to leech as much heat as
possible from him.

We kicked our shoes off and walked into the living room still entangled, my lips
turning down into a momentary frown when I saw all the boxes still piled over his
couches, meaning I couldn't throw myself onto them. I was quickly put at ease
though, smiling ear to ear as he led me over to the fireplace. I was thankful to
find it was an electric fireplace that could be immediately turned on, sighing
contently as I sunk down to sit on the floor in front of it. I was too caught up in
warming up to realize when Troye left my side, only noticing just when he settled
down next to me. He handed me a throw pillow he must have gone to get off the
couch, my entire body thanking him as I slid it under me rather than the cold hard
floor. It wasn't until I was completely settled with my legs crossed and feet
tucked in underneath me that he handed me the next gift, my hands clapping together
once in excitement before snatching the package of cookies out of his hand.

"Thanks, babe." I hummed, looking over at him so he could see the sincerity in my
eyes. However, I was confused to find him blushing again, biting his lip to keep a
smile at bay as he stared at the floor in front of him. At first I thought he might
still just be bubbly from the kiss, intending to carry on like I hadn't noticed his
obviously flustered state, before realization suddenly hit me. Was this because I'd
called him babe? I'd used the term of endearment multiple times before, the word
always slipping past my lips without my permission, but I guess it was possible
he'd take it different now. We were different now. I just wasn't entirely sure what
'different' entitled.

"First of all, congratulations, very happy for you. Second of all, this is the
formal declaration of a 'no face-sucking while I'm in the room' rule." Sage
announced, making her presence known with her voice loud enough to be mistaken for
a shout. I guess she'd just been making sure she got out attention though, likely
to make sure we heard her rule before breaking it.

I turned around to face her while Troye stayed facing the fireplace, stretching his
arms out to warm his hands up. I watched her carelessly shove the boxes aside
before falling onto the small bit of space she'd made.

"Well, it's not like we're-" I turned back to Troye, eyes alight with curiosity to
hear what he had to say. However, if I'd learnt one thing above all else when it
came to the Mellet's, it was that they had an uncanny ability to interrupt anything
mildly important.
"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas!" Shaun shouted as he kicked the door open, clumsily
dragging the huge tree in behind him. I groaned, not even trying to cover up my
annoyance as my head sank into my hands.

"Dad, Santa Claus isn't bald, you can't pull that off no matter how hard or how
many times you try." I was slightly surprised by Tyde's voice, wondering when he'd
entered the room and where he was at. However, I wasn't quite intrigued enough to
bother looking up, still clinging to my sulking as I debated all the things Troye
could have been about to say. Not like we're dating? Not like we're into PDA? Not
like we're going to listen to your rules?

"Scrooge." Shaun snapped, his tone feigning hurt. There was more shuffling to
follow, likely Laurelle walking inside and them getting the tree set up in the
stand. Eventually the sound of pots and pans clashing in the kitchen started as
well, making it clear Laurelle had left the room. Curiosity was beginning to get
the better of me the longer the room went in silence, the only sounds to be heard
coming from the kitchen.

Sighing, I gave in and let my head lift away from my palms, taking a moment to
adjust to the change in lighting. Someone had closed the curtains and turned the
light off, the only things illuminating the room now being the fire and the string
of Christmas lights Shaun was leading around the tree. He had them mostly on, just
finishing up the end of the line at the top of the tree, standing on a short stool
so he could reach it. Why they needed such a big tree I was unsure, but they
definitely had the room for it.

"Okay, who's ready to help decorate?" He asked as soon as he'd finished, reaching
to grab a star for the top. It worried me that he knew exactly where to find it in
all of those boxes, but I decided not to dwell on it as I watched him fit it into
place.

"Do we have to?" Tyde groaned, his father's face falling at the lack of enthusiasm
his children seemed to have. I get that it wasn't necessarily 'cool' or 'exciting'
to hang-out with your parents, but how could they stand to disappoint people as
cheerful as them? Even when he'd just interrupted what could have been a very
important confession to Troye and I's relationship, I couldn't find the will to be
mad at him.

"I'm ready!" I shouted, looking back to see if Troye would followed my lead. He
just gave me a skeptical look though, shaking his head so subtly I doubted his
father would have been able to see even if he was paying attention. He wasn't
though, instead hauling a decoration box off the couch and sitting it on the table
beside the tree instead. He gestured for me to come over then so I gave one last
unimpressed glare to Troye before getting to my feet without him, wandering over to
look at the decorations Shaun was beaming down at.

"These bulbs are fifty years old." He declared proudly, gesturing toward them again
like there was a way I could stare at the antiques even harder than I already was.
Deciding a vocal reaction might please him I tried to come up with something
believable I could say.

"Fascinating." I muttered, blushing slightly when Troye took to giggling in the

background. Couldn't he at least pretend to take me seriously? I was trying to make
a good impression and he was not helping. However, Shaun didn't seem too phased,
just moving on to picking one of the decorations up, turning it slowly so I could
get a view of every side. He turned to face me, a goofy smile on his lips like he
hadn't expected me to actually pay attention. I guess that's why his next words
threw me off so much.
"Don't drop any or I'll behead you." It wasn't just how much the words contrasted
his normally extremely docile personality, but the fact he said them with dead
seriousness, not even backtracking on them as seconds ticked past with me gaping at
him. He didn't even laugh it off, just nodding at me before turning and walking off
in the direction of the kitchen. "Okay, I'm going to go assume my position as
cookie-dough taste-tester in the kitchen, can I trust you guys to work together on
the tree and not fight?"

"Sure, whatever." Sage muttered, not once looking up from her phone screen as she
spoke. I sighed, looking around at the other two people in the room and finding
them no different. All three of them were on their phones now, the only thing that
surprised me about the situation being the fact Troye had taken the time to move to
the couch where Shaun had moved the box from. Either way it was clear they had no
interest in the tree, meaning I'd have to do it myself. Whatever, at least this way
I don't have to worry about other people messing up the image I have in my head for
it.

Of course I've decorated trees before, it's not like it's my first time, but never
a real one and never with this many decorations. I had so many color layout options
and just decorations in general to choose from, on cloud nine as I carefully looked
through the boxes to get an idea of what I had to work with. After taking all of my
favorites out I went to work deciding which ones went together, ending up with a
satisfying mix of blues and silvers. I started hanging the bulbs on, careful to be
extra gentle with any of the delicate ones. I didn't believe Shaun would actually
behead me, but I figured it didn't hurt to be cautious anyway.

It was about fifteen bulbs in that I realized I probably should have put the tinsel
on first, groaning as I clutched at the material slung around my neck. It was easy
to forget about it when it was comfortably there, out of sight and out of mind. I
grabbed either end, tugging at them to the rhythm of the music playing in the
background. It was an awkward shimmy dance, one I didn't realize anyone was
watching until a muffled giggle sounded behind me. I spun around, glaring at Troye
who was obviously trying to keep from drawing my attention. It was too late for
that now, my eyes narrowed into a glare as I took in his giggly state.

"What are you looking at?" I accused, stepping closer to him. He just shrugged his
shoulders, snapping his mouth shut and trying to fight the laughter so hard his
cheeks started to puff out. He didn't last long before he gave up, a burst of air
escaping his lips before he took to full-out laughing. I sighed, walking over to
stand in front of him in a bid to get his attention and calm him down. However, it
didn't seem to work, his laughter only getting worse to the point my determination
suddenly kicked in and I found myself hopping down onto the couch. It wasn't just
sitting next to him though, oh no. I'd fallen with my legs on either side of him,
essentially sitting on his lap as I brought the tinsel over my head and threw it
over the back of his.

He seemed to quiet down then, swallowing noticeably as his breathing returned to

normal, deep loud breaths strong enough for me to feel against my face with our oh-
so-close position. I tightened my grip on the ends of the tinsel, biting my lip as
I let the last of my hesitation drain out of me, gently pulling him forward. I
didn't have to tell him twice, his eyes falling shut and body lurching forward so
quickly I nearly lost my balance. However, while I was in the process of making
sure I didn't fall off of him, a horrible realization sunk in. Once I thought of
her it was literally only seconds before Sage was speaking up.

"Ew! What did I say about face-sucking in my presence?" She snapped, clearly
jumping to conclusions over our compromising position. I couldn't really blame her
though, knowing that was definitely what it looked like.
"She's right you know, wouldn't wanna break the rules." I laughed, watching Troye's
expression fall as he fell back into the couch cushions. I ambled off to stand in
front of him, watching Sage turn back to her phone, seemingly content with the
amount of space between us now.

"I hate you." Troye groaned dramatically, bringing an arm up to sling over his
eyes. I pouted slightly at the loss of the bright blue swirl of colors I'd grown so
accustomed to, knowing there wasn't a thing out there that shared those certain
colors with him. Well, nothing I'd ever seen anyway. I couldn't exactly voice my
struggle though, knowing it'd be weird to make a big deal over something as small
as being able to see his eyes.

Instead I decided to just distract myself, turning back to the tree with a
determined expression. I was going to find a way to put this tinsel on without
taking the bulbs off, it was settled.

I hadn't expected to actually achieve my goal, sitting back and admiring my own
work. The tinsel had somehow managed to slide into place without knocking anything
else off, meaning the only thing left to do was hang stuff wherever there was an
awkward blank space. However, as I began to realize the longer I worked, most of
the blank spaces I'd left were at the top of the tree. This was understandable
though, considering I couldn't reach it to save my soul. Even standing tippy-toe on
the stool like I was now, I was still leaning over the tree at a worrying angle.
One wrong move could send me falling against it and breaking everything, which was
definitely not what I wanted to do.

I sighed softly, trying to stretch my upper body just a little bit further to reach
one spot in particular. Most of the others I could live without filling, but this
one was on the front of the tree and would just look awkward if left bare. I
squealed contently when I finally managed to reach the branch and slip the bulb on,
the sound of triumph quickly turning to one of terror as I started to lose my
footing. I was certain I was about to fall over into the tree, bracing myself for
the impact, when a familiar pair of arms was wrapping around my waist, pulling me
backward so heavily he even stumbled. The difference between our slip-ups however,
was that he stumbled back onto the couch while I had nearly fallen into the tree
and broken an unreal amount of irreplaceable Christmas ornaments.

"Being a gremlin must suck, huh?" He sighed, shifting under me, likely
uncomfortable from whatever angle we'd fallen at. Taking pity on him I got off the
couch altogether, standing in front of it as I tried to make sense of what he'd
said. After a few seconds I realized he was making fun of my height, the tips of my
ears immediately heating up as I opened my mouth to defend myself.

"Not when you have tall people to rely on, really it just means less exercise." I
snapped, stubbornly crossing my arms over my chest. He rolled his eyes as he got to
his feet, throwing his arm across my shoulders in a show of both affection and
apology. He led me back over to stand beside the tree then, giving me an expectant
look that took me a few seconds to make sense of. As soon as I had though, I was
putting him to work, grabbing an ornament and handing it to him, pointing to it's
rightful spot just out of my reach. He stood behind me, accepting each one without
a word and following my rather bossy orders. "That branch right there, thank-you."

"Where would you be without me?" He asked after I'd announced we were finished,
surprising me by how he didn't move away. I decided to go with it, leaning back
against his chest and letting my head fall to rest on his shoulder.

"Miserable." I said dramatically, trying to ignore how off-putting it was how true
my response was. He hummed as if in agreement, crowding closer to me. I brought my
hands back to grip either side of his hips before he tried to move any closer and
ended up pushing me into the tree. I hadn't really thought about how compromising
the position was though until we were already in it, blushing and cursing myself
for the shot of lust shooting through me in response to it.

"Grinding beside the tree isn't allowed either." Sage said dully, sounding
disinterested but still strict on where she stood on the matter.

"You're not even helping, why are you here?" Troye scoffed behind me, sounding
genuinely angry with her interference. I wasn't even entirely sure what she was
interfering with, because we weren't exactly grinding by any means, but I was
enjoying whatever it was all the same. Just being near him in general classified as
a moment I didn't want to have interrupted.

"To promote abstinence... or at least safe sex."

"We literally just kissed, I don't think we need your help just yet, anti-Cupid."
He grumbled, though he did step out from behind me, leaving my slightly dazed for a
moment before sighing and returning to the real world. I looked around the room,
taking in the way Tyde was completely entranced by a video game while Sage was
absentmindedly scrolling on her phone, looking up at us every couple of seconds.

"I'm kidding, I'm here because Dad would be heartbroken if I wasn't, you know
that." She sighed, as if the fact itself was enough to make her feel a bit forlorn.
Did she really hate being here that much?

"Okay fine, be boring and miserable, but don't rub it off on the rest of us." Troye
snapped, surprising me by just how upset he was getting over this. She was just
being her usual meddling self, what had set him off so badly? She seemed to be a
little thrown aback by his mood shift as well, gaping for a moment before regaining
her usual sassy composure and glaring at him.

"Ironic hearing you say that of all people." She spat, my eyebrows immediately
furrowing in confusion. It didn't take long to figure out why she'd said the words
when I looked over Troye's shoulder at him to gauge his reaction. He seemed
completely defeated all the sudden, the hostile hint to his mood totally dissipated
as he stood there staring at is feet. Christmas a touchy subject for him or
something? Oh. Maybe that Lily thing happened at Christmas time, that'd explain why
he's such a scrooge.

Overwhelmed with the sudden need to comfort him and an unexpected bout of anger
toward Sage I stepped closer to him again, this time me being the one to stand
behind him as I wrapped my arms around his waist. I wedged my chin up on his
shoulder, pecking him in the cheek in hopes of distracting him from what ever
horrible memories Sage had resurfaced.

"He's a changed man, Sage, given up all his Scroogey ways for me." I explained,
purposely using a sappy tone and relishing in the disgusted face she pulled. I went
back in to kiss his neck when he still didn't outwardly react, giggling when he
shoved me away the second my lips ghosted over his skin.

"Come on." He sighed, turning to grab my hand before tugging me off in the
direction of the kitchen. I happily followed beside him, skipping cheerily and
sighing contently as I was met with the smell of cookies pouring out of the
kitchen. Laurelle was standing by the counter, the finished cookies on a rack on
the table. I went to snatch one, gasping when Troye dragged me in the opposite
direction, walking right over to where his mother stood. I was confused before his
arm shot out, retrieving a balled-up handful of cookie dough.
"Troye Sivan Mellet! You're going to get salmonella!" She screeched, turning to
glare at him as he broke it in half, offering one side to me. I took it, trying to
avoid Laurelle's angry gaze as I sidestepped closer to Troye. I'd never seen her
mad before and wasn't sure just how serious it was, but Troye didn't seem too
phased as he started to shove the dough into his mouth.

"That's an urban legend." He stated, only after he'd finished eating his share.
Laurelle sighed, shaking her head before turning back to the counter. I took that
as a sign she wasn't going to fight me for eating it, immediately bringing my hand
up to eat it.

"You're almost as bad as your father. I swear that man's eaten half a batch worth
of dough so far." She muttered, trying and failing to mask the underlying hints of
admiration in her voice. It was crazy how perfect for each other they were, almost
sickening in the 'too sweet' way. Either way, part of me hoped to have something
like that with Troye one day, even if it wasn't necessarily the most realistic
thing to hope for. "No! No more."

"But Mom! I'm hungry!" I realized then that he'd tried going for more dough while I
was caught up in thoughts of the future and couldn't help but rolll my eyes at how
childish he was being. Laurelle seemed pretty firm on where she stood though,
turning to whip at him with the dishtowel as she shook her head. Troye sighed,
clutching his stomach like he was starving to death as he leaned against the
counter. I knew it was just a lighthearted gesture, but I couldn't help but think
about how much he'd change since I met him. Even just interacting with his family,
he seemed so much more at ease. Of course I'm not saying it's completely thanks to
me, no matter what the cause I'm just glad he's getting to be more comfortable.

"Those gingerbread house sets are still waiting to be assembled, why don't you make
those?" My eyebrows shot up upon hearing her suggestion, remembering the last time
I decorated a gingerbread house. It's been like ten years, holy.

"I really doubt Tyler wants to-"

"Can we!? Can we please?" I begged, grabbing his arm and tugging on it insistently,
slightly panicked that he might turn down her offer without even asking me.
Laurelle giggled at my reaction, quickly turning back to her baking, likely to
cover up how amused she was by me. Troye, however, didn't even try to hide it,
smiling at me in disbelief.

"You really want to?" I nodded eagerly, my hands slipping from their grip by his
elbow down to his hands. I looked down and watched as I wound our fingers together,
knowing he was still watching my face for reactions. He sighed, likely realizing he
wasn't going to get a more elaborate answer than that considering my almost bashful
state. "Fine, go sit at the table."

"Thank-you." I hummed, immediately abandoning his hand and leaving to follow his
order. I sat down in what I'd come to call my seat, leaning on my elbows as I
watched him fetch a box down from the cupboard. These better be the kinds where you
can eat everything, the ones that use actual glue to keep the house together suck.

By the end of it I was certain Troye didn't regret listening to my pleads, both of
us smiling like idiots as we demolished the house we'd just spent nearly twenty
minutes decorating. The cookies were all done now and we were the only ones in the
kitchen aside from the occasional family member walking in to 'get a cookie',
though I wouldn't put it past them to just be checking on us.
"Hey, you got a bit on your nose." Troye giggled, pointing to my face. I crossed my
eyes, trying and failing to see what he was talking about. I rubbed at it with the
back of my hand, knowing the palms were too sticky with candy to achieve anything.

"Did I get it?" I asked cautiously, wondering how stupid I looked. He shook his
head, smiling softly as he lifted a hand slowly.

"Here, I'll help." He whispered, my eyes fluttering shut. I wasn't sure why that
was my immediate reaction, but I was definitely thankful for it when a second later
he was pressing his entire hand over my face. I spluttered, grabbing his wrist and
shoving him away with an annoyed groan.

"Troye! I trusted you!" I complained, bringing my hands up and trying to wipe off
some of the icing he'd coated me in. He was practically choking he was laughing so
hard next to me, my eyes fluttering open before I even got the icing off due to how
eager I was to see him. A stupid grin found my lips as I watched him lean over the
table, clutching his stomach. An idea sparked in my mind seeing how close he was to
the gingerbread house, not even hesitating before I was grabbing the back of his
neck and pushing his face down into the messy remains.

"T-Tyler!" He shouted, immediately coming up for air. He glared at me, looking like
some sort of hideous melting snowman with his entire face coated in white icing. I
grinned contently, happy with myself. He started to reach for more of the
decapitated candy though, my immediate reaction to jump up and run away. However I
only managed to push the chair out before he was chucking it at me. It flew past my
face, hitting the bottom cupboards with a disgusting sploosh and leaving a splatter
mark all over it. His eyes went wide like he realized how badly he messed up, but
he didn't have a chance to fix it before Laurelle walked into the room a moment
later.

Her eyes fell on the cupboards first, confusion etched across every one of her
features. Something must have clicked then, a soft sigh leaving her lips before she
slowly turned to face us. Her jaw dropped, a mixture of annoyance and amusement
battling it out for whichever emotion she felt strongest.

"I swear you two just like making a mess every time you hang-out. Go wash
yourselves up before dinner. You better not have spoiled your appetites." It wasn't
really angry, just exhausted like she was tired of giving us similar lectures. I
grinned apologetically while Troye just rolled his eyes as he got to his feet,
stalking off to stand beside her.

"I don't think you have to worry about Tyler, I'm sure he has room for more." Troye
muttered, reaching around her for a cookie. I scoffed, getting to my feet and
starting to the bathroom without him, trying to feign annoyed by his comment.

I was slightly disappointed when I made it all the way to the sink without him
catching up, pouting slightly as I turned it on and started to wash my hands and
face off. I was just about to reach and turn off the tap when he finally made an
appearance, sliding into the room on his socks.

"Hey! I was here first!" I shouted, squealing in protest as he reached around from
behind me, trying to wash his hands where mine already were. After shouting at him
not to get icing in my hair he moved around to stand beside me. I backed off to dry
my hands then, only returning once I saw he was clear of icing. I hoisted myself up
to sit on the edge of the sink as he patted his face off with the towel, humming
quietly as he did. After he put the towel back on the rack he turned around to face
me, mischief lighting up his features as he started to advance toward me.

"Troye?" I asked cautiously, searching his eyes for any sign of what he was about
to do. I half expect him to push me back into the sink and turn the water on or
something, only realizing his intention when he stopped between my legs, running
his hands up my thighs. I locked eyes with him, matching content smiles finding our
faces at the same time.

"I don't need to ask permission to kiss you again, do I?" He asked, surprising me
again by how confident he managed to sound. His voice was unwavering, determination
showing through each word.

"Well, you just did." I muttered awkwardly, blushing as I averted my eyes from his,
beginning to feel nervous again under their intense gaze. He chuckled before
shrugging his shoulders, looking over at the open door as he spoke his reply.

"Better safe than sorry." I smiled, deciding I had better answer him fully before
the moment passed.

"No, I-" I only managed to get the two words out before I was cut-off, eyes going
wide as he demandingly pressed our lips together. I quickly shut them though, more
than welcome to forget about my initial surprise and just enjoy the embrace while
it lasted. It wasn't like our earlier desperate kiss, his mouth moving slowly and
passionately against mine, taking his time to saturate in the feel of it. I was
amazed by his patience, trying and failing to get him to speed the kiss up as my
legs moved to wrap around him and pull him closer. I let them drop back down to his
sides once he was as close to the counter as he could go, my hands coming up to tug
at the back of his hair in a final bid to get him to kiss me harder.

He smiled against my lips, pulling away just enough to disconnect them. My eyes
fluttered open, pleased to find his darkened blue ones already staring back.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself." He whispered, breathless despite the leisurely pace
of the kiss. I rolled my eyes at his reference to this morning, the smile on my
lips making it very difficult to argue that I was annoyed with him.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" I asked curiously, an idea budding in my mind and
refusing to be put to rest. Of course I'd be asking him to hang-out whether he
decided to go along with my idea or not, knowing I'd much rather spend my night
with him than alone.

"Hmm, it's hard to know with my buzzing socialite status, but depending why you're
asking I may be able to make room for something else." I groaned at his sarcasm,
kicking him in the back of the knee. It wasn't supposed to make his legs give out,
but I couldn't really regret it when he grabbed onto my thighs to keep himself
upright.

"Have you ever been skating before?" I asked as he got his footing back, standing
up and running a hand through his hair as he composed himself.

"No, definitely not." He stated, making his feelings toward the activity clear
before I even asked for them. I sighed loudly, leaning forward to rest my forehead
in the crook of his neck.

"Why? It's fun." I asked, my tone almost whiny in an attempt to convince him. I
could feel his head shaking as it brushed against my hair, my lips turning down
into a pout. "But I want to go with you." Seconds passed in silence after that, his
timid voice surprising me when he spoke up again.

"Like... Like a date?" I grinned into his shirt, glad he'd decided to address it
that way. I knew I wouldn't have the guts to, even if that's exactly what I wanted
it to be.
"I mean, if that's what I have to say to get you to agree." I mumbled, blushing
like mad despite the fact he couldn't even see my face. He sighed loudly, my mood
perking up again as I recognized the trace of defeat in his tone.

"I'm going to break every bone in both of our bodies, fair warning." He explained,
pushing me back so he could lock eyes with me. I couldn't help but smirk, winking
at him as I replied.

"Kinky."

*Timeskip to tomorrow because apparently people need me to tell them these things
and can't just figure it out on their own*

"Come on, you're going to be fine." I assured him for the hundredth time,
tightening my grip around his waist even tighter. He was rolling his ankle
basically every step, but not enough to actually cause any serious damage
considering he had time to brace himself.

Getting Troye out of the car had been a struggle, listening to all of his worries
and last-minute second-thoughts he was having about the activity. Nearing the end
of it I was debating just giving up and suggesting we go see a movie instead.
However, when I started to ask if he wanted to just do something different he shook
his head and practically flew out of the car, insisting that we were going to do
this. I didn't argue with him, but I definitely didn't expect him to follow through
all the way.

When we paid for our time on the ice and the use of the skates he seemed entranced
looking out at the people on the ice, even pointing one in particular out and
asking how they could spin around like that. I just rolled my eyes and muttered the
word 'practice', hoping he didn't expect to be anywhere near that good on his first
try today. Half of me was almost disappointed, thinking I'd get to impress him with
the fact I could skate backwards.

Getting him into the skates had been another extreme feat, taking forever to find a
pair that fit his long and slender feet like they were supposed to. Then he was
totally at a loss for how to do the laces up, meaning I was left to kneel in front
of him and help. It would have been a lot easier had he not insisted he was too old
to sit on the bench, clearly labeled as the 'kiddy korner'. Instead he tried to
stay standing on the skates as I tied them up, gripping my hair every time he
started to lose balance.

After what seemed like forever I managed to finish up with his skates, only taking
about a minute to get mine on afterward. He'd blushed crimson realizing just how
much longer his took, but I decided not to dwell on it. He seemed embarrassed
enough already. Instead I decided to attempt to conquer the task of getting him out
on the ice, which was what I was doing now.

"I can't even walk on concrete! I'm going to kill myself on the ice!" He insisted,
clutching to my torso like he genuinely was fearing for his life. We were still
standing by the single door that led out onto the ice, watching the minutes of our
two hours we had out there tick by. We'd nearly wasted twenty of them already.

"I won't let you." I reminded him yet again, pinching his hip to remind him of the
fact I had my arm securely around him while both of his were clutching to me. If he
managed to fall without me catching him, he'd be falling on top of me. He sighed,
looking up and watching a toddler skate carelessly around in circles, making him
look like a total idiot. "One step at a time."

"Tyler." He practically whimpered, looking up at me with desperation in his eyes. I

groaned, knowing I should have expected this outcome from the start. If he was that
nervous in the car of course he wouldn't just hop out on the ice.

"Let's go to a movie. They're playing Christmas ones right now, it'd be just as-"

"No! You wanted to go skating." He insisted, guilt clouding all of his features. I
shook my head, running my hand over his back in a comforting gesture.

"No, I wanted to go somewhere with you. I can live without getting frostbite and
trampled to death as you fall over me with those long spindly legs if you'll be
happier in the long run." He sighed, biting his lip as if trying to decide. I
watched in amusement as he unlatched his arms, trying to take his first step on his
own. He immediately stumbled, making me glad I hadn't removed my arm. "You look
like a colt trying to walk for the first time. Come on, it's fine, let's go."

"You're sure?"

"Positive." I answered honestly, knowing it'd only make me feel bad if I forced him
out onto the ice and he hated it. He nodded, starting to turn away. However, just
before he did a younger kid pushing around a chair in front of us slid past,
obviously going at a faster pace than she could handle. I cringed as it slid out of
her grasp, watching in horror as she fell down onto her knees. At least she'd
caught herself with her gloved hands though.

I seemed to be more upset than her, watching as she sat back on her knees and a
smile found her face again as she looked around. Her eyes landed on the chair and
she made a move as if she was going to slid toward it on all-fours, before she
seemed to notice us watching her and looked up.

"Mister, can you push my chair back over?" I nodded immediately, practically
forgetting about Troye's state until he tightened his grip on me when I started to
move. I sighed, turning to face him. There was no way I could reach it without
dragging him onto the ice or letting go of him.

"I'll be right back." I said calmly, watching his defeated nod as he snaked his
arms back from my body. I have him one last encouraging smile before hurriedly
skating out over the ice, smiling at how nice it felt after being away from it an
entire year. I grabbed her chair and pushed it back to her easily, earning an
excited thank-you and a wave before she was taking off again at a speed that made
it clear she hadn't learned her lesson the first time.

I chuckled under my breath, still smiling as I turned around. However, my bubbly

expression was quickly replaced with one of panic as I found the space Troye had
occupied a minute ago empty. I started toward it before my eye caught a familiar
black coat, my jaw dropping as I looked over at Troye. He was on the ice clutching
the side of the wall along the side of the rink, practically smushed up against it
with how heavily he was leaning.

"Troye! What are you doing?" I shouted after him, skating over quickly. He was only
about fifteen feet from the entry onto the ice, but I still wanted to cover ground
quickly to make sure he was alright. I reached him seconds after I called out,
skating backward in front of him as he shimmied along against the wall.

"Having a panic attack I think." I remembered what I'd asked immediately, eyes
going wide as I slowed down and moved closer to him. I sat a hand on his chest,
forcing him to stop moving and look up from the ground at me.
"Hey, look at me, you're fine." I whispered, taking his face in both of my hands
and keeping him from looking at anything other than me. He bit his lip, still
breathing erratically. Seconds ticked by and he finally seemed to calm down after
about a minute. He broke away from my hands, turning his head to look out at all
the people skating around us. I think we were both relieved to find no one had
stopped to give us funny looks.

"It's not so bad actually, as long as I don't have to let go of the side. It's
almost fun in the terrifying sort-of way." He muttered, sounding distracted as he
watched the spinny girl from earlier glide over the ice. I glared at her,
unintentionally jealous of her ability to be so attention-grabbing. I wanted
Troye's attention.

"How about you cling to me instead?" I said daringly, surprising myself by how
confident I managed to sound. He quirked his eyebrows, looking over at me again. I
tried to hide how proud I felt to have grabbed his attention back again, failing
and smiling widely despite myself.

"I don't know, you can fall over, the side can't." He said doubtfully, glancing
between the wall and me.

"Well..." I started, about to explain where he was wrong in his logic.

"Don't say it!" He shouted, staring at the wall now as if it was about to give out
any second. I laughed out loud before I could help myself, almost slipping when I
doubled over with the noise. He rolled his eyes, clearly not as amused as I was,
before holding out one of his hands. "Okay, fine, come here. But remember you asked
for it."

"Okay." I managed to get out between dissipating giggles, taking a deep breath
before sliding over and letting him wrap the arm around my shoulders. He leaned all
of his weight on me immediately, but I tried not to outwa

Chapter Sixty
*Troye's POV* (disclaimer: I've never been drunk so if it doesn't seem realistic
fuck you I tried)

I'm not nervous. Why would I be nervous to walk up to Tyler's door and pick him up?
I've done it countless times before for school or hanging-out, this is absolutely
no different. Well, it's a little bit different. I've never been in a tuxedo while
walking up to his door before, and this is the first time I've been here since we,
well, since whatever you call that whole mistletoe mess a couple days ago.

Deciding I'd been sitting in my car way longer than what would be considered normal
I took a deep breath and reached for the handle, refusing to stop like I did last
time. Somehow I actually did manage to get myself out the door and start across his
lawn, only realizing when I was situated on his doorstep ready to knock how well
I'd been doing. That was when I started to freak out again, imagining all the ways
it could go wrong. What if the clocks in my house are all off and I'm an hour
early? What if he misunderstood our plans and thought he was supposed to pick me up
instead? What if-

"Troye!" I breathed out an unexpected sigh of relief when the door flew open to
reveal Jackie, in a comfortable looking pair of pajamas and a housecoat. Well, it's
not like she had any reason to dress up for the occasion. "Well don't just stand
there! Come in!"

"Sorry." I muttered instinctively, shuffling into the house just far enough that
she could close the door behind me. She wrapped an arm around my waist, likely to
guide me into the kitchen.

Aw! Look at his tuxedo! Tyler is going to swoon when he sees him!

If it was even possible I found myself blushing harder, wondering if she was right.
I hadn't really put much thought into the outfit, simply wearing the first thing my
mother pointed out when we went to the shops. Come to think of it, I probably
should have thought about whether he'd like it or not. I hope he does.

"Tyler's still getting ready, leave it to him. It's not like he wears make-up, I
have no idea what takes him so long every day." Jackie laughed, walking over to hop
up on the counter across the room. I just nodded, staring down at the table with
the beginnings of a insistent smile tugging at my lips that refused to be held at
bay. Just thinking of Tyler getting ready was enough to cause it, especially
knowing he was spending all that time getting ready to go to a dance with me.

"He's a bit of a perfectionist." I muttered, my supposed-to-be-annoyed tone coming

out as something incredibly lovable despite myself. I noticed her answering smile,
but she didn't seem to want to call me out on it as she hopped down from her perch,
shaking her head as she walked across the room.

"You're telling me." She laughed, pausing to grip the doorway and lean out into the
hallway, shouting calmly down it. "Ty, hun, are you almost ready?"

"No! My outfit's too black!" He shouted back instantly, the stupid smile returning
when I heard his over-dramatic tone. While I hadn't put any thought into my outfit,
he seemed to be completely over-thinking his.

"I'm sure it's fine." She called back, sounding a bit exasperated with his actions
now. It was clear she'd been trying to convince him of this for a while now, just
in the exhausted way she spoke.

"Look, I look like I just walked out of a funeral, not into the winter formal!" He
replied, my eyes going wide as I registered the fact his voice was closer. I
quickly turned in my chair, grinning eagerly as I watched Jackie react to where he
obviously was in the hallway. Thankfully though, he didn't stop there, continuing
into the kitchen with his face scrunched up in total annoyance. However, the
expression seemed to vanish upon seeing me there, turning to one of shock as he
looked back to his mother. "Why didn't you tell me he was here?!"

"Well, it's five past the time you said he'd be, I assumed you'd just know." She
said, the mischievous sparkle in her eyes completely countering with her innocent
act she was going for. He sighed, turning to study his reflection even further in
the magnetic mirror attached to his fridge. I rolled my eyes at him now, getting to
my feet and walking over to wrap my arms around him from behind. I tried to ignore
the fact his mother was standing a few feet away watching us interact, squeezing
him in a tight hug.

"You look great, I promise. Now can we go? My mother wants approximately a thousand
pictures before she'll let us go free for the night." I explained impatiently, in a
rush to get him to leave. However, I wasn't twisting the truth at all, he really
did look great. Of course, he always did, but you could tell he'd put extra thought
into his appearance tonight, aside from the obvious formal wear.

"Yeah, okay, fine." He sighed in defeat, turning around in my arms to casually

throw his around my neck. I couldn't help but notice the fact this was the position
we'd be in if we ended up slow dancing tonight.
God, he looks so good in a suit.

"Can I get my own picture real quick?" I froze, returning to reality before looking
over at her and nodding shakily. She smiled, grabbing a camera off the top of the
fridge and snapping a few quick photos of our clinging-to-each-other positioning.
She wasn't nearly as bad as my mother, happily settling back after less than a
minute of the unplanned photo-shoot. She leaned against the frame of the door as
she went through the pictures, the corner of her lips twitching as she tried to
fight off an obvious smile.

She looked back up after a few seconds, looking back and forth between us once
before speaking up, her tone gentle but serious. "I can trust you'll behave
yourselves?"

"I will, Mom." Tyler said, moving out of our embrace to give her an innocent smile.
It was insane how out of place it looked on his face. You'd never be able to tell a
thing about him if he wore that angelic smile all the time. I wonder if that's what
he does when he gets in trouble. "-but I can't speak for Troye. He's a bit of a
wild one."

"Tyler." I stated blandly, letting my tone show just how done with his antics I
was. He giggled next to me, clinging himself back onto my side as if in apology. I
decided to go along with it, knowing I was nowhere near annoyed enough to push him
away and deny myself any amount of time I could be spending touching him.

"Alright, get out of here you crazy kids! Have fun!" She laughed, waving us off
before heading back into the living room and falling on the couch. I didn't miss
the glare Tyler shot her when she hovered over some show about models, knowing it
was his subtle way of getting after her about not watching it without him.

I just shook my head, ducking between the small space he left in the doorway and
tugging him after me. I waited patiently as he slipped his shoes on, not even
caring when he gripped my knee like some sort of vice to keep himself upright. He
probably could have broken my leg and it wouldn't have affected my mood in the
slightest tonight. I was too happy.

I led the way outside, gripping his hand tightly in mine and swinging our entwined
limbs between us. He shivered a bit at the cold, subconsciously moving closer to my
side.

The drive to my house was short and silent, both of us likely too busy wrapped up
in our thoughts about one another to really consider a conversation. I was thinking
about everything from how the dance was going to go, to how good he'd look with
blue hair, to which of us was going to be the one to make our relationship
official. That topic had come up in my mind a lot lately actually, thinking about
making it official. It could be argued that we were dating now after the skating
trip, but that doesn't mean we're in a relationship does it? Does it just classify
as seeing each other? I don't know, it's always confused me. I just want to be able
to call him my boyfriend, that's it, seems simple enough.

I decided to put those thoughts on the back-burner once we reached my house, my

attention instead going to the woman with her face literally pressed against the
glass pane of the window. I'm going to kill my mother. I get that she's excited,
but really?

"I swear if she's tries to make me bend over something with you pinning me down I'm
going to snap." I muttered, already embarrassed the more I thought about that photo
in particular. Worse yet, she always hid the itty bitty sd cards so I never got the
chance to get on them and delete photos I wasn't a fan of. She will literally have
a photo of Tyler pinning me against a car hood until the day she dies.

"In a good way or a bad way?" My eyebrows shot up, looking over at Tyler. I was
definitely surprised by the daring statement, considering how quiet and reserved
he'd been before now. Looking over at him and seeing that dark smirk, however, I
was definitely leaning toward snapping in the good way. I wasn't about to say that
though, instead clearing my throat to cover up how husky it had probably gotten,
looking out my window instead of at him as I replied.

"Depends how you feel about murder, I suppose." I said nonchalantly, trying to look
brooding as I studied the darkening sky outside my window. The sun was setting a
lot earlier now, almost completely gone behind the trees at just 7pm.

"Would you rather you got a turn to pin me down this time?" My breath caught at his
seductive tone, eyes squeezing shut in concentration as I attempted to even out my
already ragged breathing. He had way too much of an effect over me to just play
around like that. Once I'd more or less gotten ahold of myself I turned to glare at
him, taking in all of his mischievous features and glaring harder with the addition
of each one. This is what I mean, a total opposite from the angel-like face from
earlier. "I'm just trying to be considerate!"

"Come on." I sighed, deciding not to dwell on his comment. We managed to get out of
the car and about halfway across the lawn before my mother threw the door open and
trudged out onto the porch in her slippers.

"Finally! What took you guys so long? You know what, nevermind, let's just get some
pictures." She shouted eagerly, waving us inside. I gave Tyler a sympathetic look,
one that he clearly understood considering he picked up his pace next to me.

We walked into the house less than a minute later, immediately greeted by a camera
being shoved way too close to our faces to be taking a good photo. We both cringed
as the flash went off. I only realized as they pulled the camera away that it was
Sage holding it, cackling as she looked at the likely-hideous photo of our faces. I
went to snatch it from her hands but that was right when Mom walked in, eyes going
wide when she saw Sage with her camera.

"Sage! Get out of the room! I have photos to take!" She snapped, gently prying the
camera from her hands before turning to us with a wide smile.

"Did you give it to him yet?" She asked, blinking her wide eyes expectantly. I
sighed loudly, knowing she wouldn't forget but not excited about it all the same.

"What?" Tyler asked curiously next to me, looking up with his eyebrows adorably
scrunched together. I held up a single finger to tell him to wait before walking
into the kitchen. It only took a matter of seconds to retrieve the gift from my
refrigerator, but I wasn't sure I was okay with leaving him alone with my mother
for even that long. God knows what she'd say or do to him.

I walked back into the room as quickly as possible while still looking casual,
breathing out a sigh of relief when I didn't find Tyler in any strange positions
upon my return. I started toward him, only being interrupted once when I was
halfway to him.

"I'll get it on camera!" My mother announced, walking around to an angle at our

sides where she could catch basically everything we did. I sighed, blushing as I
brought the stupid container out from behind my back. I was beginning to regret
letting Mom force me into buying the stupid boutonnieres more and more with each
passing second. This is what I get for taking advice from people hell-bent on
embarrassing me.

I watched realization dawn across Tyler's features, entranced by the switch from
total confusion to fascination as he tilted his head to the side, trying to get a
better look at what I had in my hands. A smirk started to envelope his features as
it sunk in what exactly it was, his eyes finally flickering up to mine. There was
an obvious teasing light to them, but there was something else there too, something
he was obviously very set on covering up with the teasing.

"She forced me to buy them, don't give me that look." I muttered, deciding it'd be
best not to comment on the hint of emotion he was trying to mask. I'd let it slip,
for now. If he made a big deal over it though I'd definitely be bringing it up.

I took a step toward him, taking a deep breath as I got ready to inevitably mess
this step up. It was one thing not stabbing myself when I put my matching one on,
how was I supposed to put it on him without driving the pin into his chest? It's
like they were just plotting to make people look like idiots in front of their
dates when they invented them.

Somehow, after what was probably an uncomfortable amount of time for everyone
involved, I managed to get the stupid thing on. I expected Tyler to tease me,
pleasantly relieved when I looked up to find him smiling back, a big genuine one. I
got momentarily lost in his eyes, forgetting we weren't the only ones in the room
as I saturated in all the emotions I found pooling in them.

"Now kiss!" I blinked, turning to glare at my mother as I remembered her presence.

I felt like strangling her as I watched her squat and bend in all kinds of weird
positions for camera angles that couldn't possibly look that good.

"I'm not kissing him on camera." I stated sternly, crossing my arms over my chest
in finality. I was not going to change my mind on this one. It was mostly out of
spite toward her rather than not actually being okay with kissing him, but she
didn't have to know that.

"Why not? It'd make for such a cute picture!" She sighed dramatically, looking at
me with a hopeful light in her eyes. I shook my head, glaring at her once it came
to a stop. I wasn't expecting her gaze to shift to my right though, her lips
curling up into a smile as it fell on Tyler. "Tyler? Convince him?"

"I'll see what I can do." He said dramatically, like it was some kind of crazy last
resort. I rolled my eyes, getting ready to see what kind of idiotism he'd sport in
an attempt to get me to change my mind. First he grabbed my jaw, forcing me to turn
my head and lock eyes with him. Immediately I regretted even letting him get that
far, feeling my restraint instantly slipping as he batted his eyelashes up at me.
His hand slid from my jaw to my shoulder, squeezing lightly before slipping lower
over my chest. I wasn't sure where it would have ended up had I not grabbed it
then, deciding I'd better not let my mind wander to the possibilities. I had more
important things to focus on right now, like finding a way to accept my defeat
without looking totally whipped.

"I hate you." I snapped, groaning when my voice wavered as his hand brushed over my
clothed nipple, knowing it was on-purpose as his eyes flickered away. Thankfully my
mother seemed oblivious, just looking through the photos she'd already taken.

"You don't sound very convincing when you say that, you know." He giggled, making
me blush because I knew his words were true. I didn't sound the least bit
convincing. He must have noticed my flustered state, urging a further confession
out of me. "Are you sure you're not looking for another word? Maybe one that starts
with 'L'?"

"Loathe?" I asked, even that suggestion not sounding nearly as hateful as I wanted
to. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't even pretend my emotions for Tyler were
anything other than love. It was both infuriating and invigorating.

"You're going to admit it one of these days." He muttered, his voice holding a
challenge that made it clear he intended on seeing his words through. My stubborn
side wanted to fight his words, but at the same time I knew they were dead true. It
was only a matter of time before I told him how I really felt.

"Maybe." I answered, keeping my response vague. His face still lit up however, a
blush spreading over his cheeks as he looked up at me through his eyelashes. I was
then met with an internal debate I didn't want to be having, torn between following
through with my decision or kissing him. Every part of his body language was
practically begging me to, his lips even pouted out just enough to be noticeable.
He reached forward, absentmindedly playing with my fingers before pulling my hand
toward him and sitting it on his hip. It wasn't a completely forward movement,
especially not considering he refused to make eye contact with me at all after
doing it, but it was still enough to break the final strings of my resolve.

I reached up to cup his jaw, relishing in the way his eyes attentively flickered
back to mine. I could see the relief on his features like he seriously thought I
could reject a kiss from him. I tilted my head to the side, watching his eyes
flutter shut and listening to the nervous shaky breath he gave. I smirked, glad to
have him the one obedient in my hands again. I loved his teasing and loud-mouth
personality, but there was something about being able to take it all away from him
that gave me a total high.

I leaned in slowly, watching his bottom lip quiver in anticipation. I stopped when
our lips were just barely separated, purposely letting my minty breath wash over
him. I could see his hands balled into tight fists at his sides, proud of all the
restraint he was having to show just because of me. I tightened my grip where my
hand had settled on his hip, slightly irked by how thick his tuxedo jacket was,
keeping him from really feeling the way I dug my nails in. I didn't dwell on it,
easily moving past it when he made a small noise in the back of his throat that
loosely resembled a whimper. Deciding I'd left him waiting for long enough I licked
my lips quickly before closing the small amount of distance between mine and his. I
didn't kiss him deeply, remembering how teasing he'd been yesterday at the ice
rink. Instead I refused to deepen it even when he ran his tongue over my bottom lip
quick and needily, enjoying the desperation of his movements as the seconds ticked
by. His hands fumbled up my chest, tugging on my jacket insistently until settling
on my shoulders, pulling my body closer to his. Just as the length of my body
collided with his, I broke it off, smiling contently when he was left pouting and
silently asking for more rather than me.

I didn't grant his wish though, instead turning to my mother and shooting her a
glare when I saw the ecstatic squeal just waiting to tumble past her lips. She
sighed but nodded, looking at the pictures she probably took just now.

"Good enough?" I asked, my voice gruff. It was more to do with wanting to get out
of here than the kiss, but that's not how she took it, a knowing smile splaying on
her lips.

"I guess."

"Good." I answered simply, planning on turning and marching out of the room. That
was before I caught her eyes though, just before they darted away to stare at the
ground. I sighed heavily, looking to Tyler and gesturing for him to head for the
door. He nodded, clearly not entirely understanding what was going on but going
along with it. He turned and walked into the entryway, leaving me alone with her.

I took a step closer, almost tentative as I reached out and unsteadily wrapped my
arms around her in a hug. She tensed at first, clearly not expecting the embrace,
but she relaxed a moment later, wrapping her arms around my thin frame and
sniffling slightly in my ear. "Are you seriously going to cry? I know you had low
hopes of me meeting someone but God."

"Sorry, I'm just emotional. Go on, don't leave him waiting." She chuckled, pulling
back and wiping at her eyes before any real tears escaped. I bit my lip, finding
myself unnecessarily emotional in the moment. It was just weird to think about, how
cold and distant I always acted toward her. What had always felt like teasing and
annoying me back then had just been their way of showing concern. It killed me to
know I'd treated them so badly when all they wanted to do was care about me.

"I love you, Mom." I whispered, surprising myself when even that came out nervous
sounding. I didn't regret it though, especially not when she looked back up at me
with the hugest smile I'd seen in years.

"I thought you didn't want me to cry! Get out of here!" She laughed, tears now
escaping both of her eyes and running down either cheek. She swiped at them before
swatting me away, clearly noticing the concern in my eyes. She sternly pointed to
the doorway then, not giving me any room to argue with her considering she was
rushing into the kitchen right afterward.

Sighing, I decided I had better go after Tyler. The dance started five minutes ago
now, we'd be really late if we didn't head out soon. I found him sitting in the
entryway on his phone, leaning against the door and clearly waiting for me. I
walked over and snatched the phone out of his hand when he didn't even look up to
greet me, slipping it into my pocket.

"Shall we?" I asked, holding out my arm. He eagerly weaved both of his around it,
letting me lead him outside and immediately toward the car. I didn't want us to
freeze to death before we even got there.

I only started to re-think my decision to go a little bit when we pulled into the
school parking lot and I was stuck trying to find a place for nearly five minutes.
It wasn't the task itself that made me re-think, rather the fact the task was
necessary at all. There are a lot of people here, huh?

As it was we ended up with a spot about ten away from the entrance to the building,
the walk there brisk but utterly unbearably cold. Who thought it was a good idea to
schedule the dance in the middle of some of the coldest temperatures we had around
here? I guess it wasn't so bad though, it did mean Tyler was contently nuzzled into
my side as I walked into the building rather than bothering to put any space
between our bodies.

He surprised me when he still didn't let go even after we were in the building, but
I just let him stay as I walked up to the table in charge of managing everyone
arriving's tickets. He took my money when I paid for both of us despite Tyler
insisting he'd pay for it. He mentioned something about having extra money left
over after he pre-ordered his class ring, but I wasn't really paying attention. I
was determined to pay for him and really treat him tonight, thanking him for all
he's done for me in my own little way.

"I could have paid." He insisted again as we walked away, clutching my arm almost
angrily as we paused in front of the doors leading into the gym. It was where the
main part of the dance was set up, the other sections of the school not closed off
but sporting 'do not enter' signs. Did they really think that'd be all it took to
keep some of their more rowdy students out? Whatever, I wasn't about to go give the
faculty advice. I was here to spend time with Tyler.

I began to get a bit nervous again now that we'd been stopped in front of the doors
for a few seconds too long. Even from here the music seemed horribly loud, the
people the only thing coming close to as loud as it as they shrieked and hollered,
and the way the windows were covered in decorations and keeping me from making an
accurate assumption of how full the room was did not help.

"Okay?" Tyler asked, looking up at me curiously. I immediately nodded my hand,

determination coursing through my veins as I nodded my head. I shoved the door open
then, leading him inside as he continued to cling to my side like some sort of
animal.

It wasn't quite as scary once I could take in the room, realizing the majority of
people were still sitting at tables around the outskirts of the room. Better yet,
every clique seemed to have their own, my eyes spotting a familiar head of ombre
hair in the back of the room. I squeezed Tyler closer to me as I marched toward it,
trying to shake the feeling that everyone in the room was watching us. Obviously
they weren't, I just couldn't help but feel like they were. Sitting there, judging
us in silence. It was almost as bad as having them judge me to the face.

When we reached the table Marcus and Shane were the ones to point us out, knowing
everyone else couldn't see us with their backs turned in the opposite direction.
Zoe's eyes looked like they were going to bulge out of her head when she turned it
and saw me standing right next to her chair.

"Troye! Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" She squealed, bouncing in her seat
excitedly before looking around the table to see if anyone else would share on her
moment of excitement. Alfie waved at me with a huge smile, but I had a feeling that
was more for her sake than mine.

"I wanted to surprised you." I laughed, hoping that sounded a little bit
convincing. It wasn't true obviously, I could care less if I surprised them or not.
In reality I just didn't want to tell everyone I was coming until I actually made
it, worried I'd back out and make myself look like an idiot to more than one
person. At least I knew Tyler would never judge me for it.

"Well, don't do it again!" She snapped, placing her hands on her hips as she stood
to be at a similar height with me. She glared me down for a few seconds before her
eyes flickered from my chest to Tyler's, a new kind of light finding her eyes as
she pointed back and forth to the matching accessories on our jackets. "Are you
guys... Are you guys here together?"

"Why?" Tyler asked, his voice sly and cunning, clearly trying to get her to admit
to something or purposely trying to provoke one of her frequent fangirl attacks. I
watched her hands start to shake slightly, eyes wide as I immediately jumped to
cover our tracks before things got too weird again.

"Just as friends, of course." I stated, watching Tyler's face fall slightly next to
me. Shit. He doesn't think I'm serious does he? I'm not sure exactly what we are,
but I do know that it's more than friends. Friends don't make-out and friends
definitely don't hint at having sex with each other as much as we do.

"Oh." Zoe replied meekly, her mood completely deflated over the simple comment. I
rolled my eyes, deciding to make sure Tyler understood me before he got the wrong
idea completely worn into his mind. I let my hand settle on his lower back,
drifting ever so slowly lower and pinching his butt. He let out a loud yelp that I
was certain would give us away, but Zoe seemed too disappointed to even do
detective work right now. Tyler giggled, settling in the seat beside her and
offering some type of encouraging words. I didn't bother to listen in, instead
looking around the room slightly confused by the fact they were sitting at all.

"Aren't we gonna dance?" I asked cautiously, knowing immediately after I said it

that it was a stupid question just by the looks on their faces.

"No, Troye, not until other people get up to dance." Zoe laughed, pointing to the
seat beside Tyler. He smiled up at me cheerily and of course I wasn't about to turn
it down, falling onto the comfortable food bench while keeping a distant amount of
space between us. We'd tell our friends we were together sooner or later,
preferably once I know for sure exactly what our relationship title is. That could
be helpful.

Time passed surprisingly quickly considering we were just sitting in the corner of
a barely-lit room talking about nothing in particular over the blare of music. I
wasn't usually the one doing the one talking, instead content to listen to Tyler
and Zoe duel over whatever they had to argue about now. From the snippets of the
conversation I caught they were fighting over which celebrity had a better voice,
Whitney Housten or Mariah Carey. I decided then that I definitely didn't want to be
part of the debate, knowing I wasn't ready to get into something as opinionated and
debated as that.

After a while of contently listening to them I noticed the dancefloor had slowly
started to fill. It wasn't just one or two people that didn't understand the
concept of not being the first to dance either, it was almost half the people in
the room. It bothered me a bit that I hadn't even registered them all getting up,
but I guess the music was pretty loud and as always, Tyler was pretty distracting.

When they all got up to dance a few minutes after my observation Tyler was the one
to stick behind and make sure I wanted to join them. He was so good about it too,
making sure no one could overhear as he comfortingly stroked up and down my back.
Of course I told him I wanted to despite not being entirely sure that was the case.
It was clear he wanted to and I was fairly certain I could endure anything if it
made him happy.

He definitely seemed happy when I said yes, grabbing my hand and hauling me into
the center of the room before I could even protest. Not that I would have, I agreed
to go along with whatever he pushed me into tonight. Tonight was about him.

I quickly decided I wasn't into dancing, cringing every time someone brushed up
against me even a little bit aside from Tyler. I got my fair share of unwanted
thoughts as well, varying from some filthy things people planned to do at after
parties to other people worrying and being self-conscious just like myself. It
shocked me how many people hated their dancing when they seemed so confident in it
outwardly.

Tyler didn't seem to mind my clinginess, thankfully. He danced along right next to
me, letting me stay in the center of our group of friends after he noticed how
uncomfortable I was getting around everyone else. Of course it didn't completely
comfort me, still surrounded by walls and walls of people, but it helped. I made my
best effort not to brush up against any of them, Tyler in particular. Not because I
didn't want his thoughts, more because he had this dance style where he literally
just rocked his hips back and forth, meaning I didn't really want to stumble right
into that movement. It would lead to some pretty awkward follow-up.
I was beginning to half enjoy it after a while, everyone else's party vibes around
me slowly beginning to rub off on me. However, just when I was starting to really
have fun and dance right along with the others, a sudden slow song came on and
completely killed the vibe. I watched a huge chunk of the people on the floor
dissipate, walking back to their tables with their heads hung low. I was still
confused why, assuming they just didn't know how to dance to a slower song or
something. But when all of my friends started to walk off as well I started to
follow them, stopping in my tracks when a hand grabbed my wrist. I was quickly
relieved to find it was Tyler, only for the confusion to sink back in a moment
later when I realized I still had no idea what was going on.

"Where are you going?"

"With them?" I asked tentatively, looking around the dancefloor at the remaining
people. It was only about half of the turn of my head later that I realized they
were all couples. All straight couples, mind you, but couples nonetheless. Oh. The
slow dances are strictly for couples, I get it. So wait, why's Tyler- Oh.

"You don't want to dance with me?" He asked quietly, showing off his elusive shy
streak as he stared at the small space of floor between our feet. I bit my lip,
running my hand through my hair as I looked back around the room. Even Marcus and
Shane hadn't stayed on the dancefloor. Then again, they'd said before they were
nervous about having their relationship out in the open. Then there was Zoe and
Alfie, who still refused to address what they had as a relationship, meaning I
doubt they'd show it off to the whole gym full of people.

"No, I do, I just wasn't sure you wanted to, you know..." I trailed off, unsure of
how to word it. He didn't cut me any slack though, just continuing to look up at me
through the thick frames of his glasses. I sighed, realizing I was going to have to
elaborate. "Well, it's basically coming out to the school to slow dance with me, is
it not?"

"So?" He asked quietly, sounding almost defensive in the way he spat the word. I
shrugged my shoulders in response, deciding I didn't really have a good answer. I
just wanted to be sure he knew what he was getting himself into before he did it.
"So you'll dance with me then?"

"Yeah." I answered without a moment's hesitation, overwhelmed with the need to

comfort him when I saw how unsure and nervous he seemed over the whole situation.
Whether it was over my possible rejection or people's reactions I didn't know, but
I did want him to be comfortable.

I shuffled closer to him, letting my hands drop to his hips as he brought his arms
up around my neck. He stepped closer, closing the small bit of distance that had
been left between us. The way our bodies were pressed together wasn't really sexual
though, it had more to do with just wanting to be close to each other.

We swayed back and forth tamely just like everyone else around us, surprisingly not
getting that many weird glances or looks. I guess it was possible they all
suspected we were together already. I was just glad no one was making a big deal
over it. I wasn't sure if I'd care, but Tyler might. I didn't want to think of him
as that vain, but popularity status had always been a big deal to him in the past.

The first slow song ended and we started to untangle our limbs, only to freeze when
a second started to play. I blushed, biting my lip and trying to hide how sweaty my
palms had gotten somehow during the first song.

"Do you want to-"

"Yeah. It's Ed Sheeran." I said, cutting him off in my momentary whir of
excitement. I couldn't help it, it was one of my favorite songs. I'd even covered
it a couple times for fun.

"Oh, well, we definitely have to dance to that then." He laughed, subtly teasing me
over how eager I'd acted over it. I didn't take it personally though, just rolling
my eyes before pulling him closer again. He let his head fall to rest in the crook
of my neck this time, nuzzling the side of his face into my chest. Only one arm
stayed wrapped around my neck now, the other drifting to my shoulder and sometimes
traveling to my chest, still not really sexual in the movements as much as just
lazy and loving.

I backed away from him slightly as the second chorus started to play, his head
immediately lifting to see what was wrong. His eyes were wide and he looked almost
panicked as if he thought he'd done something wrong, my hand quickly moving to cup
his cheek and assure him everything was okay. Our gazes locked and I studied his
closely, looking to see if he was on the same page as I was. When I found no clues
I decided to just ask him.

"Hey, can I-"

"Troye. You don't have to ask for permission, just kiss me." He laughed, his words
coming out breathless and making me wonder if I might have been the cause behind
it. All I'd really done was lock eyes with him, but the prolonged stare had felt
sort of emotional.

"Alright." I laughed, watching the frustration flicker across his features as his
patience drew short.

"Okay." He replied, his tone almost snappy. I had intended to kiss him right after
saying 'alright' but seeing him get impatient like this was almost as fun. I could
tease him for a bit longer, right?

"Gre-" I didn't get to finish my word before he finally snapped, standing on the
tips of his feet and crashed our mouths together. I couldn't help but giggle a bit
at his forwardness, only angering him more as he swatted playfully at the back of
my head. Deciding to give him what he wanted I gripped his shoulders and let him
sink back down flat on his feet, instead leaning down to reach him as I nudged his
lips apart with my tongue. He met it with his tongue immediately, teasingly keeping
his touch light rather than the demanding kiss we were obviously both begging for
at this point. I gripped his hips tighter, letting one hand wander to his front and
slip into his jacket. He gasped upon feeling my hand through the thinner fabric,
finding my way back to his hip and really digging my nails in now. He seemed to
understand I meant business then, kissing me back with the same feverosity I was
putting into it.

I decided not to let it drag on for too long, knowing there was more chance of the
wrong people seeing us or the song ending and us awkwardly being left frenching on
the dancefloor surrounded by our friends again. I pulled away slowly, not going far
before immediately resting our foreheads together. His eyes fluttered open to meet
with mine again, now much darker with his pupils blown-out.

"Just friends??" We both practically jumped away from each other at the sudden bark
of anger, looking over at Zoe in utter terror. It may have seemed dramatic but if
there's one thing I've learnt it's not to underestimate Zoe. However, she surprised
me by just breaking into a smile and shaking her head. "Don't lie to me again you
little shits."

"Sorry." I muttered, blushing as she looked back and forth between us, a squeal
obviously on the edge of escaping. It never got too though, an even more
intimidating voice calling out from behind me.

"I knew it!" I felt like sinking in on myself, my good mood vanishing as soon as
Caspar pushed through a couple of people and came to stand between us, pointing at
Tyler. "I knew you were a fag."

"Do you want a medal or something?" Tyler scoffed sarcastically, expertly

sidestepping around him and back to my side. I didn't move to cling to him like I
wanted to though, debating if that would only make things worse for us.

"The sad thing is I have no idea who the girl of the relationship is, because
you're both a couple of pussies." He spat, glaring at the both of us. He laughed at
his own 'joke' then, clutching his stomach like he was going to fall to the ground
from laughter or something.

"I'm not getting kicked out because you decided to act like an idiot. If you want
to finish this, let's take it somewhere else." My eyes went wide at Tyler's sudden
statement, not expecting him to pull something like that. What if he gets hurt?
What if he gets in trouble?

"Tyler-"

"No, I'm sick of his shit. You'll be fine for a minute or two, just stick close to
Zoe." He answered, turning to face me with a stern expression. Realizing there was
definitely no way to convince him I cast a nervous glance in Caspar's direction
before leaning in and pecking my lips to Tyler's cheek, squeezing his hand so
tightly I had to wonder if I was supporting him or myself.

"Be careful." I whispered in his ear, taking a step back to stand beside Zoe. She
tried to put an arm around my shoulders to comfort me but I found myself
immediately jumping away, apologizing quietly.

"Cute. Are you done?" Caspar snapped, clearly referencing Tyler and I's sappy
goodbye. Tyler just rolled his eyes, looking back at me with a sympathetic
expression and mouthing the words 'be right back' before letting the scum lead him
out of the crowd.

"Come on, let's go sit down." Zoe whispered, leading me in the opposite direction.
I noticed she made no effort to touch me again, eternally thankful for it as we
walked out of the crowd and toward our table. She turned to look at me just before
we reached it, concern clouding her features.

"You're going to gnaw your lip off, Troye. Go get a drink or something, distract
yourself." I hadn't even realized I'd been biting my lip, gasping at the taste of
blood. I nodded in understanding before heading toward the refreshment table I'd
spotted earlier. I immediately went for the punch, knowing it'd wash down the
horrid taste quickest.

I chugged a few of the red solo cups full, savoring t

Chapter Sixty-One
*Tyler's POV*

*Here's the thing, things get a little smutty further in this chapter but it's hard
to pinpoint where exactly. Like, their grinding is pretty descriptive but I don't
consider it smutty. I'll put the warning right before the under the clothes stuff
happens. Sorry if anything makes you uncomfortable in advance*
I clutched to his jacket tighter as he started to pull away from the kiss, knowing
it was in our best interests to end it but still not quite ready to give the moment
up. He was unrelenting though, just continuing to pull back until I would have had
to stand on my tippy-toes and possibly even jump to keep our lips together. Sighing
inaudibly, I sunk back away from him, pouting slightly. However, it was quickly
replaced with a smile when I felt him leaning in again. I was only a little bit
disappointed when he didn't kiss me again, instead just resting our foreheads
together and taking a shaky breath.

I let my eyes open slowly, flinching slightly as the strobe light went off shining
right into my eyes. I was half-tempted to close them again, immediately changing my
mind when they took in the person directly in front of me rather than the lighting
situation. He looked deliciously disheveled, hair slightly tousled from it's
originally picture-perfect hold and his lips swollen and red from the ferocity of
the kiss.

I was beginning to wonder if he'd really be against the thought of kissing again,
debating if I could get away with closing the distance between us once more. How
did he expect me to keep my hands off of him when he looked like that?

"Just friends??" Troye and I both jumped away from each other at Zoe's sudden
shout, my plans to kiss him again shattered. I looked over at her in a mix of fear
for her reaction and anger over the interruption. She surprised me when she simply
smiled though, looking back and forth between us with an ecstatic light in her
eyes. "Don't lie to me again you little shits."

"Sorry." Troye said quietly, a smile threatening to find my features as well when I
looked over and saw how shy he looked. It didn't get the chance to bloom though,
fading completely when a familiar voice rang out over the sound of the music.

"I knew it!" I rolled my eyes as Caspar's voice grew louder as he walked closer. He
walked out of the crowd a moment later, stomping right into the small space between
Troye and I. He lifted his hand slowly, an evil smile on his lips like he'd just
cheated to win the lottery, and pointed straight at me. "I knew you were a fag."

"Do you want a medal or something?" I said sarcastically, letting my uninterested

stare show him just how little I cared about the interaction. I could care less
what he called me at this point. It's not like his opinion mattered any.

"The sad thing is I have no idea who the girl of the relationship is, because
you're both a couple of pussies." He spat, laughing obnoxiously at his words like
they were actually amusing. What he'd said was so stupid and uneducated it should
have been impossible to even be offended by it. I should have been able to just
laugh it off, and while part of me wanted to, the other half wouldn't hear of it.
It wasn't just a pathetic joke anymore. I was tired of him interrupting my life and
I was tired of him hurting Troye. Sure, maybe Troye realized how stupid his words
were and didn't care about them in particular, but there was no denying the fact
Caspar intimidated him. Even just how he refused to kiss me any longer on the
dancefloor. It was clear it had nothing to with not wanting to kiss me, it was
because of other people. People like Caspar. And I was tired of them, all of them.

"I'm not getting kicked out because you decided to act like an idiot. If you want
to finish this, let's take it somewhere else." I spat, squaring my shoulders as I
tried to stand taller. Even like this I was still noticeably shorter than Caspar,
but I didn't care. I wasn't intimidated by him, just annoyed, and I was done
putting up with him. His eyes held a challenging glint, clearly surprised and
enthralled by my sudden confidence boost.

"Tyler-" I expected Troye to try and get me to back down, which meant I'd also
planned exactly what to say as I turned and gave him a sharp look.

"No, I'm sick of his shit. You'll be fine for a minute or two, just stick close to
Zoe." I assured him, not entirely happy about the idea of leaving him with her
either. It's not that I had anything against her or didn't trust her as a person, I
just didn't trust anyone with Troye. Even if they cared about him, no one cared
about him as much as I did. Nobody knew just how much he was worth better than I
did.

He sighed quietly, clearly no happier than me over the predicament. He didn't argue
though, just nodding before taking a step toward me and quickly darting to peck his
lips against my cheek.

"Be careful." He whispered, his lips brushing against my earlobe as he spoke,

probably unintentionally. He took a step back, looking even more torn up as he
followed it up with a few more steps, stopping once he was beside Zoe.

"Cute. Are you done?" The self-control it took not to turn around and punch Caspar
right then and there was unreal, anger coursing through each and every one of my
veins as I clenched my hands into fists at my sides. I couldn't just leave Troye
like that, noticing his forlorn expression and the way he flinched away from Zoe's
attempt at comforting him. I quickly mouthed the words 'be right back' in an
attempt to calm him even a little bit, turning and hurrying after Caspar. I wanted
to get this over with quickly. I didn't want to waste my time that I could be
spending with my date, the reason I actually came here tonight.

We walked out of the gym together, surprisingly not followed by the rest of his
gang of friends. I guess they had girls to grind on or refreshments to pig out on.
I didn't really mind the loss, knowing they were the type to team up against me
unfairly if this did end up in a physical fight.

We were met with a strange look from the boy running the table greeting and seeing
people off, one that I only understood after we traveled further down the hall.
There were couples littered all throughout the darkened hall, I guess doing all the
things they didn't think the teacher chaperones in the gym would be okay with
there. None of the positions or acts were really too sexual, but the unnecessary
groping and tongues all over each other's necks was still enough to make me feel a
bit uncomfortable. How could they do that so unabashedly and not care about all the
people around them?

Caspar seemed completely unphased by it, just marching into the men's washroom and
letting it close behind him. I knew I was supposed to follow, blushing slightly
when people tried to give me knowing looks as I followed after him. That was
totally not the sort of thing I wanted people spreading rumors about. Then again,
it'd really piss Caspar off, so it couldn't really be all that bad, could it?

I slipped through the door as discreetly as I could managed, only managing to click
it into place behind me before Caspar was grabbing a fistful of my shirt and
shoving me back against the same door I'd just walked through. He drew his arm back
before surging it forward and punching me in the face just below where my glasses
sat, a gasp leaving my lips as I instantly knew a black-eye would be forming. I
struggled against his hold, knowing I couldn't break it with my actual strength.
So, instead, I pulled the cheapest move in the book and drove my knee upward into
his crotch. He gasped and buckled over immediately, with the help of me pushing him
down to the floor.

"I'm sick and tired of your crap, Caspar. What is your problem?" I snapped, kicking
him distractedly. It wasn't hard enough to even bruise really, I just needed to
take my anger out somehow before it bottled up and I actually did hurt him.

"Clearly you're the one with a problem, what with the way you-"

"Kiss boys? Why do you care? How does it affect you in any way at all?" I shouted,
anger coursing through all of my veins as I walked around him in circles, kicking
him each time he looked like he was going to get back up. It wasn't fair fighting,
but he was a lot bigger than me, I had to do what I had to do.

"It doesn't, but I don't really want to see it everywhere I go-"

"Do you see me complaining about seeing straight couples?" I snapped, glaring down
at him angrily. His eyes went wide, as if he'd genuinely never thought of it that
way. "Do you see how stupid you are?" I asked, my voice coming out so loud it was
almost a scream. I sighed, letting it drift off into a quieter almost-whisper,
sounding completely drained. "I just want to be able to love who I love without
having to fight. Why can't you let me?"

"I don't actually care, you know." He mumbled, my eyes going wide as I stared down
at him incredulously. Is he kidding? Imagine if he's gay too, that'd be such a
coincidence. Our entire group of homophobic friends were actually gay. "I'm not
saying I support it or anything, but I'm not against it."

"Then why?"

"Everyone I've grown up around always had such passionate views on the topic, I
figured I'd be shunned if I just said I 'didn't care'. Or worse yet, they'd think I
actually was gay." He explained, eyeing me cautiously as he sat up to a sitting
position, making sure I wouldn't kick him back down. He slid over a bit to lean
against the wall before looking back up, our eyes locking. I sighed, deciding to
put my pride on hold and gave him a sympathetic smile, reaching a hand out to help
him out. He immediately swatted it away though, shaking his head at me. "Screw off,
I'm not trying to have a moment with you. I don't want to be friends and I could
care less about who you're dating and who you're not."

"Then why do you keep coming after me?"

"I'm finally more popular than you, I figured it'd help keep it that way if I made
a big deal about hating you and having the same opinions as everyone else." Is that
really all it is? To hold up his popularity? Wow, he's even more vain than I
thought. However, it felt a lot less stressful knowing he didn't actually hate me
for who I was.

"Actually, to be perfectly honest, I don't think there are very many homophobic
students here. I think they just claim they are to be accepted, just like you."

"What are you saying?" He asked curiously, looking up at me with quirked eyebrows.
It was obvious he had some sort of suspicion about what I was saying and just
wanted me to elaborate, but I didn't have a problem with it, especially if it meant
putting an end to all the drama.

"That maybe you're wasting your time by trying so hard to fit in." I said gently,
not wanting to anger him. He tilted his head to the side as if considering it. "I'm
not coming for your social status, Caspar, I never wanted it to begin with. It was
more stress than it was worth. I just want to walk the halls as myself and be
accepted, or even just be ignored, I don't care, but I'm tired of being ridiculed
for who I am."
"So, if I leave you alone-"

"I'll leave you alone." I cut him off, nodding my head in confirmation. He seemed
to think about this for a couple seconds too, running a hand through his hair.

"I can't stop my friends from doing what they want."

"I'm not asking you too, just stop encouraging it." I stated, watching him nod in
understanding. "So do we have a deal?"

"...Deal."

I was oddly content with the way things had panned out with Caspar. I guess because
I didn't end up getting my face obliterated, but maybe the almost happy turn of
events for both parties involved had been exactly what I was hoping for. As much as
I couldn't stand the guy, I'd never wish bad things on him.

I had a cheerful smile on my face as I walked back into the gym, looking around for
a second before immediately starting toward our table. I was confused to find Zoe
and Troye both absent from it, lifting an eyebrow in question at Marcus.

"Dancefloor." He said cryptically, refusing to elaborate when I gave him another

questioning look. I decided I'd just have to find out for myself, turning and
starting toward the bulk of the crowd. I tried to make sense of the situation but I
only grew more confused with the more thought I put into it. Why is Troye dancing?
He wouldn't even let Zoe touch him when I'd left. Even more confusing, was the song
they were dancing to. It was not a lighthearted party song, if the grinding bodies
surrounding me didn't say that clear enough. So what were they doing? Jokingly
dancing like idiots in the middle of a bunch of horny teenagers?

After the song was about halfway through I heard a familiar laugh, furrowing my
brows as I turned back in the direction I'd came from. That definitely sounded like
Troye, why hadn't I noticed him earlier- My eyes fell on them from the front now, a
gasp spilling past my lips at the sight of Troye rolling his hips against Zoe from
behind. That was confusing in itself, but the fact I found it hot was only more
worrisome.

"Troye? Zoe?" I called out almost tentatively, not entirely sure I wanted to
interrupt. There was something entrancing about seeing Troye like that, his
forehead resting on her shoulder and his hands gripping her shirt so tightly. He
was really putting all of his attention into what he was doing.

However, that seemed to snap immediately upon hearing my voice. He whipped his head
up, lips turning up into a giddy smile I'd never seen on his face before. He
stepped away from Zoe immediately, stumbling a bit at the speed of the movement
before throwing himself toward me. I took a quick step forward when I realized his
depth perception had been a bit off, starting to fall forward an entire step before
he would have came close to wrapping his arms around me like he seemed to intend on
doing. However, I prevented the problem before it could happen by stepping toward
him.

"Tilly!" He squealed in greeting, jumping up and down for a second before seemingly
getting a grip over his excitement. He leaned forward and nuzzled his face into my
chest as his arms wrapped around my neck, holding me as close to him as possible. I
was having trouble breathing he was squeezing me so tightly, about to tell him to
back off a bit before he was suddenly moving, feet kicking at my legs as he
childishly tried to scramble up my body. I knew something was off before, but now I
realized just how serious it was. He'd absolutely never do something like this,
make an idiot of himself in public while so many people were watching. Worse yet,
he seemed oblivious to the fact he was even doing it, only caring about making sure
he got his comfortable spot clinging against me.

Eventually I decided to just help him, realizing he wasn't going to give up on his
own. He'd been trying to climb up for almost a minute now, seemingly oblivious to
how much time was passing. Now that I was looking for it I could definitely smell
the alcohol on his breath as he came to rest on one of my hips. It was an
incredibly awkward position, considering he was way taller than me and insisted on
immediately nuzzling his face into me neck despite the awkward craning of his neck
he had to do to achieve it. "I was so worried about you."

"Yeah?" I urged, voice coming out basically inaudible with how loud the music was
in the background. I had a suspicion the only reason I heard his was because his
mouth was so close to my ear. Speaking of which, the words had sent a gust of hot
breath over my neck as he spoke them, one that he was seemingly now trying to
imitate but with more power. I clenched my jaw uncomfortably tight in an effort not
to react. Of course I failed, his lips brushing over the sensitive skin just under
my ear as he clumsily tried to breath all over me. I jumped, muscles throughout my
body flexing and clenching as I tried to minimize the reaction. He clung to me
tighter like he seriously thought I'd let myself drop him, squealing in shock at
the reaction he'd worked so hard to get.

"Zoe, explain. Now." I stated strictly, glaring at her as Troye lifted his head a
bit, likely looking over to see her reaction. I wasn't sure exactly what happened,
but I'm certain she knows. Whether it was some strange scheme to get Troye drunk
and get us together or a total accident, she would know.

"Oh, don't look at me like that! It's not my fault! He's eighteen, he shouldn't
have needed a babysitter." She snapped in defense, crossing her arms and stalking
off toward our table. I followed her through the crowd, struggling a bit to carry
Troye as I walked. He seemed to have no intention of letting go, everyone shooting
us weird looks as we walked past. However, the weirdest thing was, he shot them
weird looks right back. He even gave the finger to one particularly judgmental
looking guy, which had led to me apologizing profusely and insisting he had no idea
what he was doing. We walked out of the main crowd then, my eyes narrowing into
another glare when I saw Zoe had already made it all the way to the table. How does
she move so fast?

"I don't need a babysitter, by the way. She was just joking." Troye announced
suddenly, lifting his head to lock eyes with me at an awkward angle, likely trying
to make sure I'd heard him. I just nodded, patting his back comfortingly rather
than agreeing or disagreeing with his statement. In the state he was in currently,
he definitely needed a babysitter.

They'd already cleared one of the sides around the booth for Troye and I when we
reached there. With a bit of awkward angling and a lot of horrible communication
skills, I managed to get Troye off of me and lowered onto the seat. He immediately
slid to the back corner, giggling under his breath like he found the slide-worthy
state of the seat hilarious.

"What happened?" I asked dully, looking around the table for answers as I sat next
to him. He immediately stopped sliding back and forth then, instead squishing his
body up against the side of mine and sighing wistfully as his head fell against my
shoulder. His hand came up to absentmindedly fumble over my chest, not really
applying deliberate pressure so much as just touching it.

"He chugged a bunch of punch to calm himself down and, well, it worked." Alfie
started to cackle then, Zoe reaching over to punch him in the shoulder. I guess the
way I'd snapped at her a minute ago had shown her how serious the situation was.

"They spiked it." I breathed out through my teeth, knowing I should have expected
this. It's their last dance, of course they would. I knew it was coming, how could
I have left Troye without warning him?

"And it must have been pretty badly too, he's a mess." Alfie followed up, gesturing
toward the heap of a boy next to me. His head immediately jolted up though, his
eyebrows scrunched together in what looked to be anger.

"No I'm not!" He shouted, turning a couple of heads at the table beside us. I
sighed, bringing a hand up to rub out the stress creases on my forehead. We
couldn't stay here, not with him like this. He'd end up really hurting himself or
even just embarrassing himself. As much as I was looking forward to tonight, his
well-being comes first.

"Troye, I'm going to take you home, okay?" I sighed, my reluctance showing in my
voice despite my efforts to mask it. He didn't seem to notice it though, obviously
way past the point of noticing something so intricate. Instead he just looked at me
like I'd insulted him, eyebrows adorably quirked as if he was trying to fit the
pieces of my actions together in his head. He must have came to some conclusion
because suddenly his expression changed, turning to an almost bashful one as he
blushed.

"You could at least buy me dinner first, you slut." He muttered, starting out with
a voice that sounded almost hurt but quickly letting it transform into a bubbly
teasing one mid-sentence, making it clear he'd been faking it. I groaned, wondering
if that was actually the way he took my words or if he was just twisting them on
purpose to make a scene. Either seemed possible.

"No, I'm taking you home to your house and I'm going to go home to my house." I
stated blandly, trying to ignore all the knowing looks that the other people around
the table were giving me. If people weren't teasing us about sex before they
definitely would be now.

Troye seemed to need a moment to process my words, chewing on the inside of his
cheek for a second before looking up at me with curious eyes.

"Without me?" He said tentatively, almost like he was testing the concept out. I
nodded my head in confirmation, flashing him a comforting smile.

"Right."

"I don't like that idea." He announced as soon as I'd stopped speaking, his tone
surprisingly stern despite his all-over-the-place state. I locked eyes with him, a
silent argument taking place in the way we were exchanging our glares. I knew it
was pointless to try and reason with an intoxicated person, but I wasn't really
about to drag him out of here either.

"I don't care. Come on, let's go." I stated, sliding out of the booth and standing
beside him. I held my hand out expectantly for his, feeling like throwing a fit of
frustration when he simply shook his head, sliding to the back corner of the booth
where I couldn't reach him.

"I don't want to leave yet. It's my first and last dance ever, Tyler, do you really
want to be the person that ruins it for me?" His words were laced with anger and
hurt, his eyes an unfamiliar icy blue that seemed to pierce right through me with
that glare. They'd always seemed like such a warm and inviting blue, not this
freezing harsh stare he was giving me now. I'd never seen him give the expression
to anyone, much less me.

"Troye." I said levelly, trying to coax him to let me back into his good graces. He
just shook his head, pouting his bottom lip out as he curled further into the
corner, bringing his legs up to hug them to his chest. I sighed softly, looking to
Zoe for insight on how to get him moving. However, I was just met with a harsh
glare, like I was the one at fault here. What did I do wrong? He's drunk, it's in
his best interest to go home!

I looked back to Troye, biting my lip when I saw how upset he looked. I knew it
probably had more to do with the alcohol in his system than actually caring about
the dance, but I couldn't help but feel worse and worse the longer I looked into
those big sad eyes. It didn't help that everyone else at the table were shooting me
daggers, like I was some sort of heartless being for being so strict with him.

"Hey, look, it's okay. We can stay if you really want." I sighed out in defeat,
shaking my head and holding my hands up as if to defend myself from their
judgmental eyes. They still seemed a little sore over it judging by their glares,
but Troye immediately perked up, sliding over to sit on the edge of the seat in
front of me. He looked up at me through his eyelashes, a smile finding his lips as
he reached for both of my hands.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." I confirmed, a bubbly feeling enveloping me over how good it felt to be

back on the positive side of his attention. Especially right now, because it was
quickly becoming quite clear he was quite the loving drunk.

An idea seemed to spark in his mind suddenly, mouth falling open into a little 'o'
shape as he tugged on my hands, jumping to his feet eagerly. Nobody commented on
the fact he grabbed my shoulder to support himself, just letting it go 'unnoticed'.

"Come on! Let's go dance then!" He exclaimed cheerily, immediately trying to drag
me in the direction of the dancefloor. The fact that he couldn't even stand without
gripping my shoulders had me seriously doubting his ability to dance while
surrounded by people on every side, deciding to voice my concerns despite how
futile it would ultimately be. Drunk Troye was loving, but he was also stubborn and
bossy as shit.

"I don't think-"

"No, trust me, I'm really good at it. I practiced." He insisted, the puzzle pieces
suddenly clicking in my mind and a stupid smile growing across my face. Is that why
he danced with Zoe? To practice for me? I looked over at Zoe, my suspicions
confirmed when she giggled and winked at me. Well, she followed that up with some
rather sexual gestures, but I looked away before I could really see that aspect of
her response. Instead I turned back to face Troye, seeing his curious eyes and
giving a nod of defeat before he was practically running in his haste to get to the
dancefloor.

He didn't even acknowledge all the people around us now, a total contrast to how
he'd been subtly freaking out about the amount of them while sober. He licked his
bottom lip before bringing it back between his teeth, watching me approach the
small break in the walls of people he'd located for the two of us. I blushed under
his fierce gaze, not used to him being the one to check me out so unabashedly. He
extended a hand once I was close enough to reach, eyes dark and expectant as they
flickered up to mine. I took a deep breath before grabbing it and taking a step
closer to him, strangely intimidated despite the fact he was the intoxicated one.
There was something about how confident and shameless he was like this that was
undeniably hot.

He welcomed my body against his eagerly, surprising me by going for the face-to-
face position rather than having me turn around. I definitely wasn't complaining
though, only a little bit nervous as he nudged my legs apart, moving his left one
to slot between them. There was no questioning or unsurity on who would be playing
the dominant role, Troye making it very clear as he gripped both my hips and pulled
my body roughly against his. Realizing I was going to find it even more difficult
after he started to move his hips I decided to reach up and wrap my arms around his
neck now. I didn't really get a chance to get comfortable though, hands flexing and
driving my fingernails into his neck roughly when he abruptly snapped his hips
forward. I looked to see what he thought of my body's reaction, breath hitching
when I took in the satisfied smirk on his lips. Oh God, that wasn't an accident, he
knows exactly what he's doing to me.

It was only a matter of seconds before he'd picked up a steady rhythm in time with
the beat, rolling his hips against mine in long deliberate thrusts. My restraint
lasted about fifteen seconds until I was meeting each of his movements with
mirroring ones of my own. My grip on his neck didn't last long either, hands
repeatedly clenching and unclenching as they tried to find something to grip at
that just wasn't there. Well, unless I wanted to pull his hair out each time he
caused me any sort of friction. So instead I let them drift down, one clamping onto
his shoulder while the other moved to skim over his chest.

His eyes fluttered shut and his jaw clenched, clearly enjoying having my hands all
over him. I got so caught up in touching him and how our bodies felt grinding
together I lost track of his hands, moaning loudly when they slipped down to grab
at my ass, pulling me harder against him. I blushed as I realized the noise was
probably loud enough for others to hear, dropping my head to bury my face in his
neck in embarrassment. I probably would have been embarrassed over the bulge in my
dress-pants too, knowing he could no-doubt feel it now that we were pressed
together so tightly, but the fact I could feel his just the same put me at ease.

He didn't slow his movements, working his hips in a steady motion and now pulling
me forward in time with each thrust.

"See? Doesn't it feel good?" He asked suddenly, my teeth sinking into my lip so
hard it could have drawn blood in an effort not to react vocally to how hot his
voice sounded right now. It was breathless, deep, and gruff, and if I said my mind
wasn't wandering upon hearing it, it'd be a total lie.

"I guess." I muttered noncommittally, not wanting to show just how into it I
actually was. However, judging by the grunt I got in response, that was not the
answer he'd been hoping for. Only reinforcing my suspicions, he pushed me away
slightly, panting as his eyes hungrily searched mine. He must have found whatever
he was looking for though because suddenly he was slipping his hands into my jacket
and gripping my hips, turning me on the spot before stepping forward to press his
body flush against the back of mine.

"Troye." I gasped, head falling back to rest on his shoulder as he started to dance
again, albeit a little bit rougher now that I was turned around. My hands hung
uselessly by my sides at first, ultimately deciding once again I needed something
to grip and stretching them behind my head to wrap loosely around Troye's neck. He
turned his head immediately, nose brushing against my arm, only to nip at the
exposed skin where my sleeve had ridden up. "Troye!"

"Tyler." He replied teasingly, pressing his lips against the spot in a gentle kiss.
I opened my eyes, not remembering when they'd fallen shut. With my head resting
back on his shoulder like this I could see his face. It wasn't a very good angle,
only really able to see his clenched jaw and the way his Adam's apple bobbed each
time he swallowed. That was hot enough though, so I didn't really have room to
complain. I got caught up in watching for the movement, mind wandering to imagine
that perfectly blank pale expanse of skin covered in marks.

My eyes squeezed shut again when his hands shifted from my hips to rest on the
front of my upper thighs, squeezing them before slowly letting his hands drift up
further. My eyes shot open when I realized his desired destination, breathing
getting heavier the closer he got.

"Stop." I sighed out finally, deciding I had to draw the line somewhere. If I let
him palm me on the dancefloor, that was pretty much as bad as it got. He clicked
his tongue near my ear in a tsk, trailing a finger up the seam of my pants.

"Why? I know you like it." He whispered, breath washing over my ear and causing me
to shiver against him. I gasped as his finger reached the bulge in the front of my
pants, a quiet snicker sounding by my ear. "See? I told you so." He laughed, finger
reaching the waistband of my pants. I thought that'd be the end of it, eyes going
wide when he clumsily undid the button.

"That's it! That's enough dancing for now." I practically shouted, jumping away
from him and trying to get my breathing under control as I started back toward our
table. I didn't even check if he was following, instead concentrating on fixing the
uncomfortable way my pants were constricting me.

The table was exactly the same as we had left it, none of them looking particularly
happy to be there. I sat down in the same place as earlier, except I let Troye have
the outside now as he settled beside me. I looked around the table at all of them
for a few seconds before smiling. "Hey guys."

"Hi Tyler, Troye. Having fun?" Zoe asked, her tone teasing and making it quite
clear she had reason to believe we were. Knowing her she probably filmed it to save
for later.

"Lots, thanks." I answered, my tone coming across about as annoyed as I felt. She
just rolled her eyes, leaning back in her seat and turning to Alfie to strike up a
conversation. I debated watching their every move and pointing out all the coupley
things they did just to get back at her, but something else entirely caught my eye,
my mouth watering at the sight. "Are those cupcakes?"

"Here." Shane laughed, handing me one he hadn't touched yet. I gave him a huge
smile of thanks, eagerly unwrapping it and biting in. I hummed pleasantly at the
delicious taste, licking my lips to get all the traces of icing off.

"Can I try it?" I quirked my eyebrows, suddenly remembering the boy sitting on the
other side of me. In my defense he was the only person to my left and had stayed
dead silent since we sat down, making him rather easy to forget about. That didn't
mean I didn't feel bad about it though, offering him a welcoming smile as I held
the remaining half of cupcake out to him. He reached for it slowly, the smirk
developing on his lips making me begin to worry before I even knew his intentions.
I looked away from his face just in time to see him dig his finger into the icing,
gathering as much of it on as he could before bringing it back to his mouth and
taking it inside. His eyes rolled back and he gave an obviously exaggerated moan,
only to bring his eyes back to lock with mine as he slowly drew it out of his
mouth. "Mmm, so good!"

"I mean, they're alright but I wouldn't say they're that good..." Shane muttered,
completely oblivious to Troye's ulterior motives. I wish I could say the same, my
heart racing as the movement sent a jolt of pleasure right to where I didn't need
it to be.

"I would." Troye answered him, smirking slightly as he looked over at me with a
single quirked eyebrow. "Would you?"

"S-Sure." I felt like slapping myself over the stupid stuttered response, knowing
it was exactly what he was hoping for. Judging by the dark smile I got in response
it was exactly what he wanted me to react like. He started to shift closer to me
and I could feel the entire table's eyes on us, knowing I had to put a stop to
whatever he was planning before he went through with it. I turned my gaze to Zoe,
completely ignoring him on my other side as I flashed her a big smile.

"So, Zoe, how are things lately? Got a boyfriend or anything I should know about?
Do you want some boy advice?" I asked casually, glad I managed to get all of the
words out before Troye's hand settled on my thigh. He traced tiny patterns on the
inside, slowly moving upward. Zoe gave me a skeptical look, eyes flickering between
Troye and I. It was obvious everyone knew exactly what was going on, but it seemed
Troye couldn't care less.

"Uh, no, I think I'll pass. What about you? Do you need any?" She replied, smirking
deviously as her gaze drifted back in Troye's direction. I was half-tempted to look
over and see what his reaction was, but I also knew that'd only encourage him in
his drunken state. I was trying to come up with a way to reply to her questions
without even mentioning Troye, but apparently he was growing tired of me ignoring
him. He slid even closer to me, one hand staying on my thigh as the other came up
to hold my head in place. I thought he was going to try to kiss me at the awkward
angle, not even thinking about the obvious. Naturally, I was surprised when his
lips brushed over my neck instead, making a sound close to a whimper in my effort
to hold in a moan. I could literally feel him smirking against my skin, but it
didn't last long before he was sucking harshly, tongue lashing out to slick the
skin up occasionally. Zoe giggled, wiggling her eyebrows at me now. "I'm kidding,
the boys are practically throwing themselves at you, huh?"

"I guess you could say that." I muttered, crossing my arms and just letting Troye
have his way with my neck. He seemed content with this, nails digging into the
opposing side and forcing my head back further to give him easier excess. I
blushed, able to see everyone watching us from this angle. I swear to God Troye has
an exhibitionism kink, every time we've done anything so far people are always
watching.

He either wasn't capable of registering their gazes or just didn't care, not
holding back at all as he more or less attacked my neck. He introduced teeth now,
nipping at the sensitive skin harshly whenever he saw fit. I bit my lip, letting my
eyes fall shut to keep from seeing all of their curious and suggestive expressions.
However, judging by the way Troye sank his teeth into me harsh enough to earn a
yelp, he didn't approve of that.

"Pay attention to me, Tilly." He whispered in my ear, voice low and seductive. My
hands were balled into such tight fists I could feel my nails digging into my palm
now, trying the impossible in my effort not to outwardly react. He gave an annoyed
huff when he didn't get what he wanted, taking my earlobe and rolling it between
his teeth instead. That wasn't so bad actually, not nearly as overwhelming as his
mouth on my neck, I can-

"T-Troye!" I moaned, shoving him harshly back to his end of the seat as I felt a
deep blush creep across my cheeks. I know he doesn't know any better right now, but
really, you don't cup people's bulges when you know there are others watching.
Well, I don't know, maybe some people do, but I'd really rather not.
"I'm going to go pee." He announced loudly, the hint of hurt in his voice that was
enough to make me snap my gaze up from the floor. I was still embarrassed and
didn't think I could look any of our friends in the eye for at least a week, but
that didn't mean I didn't care if I hurt his feelings.

"I'll come with-"

"No. I can pee by myself." He snapped, glaring at me before stomping off. I wasn't
entirely sure he could pee by himself, especially not when I saw his step falter
and him reach out to grab some stranger's table to steady himself, but I also knew
he wasn't going to change his mind on it.

The table continued it's deadly silent pattern after he left as well, something I
was oddly thankful for. While I didn't want their attention staying on the subject,
I definitely didn't want them to just push past it to another topic like it hadn't
even happened. That'd make it even more awkward in the long-run. I'd be sitting
here obviously flustered while they talked about something casual like their winter
break plans, trying to get me to contribute to the conversation.

The table surprisingly stayed dead silent the entire time Troye was gone, the only
really noticeable event happening being when Marcus and Shane got up to go dance.
It was a slow song and I couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness knowing they'd
decided to show off their relationship after all. If anyone gives them trouble
Alfie had better keep his word and put them in their place.

After that it went back to the awkward silence, interrupted after only a few
seconds when there was a loud clunk next to me. I turned my head, realizing Troye
had hit his knee off the table by the way he was reached over clutching at it with
one hand. However, what really stuck out to me, was the cup in his other hand.

"Troye, what's in your hand?" I asked cautiously, watching his eyes go wide as he
looked down at it. It was like he'd completely forgot he was holding it, staring at
it incredulously like he couldn't believe it was there. He swallowed finally,
looking back up with guilt written all over his face.

"...Water."

"Alright guys, we're going to call it a night. Have fun." I said in an almost
snappy tone, slightly angry that Troye would go behind my back like that.
Intoxicated or not I'm sure he realized he wasn't supposed to go and drink more. I
snatched the cup out of his hand and sat it down on the table, sighing heavily
before taking a step closer to him and wrapping a sturdy arm around his waist. I
knew I probably shouldn't get close to him right now and encourage him, but he
would likely need some sort of support to make it all the way to the car without
any mishaps.

"Drive safely. Things in general actually, you should do them all safely." Zoe
giggled, earning a knowing smirk from Alfie when she turned to see his reaction to
her not-so-subtle teasing. I just rolled my eyes, turning Troye and starting to
steer him toward the door. Three tables further down, he spoke up.

"I think she was talking about sex." He said in a whisper-shout, my free hand
coming up to slap against my own face.

"I know." I sighed, nodding toward the student running the doors as we walked back
out. Troye clung to my tighter as we walked out into the cold, his body noticeably
shivering at the change of temperature and making me feel slightly bad.
"Are we going to?" He asked, his lips now pressed to my neck in our cuddly
position.

"No!" I shouted immediately, wishing I could shift away from him without wo

Chapter Sixty-Two
*Troye's pov*

I wasn't sure how long I'd been awake honestly, the killer headache blurring my
thoughts so much that I wasn't capable of thinking anything coherent, much less
keeping track of time. I tried to lift my face out of the pillows once, struggling
with the fact it felt like it weighed thirty pounds but giving up completely when I
tried to crack open my eyes and the blinding morning sunlight shone right into
them. I couldn't remember ever feeling this horrible in my life, wondering if I
should call for someone and let them know. Obviously something wasn't right if I
felt this miserable.

However, I wasn't entirely sure I could even open my mouth, much less piece
together a sentence that made any sense. So instead I stayed laying flattened into
the bed on my stomach, trying to think about nothing in particular considering it
only made me feel worse to concentrate.

I may have fell back asleep, or at least zoned out enough to keep my head from
hurting, only to be brought back into the excrutiating pain when a knock on my door
suddenly resounded throughout the room. I waited impatiently for it to end, hoping
desperately it'd be soon. Sadly, they seemed to be unrelenting, only increasing
their pace as the seconds ticked by, the patterned noises spinning me out into
another throbbing headache, possibly worse than the one I had right after I woke
up.

"Leave me alone! I don't feel good!" I shouted, rolling onto my side and bringing
my knees up against my chest. I hugged them to my body tightly, hesitating for a
second when I realized I was naked. I don't remember that.

"Hangovers do that to you, huh?" She laughed, surprisingly sounding more

sympathetic than teasing. I furrowed my eyebrows, thinking about what she'd said.
Hangover? Did I get drunk? Why? Ugh, I just woke up, I don't want to think about
all this. "Can I come in? I bring Tylenol and food."

"Oh God, leave the food out there!" I shouted back immediately, stomach churning
just from imagining the smell. It didn't matter what the food was, the idea of
practically anything had my head reeling in the worst way.

"Okay, can I come in without the food?" She asked gently, keeping her voice quiet
and surprising me again with how considerate she was being. Did someone pay her to
do this? Either way, she was waiting on an answer and I couldn't very well say no
to pain medication or let her in when I was naked, so I had to get up and do
something.

"Gimmie a sec." I replied, flinching when I opened my eyes again, despite not even
being in a position where I was facing the window. I rolled out of bed, covering my
eyes and stumbling blindly in the general direction of the window. I used my thumb
to rub a pattern into my temple, a useless effort to lessen the way it was pulsing
right now. I wasn't entirely sure of how close to the window I actually was until I
stubbed my toe against the desk in front of it, crying out like someone had chopped
it off or something. I heard something that sounded suspiciously close to a giggle
on the other side of the door, smiling softly as I realized that was much more like
Sage.
After that I reached out blindly, eventually managing to located the curtains and
yank them together. Only then did I removed my hand, still slightly irritated by
the low amount of light but not enough for it to be significant. I went to my
dresser first, finding random clothes and tossing them on before heading back
toward my bed. I was about to fall on it and call Sage in when I noticed the stain
on my bedsheets, eyes going wide as I hurried to cover it up. I made my bed despite
how much of a struggle it was with my entire body protesting so much movement, only
sitting back down on the spot once it was covered by two blankets. At least this
way I know she won't notice it, I'll worry about getting them washed after I have
some medicine in my system.

"Okay!" I called, snuggling further into the bulky sweater I'd pulled out at
random. I felt disgusting both inside and out, my hair greasy and my body covered
in a layer of dried sweat. I still hadn't put enough focus on remembering last
night to get out any details from the corners of my brain, figuring it'd be easier
to wait for Sage to tell me in a minute anyway.

She walked into the room juggling both a glass of water and a tiny pill bottle in
one hand, the other obviously used to open the door. She walked across the room
with a suspiciously sweet smile, extending the items toward me when she came to a
stop in front of where I sat. I took them cautiously, almost expecting her to yoink
them back and take off, but apparently that wasn't her plan as she let me grab them
without any disturbances.

I emptied two pills onto my palm, throwing them into my mouth before downing a few
gulps of water. Deciding it made me feel a lot better I drank more, chugging it
until the glass was completely empty. I handed it back to Sage then, thankful when
she walked over and sat it on the bedside table rather than making me stretch to
reach it. She turned back to me after she'd finished, studying me curiously.

"How are you feeling?" She didn't sit down, thankfully, my mind insisting on
reminding me of the dirty sheets constantly like she could see them or something.
Instead she stayed standing in front of me, looking down and continuing her
scrutiny.

"Horrible." I answered without hesitating, having no trouble deciding on it. That

was definitely how I felt. She smirked slightly then, shaking her head almost like
I'd unknowingly said some inside joke that only she'd understand. I bit my lip as I
realized it was likely something to do with last night and this 'hangover' she'd
mentioned, knowing I should probably just take the plunge and ask for the
specifics. "What happened?"

"You got very drunk off of some very spiked punch and made some very interesting
memories with very close friend." She explained, her words teasing but her tone
remaining almost freakishly calm, as if trying to comfort me. I guess this must be
pretty serious.

"Tyler?" I asked, suddenly more intent on trying to remember things when I got a
nod in response. I reached up and rubbed both of my temples now, taking deep
breaths as my eyes fluttered shut. So we were at the dance and I drank too much
spiked punch, I remember a lot of grinding, but obviously Sage wouldn't know about
that. So what happened afterward... He was driving me home, trying really hard to
keep focused on the road because- because I was distracting him. "Shit."

"You guys didn't like... Did you?" She trailed off to lift her eyebrows before
finishing the question, making me smile at how immature she could be. Then again,
it was a lot better than had she been blunt and crude like Zoe, I don't think I
could handle my little sister saying things like that.
"No! No, I don't think anyway. Give me a second to think." I muttered, trying to
think back to the night before even harder. I was getting bits and pieces, second-
long images and snippets of conversation not quite long enough to make sense of. I
could remember what I did in the car, just not exactly what I'd said. Did I really
undo his pants? God, what's wrong with drunk me?

That wasn't what Sage was talking about though, she wasn't there to see it. What
happened after we got back... I remember being in the kitchen with him, he was
forcing me to drink water. I took my shirt off when he was turned around- Damn it,
why do I draw a blank after that? How long did we spend there before Sage walked
in? Worse yet, what exactly did Sage walk in on?

"You could call him." She suggested suddenly, clearly seeing my obvious frustration
over not being able to piece things together. I shook my head, glimpsing around for
my phone. I spotted it half-wedged under my pillow, which was weird considering I
almost always put it on the charger on my table before bed, but I guess drunk me
isn't nearly as organized. I couldn't call him though, it was going to be so
awkward. "Troye, I'm sure he'll understand."

"What if we did something and I don't remember? That'd be horrible." I sighed,

deciding I might as well be honest with her about where I stood. It was past the
point of saving myself from embarrassment now. Plus, as I was quickly realizing, it
was actually kind of nice to talk about things with your family.

"It's also horrible to take advantage of drunk people, so I think you'll be fine."
She replied, her slightly snooty tone surprising me. They always acted like Tyler
was some type of God, it was weird to hear her so clearly put me before him now. I
guess that should have been something I'd expected, but it still surprised me a
bit.

She was right though, if he did something with me when I was too out of it to
remember it should be his job to at least inform me of what it was. I sighed,
turning slightly away form her as I grabbed my phone, not wanting her to see my
screen. God knows what I fell asleep on.

I unlocked it, eyes widening when I saw the recent call window light up the screen.
Did I drunk call someone? Who was my most recent- Oh. Tyler.

Everything clicked into place then, from the stained sheets to what had happened in
the kitchen, the missed call seemingly all I needed for everything to make sense.
But now that I remembered it, I almost wished I could forget again. It'd be awkward
not knowing what happened, it'd be awkward as all hell talking to him after having
phone sex with him. Obviously I didn't remember the details, but judging by some of
the quotes I managed to recall myself saying and the suddenly crystal-clear memory
of what he sounded like screaming my name permanently branded into my mind, I
probably didn't want to. Or maybe I did, that memory of Tyler screaming my name
certainly wasn't a bad memory to have... No, no, no! It might not be, but is it
worth the awkwardness I'm going to face now that I'm sober? What if my stupid horny
drunk ass ruined everything between us?

"Well?" I blinked, realizing Sage was still patiently standing in front of me,
expecting me to call Tyler. I threw the phone down onto the bed beside me, glaring
at it incredulously the more I thought about what I'd done through it.

"I changed my mind, I don't want to call him." I explained, still staring at it in
a mix of anger and bewilderment.

"Did he do something wrong-"

"No, I did." I answered quickly, already hearing whatever threat she planned
against him on the tip of her tongue. This wasn't his fault. Sure, I might not have
been intoxicated enough to think through my actions, but he did everything he could
to resist my advances. Me calling him when I'd read his mind and knew he was going
to be getting off, that was low. How was he supposed to say no to that?

"Can I-"

"No, it's not something you can help with." I may have answered even quicker this
time, blushing slightly at the thought of what she was asking to help with. No,
Sage, not unless you can erase Tyler's memory of the last twenty-four hours, I
don't think you'll be of any help.

She didn't pry, just nodding and leaning her weight to one side before speaking up
again.

"Mom and Dad left early this morning to go to some flea market or something. I got
up early to make sure they didn't go into the garage so they wouldn't ask where
your car was, but you'd better go get it before they come back." I nodded, smiling
up at her hugely in thanks. They usually parked their car outside, given that it
wasn't worth quite as much as mine. They bought it as a family vehicle, it made
sense they wouldn't go out and by something super expensive. Honestly I think the
only reason they bought me mine was because they felt bad for me.

"Thanks, Sage." I answered simply, watching her nod before starting toward the
door, taking the hint that I wanted to be left alone before I even had to say it.
She paused right in the doorway though, turning around to wink at me, her usual
teasing demeanor returning for a second.

"Just try to keep the dry-humping in the kitchen to a minimum from now on, I was
going to get a glass of water, not be scarred for life." I blushed even harder, her
words forcing more of the memories to come flooding back the more I thought about
it. Tyler pushed up against the counter and gripping the edge of it for support
while I rutted up desperately behind him. Those were definitely not the kind of
thoughts I needed right now.

"No promises." I answered almost cheekily, deciding teasing back would be my best
bet at getting her to leave. She was obviously trying to embarrass me and if I
didn't seem to find it embarrassing, her teasing would be useless.

"You're gross!" She groaned, pulling a face before walking the rest of the way out,
slamming the door shut behind her. I might have laughed at her reaction, had the
seriousness of the situation not fallen down onto me completely in the last couple
of minutes. This is bad. I have no idea where Tyler even stands on everything. I
don't remember any of what happened after he came.

"I'm an idiot!" I groaned, turning and throwing myself back into the bed, burying
my face in the pillows. I didn't stay still long enough to fall back asleep though,
knowing I had a lot of stuff to get done today. Well, not actually that much, but
it would feel like a lot given my current state.

I started things off first by stripping my bed and walking downstairs to shove it
all in the washer, making sure it went in immediately so no one else had the chance
to see the dirty state. I went back upstairs then, heading straight for the shower.
I showered quickly, constantly reminding myself not to think about last night. Not
only was it embarrassing, it was hot in the worst way, and I really didn't want to
get bothered by it right now.

After getting out and dressing in real clothes, I went for the kitchen. The idea of
food still didn't really appeal to me, but I think I could recall my mother once
telling me something about how skipping breakfast would only make you sicker in
most situations. That applies to hangovers too, right?

I ended up settling on just a bowl of cereal, not really up to much else. I debated
just dry cereal, mixed feelings toward the milk, but ultimately I decided just dry
cereal didn't really count as eating breakfast either. I ate until it started to
get soggy, deciding that was definitely not something I could stomach and simply
leaving it there on the table.

I walked back into the living room then, grinning when I found Sage lounged out
across the couch. She was watching something on the television, some show with a
lot of dresses and make-up going on.

"I'm going to get the car. You'll text me if they come home right?" I asked,
shrugging on my coat behind the couch, looking down at her expectantly. Her eyes
flickered away from the screen and met with mine, a smirk finding her lips.

"Why? So you can make a run for it before they catch you?" She teased, wiggling her
eyebrows. I rolled my eyes, silently wondering just how much trouble I'd actually
get into if my parents knew. They'd never really had strong feelings toward alcohol
one way or the other, never really telling us to stay away but not condoning it
either.

"Something like that." I muttered, patting her hair up annoyingly before quickly
turning and darting toward the front door. I made it halfway before I gave up on
the quick pace, my stomach gurgling loudly as if in protest.

The walk to Tyler's wasn't all that much better, the hangover and my anxiety mixing
together to create an unbearable tornado-like feeling in my stomach. Sometimes it'd
die down a bit, just long enough to make me feel sick, before it was starting back
up again, convincing me it was even worse than the last time. I was determined to
push through it though, not wanting to leave my car outside for long. Tyler didn't
have a garage at his house so it was likely sitting outside, where it could be
snowed all over or a neighboring kid could throw something and knock a window out
by accident. Okay, sure, that wasn't that likely to happen, but it was better safe
than sorry.

When I finally reached his driveway I was beginning to feel downright nauseous. I
was clutching my stomach, trying to keep my breathing even as I walked up his
steps. I didn't really want to go inside or even really have to talk to him, but I
had to get my car now if I wanted to get away with my parents not finding out about
it missing. I'd just tell him I had somewhere to be and get out of here as quickly
as possible. We could figure out the whole phone sex thing later, likely through
text, because I am not talking about it in person.

Deciding that was as good a plan I would get, I reached forward and knocked on his
door. I bit my lip, my nerves only growing worse the longer it took him to get
there. I was this weird mix of terrified and thrilled to see him after what
happened last night, curiosity reigning over my more sensible emotions like
embarrassment. I wanted to see if things had changed between us now, like really
changed. However, when the door flew open to reveal Jackie, I realized I wasn't
going to get the chance.

"Hi Troye! Tyler said you might stop by. Come in!" She greeted cheerily, waving me
inside. I couldn't just turn her down, though I really felt like it when my stomach
let out a particularly loud grumble. She seemed oblivious though, just walking
further into the house and leaving me standing there. I ended up following after
her, too polite to do anything else. I closed the door behind me and kicked my
shoes off haphazardly in his doorway, just like he always did when he got home,
before scampering after her into the kitchen. I paused right before I walked into
it, looking down the hallway at the door to his room. It was shut tight, but that
didn't stop my heart from racing. Is he in there? Even if he's not, that's the room
he was in last night while we were on the phone, writhing in his bed as I- No, I am
not thinking about this right now.

Taking a deep steadying breath I walked the rest of the way into the kitchen,
shaking my head in a shy decline when she offered a seat at the table to me. She
seemed a bit confused but nodded understandingly anyway, picking up the tea cup
sitting on it and taking a sip before she spoke again. "He's out right now, picking
up some things from the store. He'll be back soon though if you want to wait."

"No!" I shouted immediately, cursing myself for how totally against the idea I let
myself sound. It wasn't just because things would be awkward around Tyler, but I
was feeling increasingly worse and worse, the smell of whatever sort of fried food
she was making not helping it at all. Still, I quickly moved to cover up my harsh
reply, trying to explain myself in a way that wouldn't embarrass me even further.
"I mean, no, I have a lot to do today, don't really have time."

"Okay." She answered, still eyeing me in an almost suspicious manner. I raised my

eyebrows to question it but she just shook her head, walking back out of the
kitchen and going to sit down on the couch. She pointed down the hall then, yawning
loudly before regaining her voice. "He said the keys were in his room on the
bedside table."

"Great." I answered, giving her a smile and watching her exhausted looking one she
gave back. She must really work a lot, huh? She wasn't home last night while we
were on the phone, or at least I'm assuming, so she must have been still working
past midnight. How does she do it?

I walked down the hall almost hesitantly, surprised to find my hand shaking
nervously when I reached for his doorknob. This is just stupid, why am I even
acting like this? Forcing the nagging thoughts out of my mind, I quickly grabbed it
and pushed the door open, walking into the room and swallowing roughly as I looked
around. Tyler, unlike me, apparently didn't see the need to clean up after himself.
His clothes from last night were still all strewn over the floor, a blush dusting
my cheeks as I took in how far away they all were from each other. Someone had been
in a rush to get undressed. His bed was stripped bare just like mine, my teeth
sinking into my bottom lip knowing he'd made a mess too. He wasn't even drunk
though, he didn't have an excuse for being so careless. Well, aside from if he was
so into it he couldn't think of anything else. Oh God, that was hot to think about,
almost enough to distract me from how horrible I felt.

Deciding I'd better get out of here before I get sick and his mother tries to baby
me, I took a few more steps. I found the keys exactly where she said they'd be,
sitting on his bedside table. However, what caught my attention even more was the
boutonniere I'd bought him, sitting neatly beside them. I guess even in his rush to
get undressed he'd remembered to take it off. Or maybe it was after we finished, I
could just picture him all panicky as he grabbed it and put it back there. I wonder
if he intends to preserve it. I mean, I don't expect him to and I don't really
care, but something about him caring about the stupid trinket that much, just
because it was from me, was undeniably cute.

"Hi." I froze, hand still hovering just above the keys and gaze still intently set
on the organic accessory. It was obviously Tyler's voice and he was likely standing
in the doorway, but I couldn't bring myself to turn around and face him. I was
almost worried what I'd find. What if he was angry with me for pressuring him into
what we did? What if he regretted it? What if- "Troye?" I took a deep breath,
snatching the keys up before spinning to face him.

"Hi." I stated, nodding my head in time with when I spoke the word. He stared at me
curiously, eyes traveling up and down the length of my body. Deciding that was more
or less an invitation to do the same to him, I let my eyes wander as well, trying
to keep it an absentminded and indifferent gaze. However, when my eyes reached his
neck and took in the prominent dark marks completely covering it, there was
absolutely no hiding my emotions. Those are mine. My mark all over him. And he's
not even trying to cover them up, sporting a v-neck tee and showing off even the
lowest of the hickeys.

"How are you feeling?" He asked suddenly, my wide eyes flickering back up to his,
knowing I'd been caught staring. He didn't look like he was going to tease me
though, just staring back expectantly and awaiting his reply.

"Horrible." I answered honestly, another rumble sounding in my stomach as if to

second my words. I winced slightly, hand coming up to clutch at it again in what I
hoped was a casual way. He gave a guilty frown and I only really realized why it
was there when he spoke up again.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have left you alone-"

"No, Ty, it's fine." How could he blame himself for this? It was completely my
fault, it's not his job to constantly look out for me. Why is he so freaking- My
eyes went wide, hands clutching my stomach tighter as I felt my chest start to
constrict. No, no, no, I was not puking here, at his house. I've embarrassed myself
enough for one millennium. Deep breaths, Troye, that'll maybe help.

"No, it's really not. I put Caspar before you and it was a stupid and-" I ducked
out of the room before he could finish, not really paying attention to what he was
saying anyway. I dashed into the tiny bathroom in an urgent manner, falling to my
knees in front of the toilet just in time before I was leaning over it and losing
the contents of my breakfast. I felt like crying, both from the experience and the
situation I found myself in while it happened, knowing damn well Tyler was just a
room over and could hear everything. Wow, way to make your crush fall for you.

When Tyler did speak up again his voice was soft and tentative, as if he thought he
could break me just by words or something. He waited until I'd been silent for a
long time too, giving me time to spit out the awful remains and flush the toilet.
"Troye? Can I-"

"Yeah." I rasped out, scrunching my face up at how disgusting I sounded. It's a

miracle he likes me to begin with, but I have no idea why he sticks around if I'm
doing stuff like this around him.

He moved to stand in the doorway then, making me mentally slap myself for not even
closing the door behind me. I guess it was better than puking on his floor though.
I studied his face for any sign of a reaction, worrying when I found absolutely
none. "Sorry, I-"

"Here." He said simply, interrupting my apology as he held out a brand-new

toothbrush and a toothpaste tube. I gave him a look of pure thanks, scrambling to
my feet and accepting the gifts. I grabbed the facecloth he pointed to, not daring
to look at myself in the mirror before scrubbing my face clean. I didn't want to
see how unattractive I looked right now. I brushed my teeth and tongue then, trying
to get as much of the taste as I could out of my mouth. Once I was finished I
leaned over the counter, sighing as my hands gripped either side of the sink.
"Any better?" Tyler asked quietly, bending over in his spot from the doorway so he
could look up at me.

"I want to curl up and die." I muttered morbidly. He stepped into the room then,
hand landing on my back and rubbing up and down in a steady comforting movement. I
couldn't stop thinking about last night though, every time he touched me. It was
like how my hand had moved up and down his thigh, or how his hand had- Nope, not
going there right now.

God, I feel horrible, this is all my fault.

I sighed again, not sure if I felt bad or angry that he was so intent on insisting
this was his fault.

"Hey, it's not that bad." Tyler consoled, earning a death glare in his direction.
"Okay, well, it is, but maybe next time you won't be such an idiot and you can
avoid this step."

"There is not going to be a next time ever. I hate not being able to remember what
I did and said last night." I explained, surprised when he didn't reply for a few
seconds. I looked up, eyes going wide when I saw how hurt and confused he looked.
Immediately realizing what I'd said I hurried to backtrack. "Most of what I did and
said anyway."

"Well, do you remember anything in specific? Like, you know, anything major?" He
asked curiously, big eyes staring at me expectantly behind their frames. I knew
exactly what he was talking about, what he was trying to get me to talk about. I
couldn't though, especially not right now. It was embarrassing and it would be
easier if he thought I didn't know, right? He won't be awkward around me, we won't
have to have the awkward 'what are we' talk just yet, and we can just continue on
like it never happened.

"No." I lied, watcing his smile falter just slightly before he was kicking it up at
least ten notches, the obvious effort to hide whatever he was actually feeling not
going unnoticed.

"Okay." He paused, biting his lip in thought for a second, before grabbing my hand
and slowly leading me out of the bathroom. We paused in the hallway between that
room and his bedroom, his grip tightening when I tried to pull away and start
toward the front door. "So I was thinking, seeing as I don't really have any plans
today, do you want to do something?"

"No. Sorry, I can't. Busy day." I lied again, guilt shooting through me as I
watched his face fall. Why was I doing this? Sure, it's not awkward, but it's
cruel. Even if he's trying to hide it, it's obviously hurting him. Why am I such a
chicken?

"Well, okay. So you have to leave right now?" He asked, sounding almost upset with
the question. I nodded slowly at first, still deciding if I really wanted to leave,
before nodding my head quicker. I didn't want to get sick here again.

"Yeah, lots of housework to do for the Christmas holidays, Steele is bringing is

girlfriend down again." This wasn't a lie actually, Amy was coming down for the
holidays. I even intended to get to know her better, remembering what Steele had
said the last time I saw him about being involved in each other's lives. That said,
I had no intention of doing any chores at all when I felt like this.

"Alright. I hope you feel better soon." He said, sounding almost shy as he gave me
a soft smile. I nodded, debating whether to kiss him or not for only a second
before deciding against it. Instead, I just replied.

"Thanks." I said, smiling widely, before turning and starting toward the door. I
made it about two steps before he was suddenly grabbing my wrist, clearly trying to
be gentle with me but still hard enough to jerk me to a stop.

"Troye?" I nodded my head slowly, taking a deep breath before turning around. Is he
going to tell me what happened? Is he going to break-up with me before we're even
officially together? When he spoke up, I felt stupid for considering either option,
knowing this one was the obvious. "Are we, like, okay?" He asked, his voice so
quiet it was practically a whisper.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course we are, why would you even ask?" I laughed nervously,
watching him shrug his shoulders. I decided to attempt explaining it better to put
him at ease, knowing I hadn't really thought through enough of a lie plot to do it.
"I'm just really busy these next week before Christmas, that's all."

"Sorry, I'm being clingy, aren't I?" He sighed, sounding almost angry with himself
as he looked down to stare at the floor. My heart dropped, watching the mix of
guilt and sadness cloud his features. What have I done? He looks miserable!

"No." I said sternly, not even managing to get him to look up. I shook my head,
taking a step closer to him and throwing my arms around his torso. I squeezed him
tight against my front, relieved to find it wasn't awkward despite last night. It
was actually nice, surprising myself with how much I'd missed his touch just today.

What's going on with him? Did I do something wrong? If he doesn't remember anything
then he must just be angry with me for letting him get drunk in the first place.
Why am I such an idiot?

"No, Tyler, it's fine." I whispered, letting my eyes fall shut and saturating in
the embrace as his hands fell to my shoulders, clutching up handfuls of my shirt
and pulling me closer to him needily. I bit my lip, realizing this tenseness
between couldn't go on for long. I couldn't go without his embrace for long and I
didn't want to. I'll just invite him over sometime soon, once I've gotten
everything together a bit better. But when? "What are you doing for Christmas?"

"Opening presents, eating microwave dinners, and marathoning reality tv, what
else?" He laughed, backing out of the hug and grinning up at me. I rolled my eyes,
not really sharing his ecstatic mood over the way he chose to spend his holidays.

"So you guys don't really do much to celebrate then?" I prodded, breathing a sigh
of relief when he shook his head no, meaning that my plan could officially follow-
through. "You should ask your mom if you can spend it with us."

"I can't just leave her alone on Christmas." He muttered guiltily, looking over my
shoulder. I turned to follow his gaze, smiling fondly when my eyes fell on Jackie,
already passed out on the couch after her long night. You know, she seemed nice, it
couldn't hurt to get to know her more. Besides, my parents had been insisting to
meet his since I met him. Which, I wasn't sure if I was ready to let happen, but I
was going to give them the benefit of a doubt. Who knows, maybe they'll even act
like civilized humans for a change.

"Bring her. Our dining table is huge, there's room for everyone." I insisted,
turning back to him with a huge smile over my idea.

"Would your parents be okay with it?" He asked, always the cautious one. I rolled
my eyes, deciding to just nod despite the fact I hadn't even asked for permission
yet. I mean, it's not that different than Steele bringing his girlfriend, right?

"They love you and have been wanting to meet Jackie for ages." I reminded him,
picking up on how nervous he seemed to be. He looked back to my eyes and smiled,
taking a deep calming breath and nodding.

"I'll ask her." I smiled, content with even that much of an answer. It meant there
was a chance of him coming over, which was definitely better than none. Just the
thought of spending Christmas day with Tyler had me feeling less Scrooge-like
already. You know, it might not be so bad if I had someone to cuddle up to to keep
warm and someone to spend time picking out the perfect gift for.

But I couldn't stay here right now. I was still sick and my head was still reeling
trying to process everything that had happened last night, my emotions and thoughts
a total mess. I needed a bit of time away from him to get everything in order, to
figure out how I was going to go about things, what to say to him.

"I've got to go." I reminded him, heart clenching in my chest when I could see his
face visibly fall in reaction.

"Yeah, right. Bye." He responded quietly, starting to turn back to his room
immediately. That's not a Tyler-like thing to do, he always walks me to the door.
Shit, he's upset, isn't he? He knows something's up with me, but I doubt he knows
exactly what. Or maybe he does, ugh, I don't know. When did everything get to be
such a mess again? One second we were happily making out all the time, now we're
back to secret keeping and saying good-bye with just hugs.

It was too late to fix it right now though, watching as he walked back into his
room without giving me another glance. I sighed, turning and walking back toward
the front door to leave. I paused by the couch, staring down at the sleeping Jackie
and noticing the blanket now covering her thin frame. That wasn't there before.
Tyler really does take care of her, huh?

a/N: this is probably so bad like repetitive useless ramblyness wise but i fell
asleep three times while writing near the end so idkdidkidkdikdk, I dont have time
to edit it'll bore me to real sleep. It's just a kinda quick filler chapter to show
the awkward tension between them now and yeah its boring idk im sooooo tired who
invented tiredness surely not me. I regfoldf im gonna go okabye wait look more
fanart by @KaterinaSivan on twitter!!!

Chapter Sixty-Three
*Tyler's POV*

The days that followed the dance were enough to make me completely and totally
regret everything we did that night. Sure, it was amazing, but it wasn't worth this
outcome at all. We hadn't spoken for two days now, not even through text. At least
the first three days we texted, even if he refused any suggestions of a phone call
or actually hanging out, but now there was absolutely no contact. Well, not on his
side anyway. I sent the messages, I just never got any replies. I know he said we
were okay, but it certainly doesn't seem like it.

Then again, it's not like I really believed him even when he said it. He was acting
weird, and as much as I wanted to blame it on his hangover at the time, I knew even
then how stupid I'd be to believe that. He had to be upset about me letting him get
drunk, it was the only thing that made sense if he didn't remember what happened.
I couldn't decide if I was disappointed or relieved he didn't remember. It kept us
from suffering through the awkward talk we'd have to have about it, but it also
made it feel almost pointless. Sure, I got off, but it was like we'd finally made
serious progress only to have it swept out from underneath us.

I'd actually debated cancelling today, considering he hadn't answered a single one
of my texts about me coming over. He told me a few days to be there for noon, but
when I'd tried to check back in and make sure no plans had changed, the messages
went unanswered. However, my mother insisted Laurelle said we were still supposed
to come over, so I was taking her word for it.

"Tyler, are you awake?" I simply groaned loudly in response, not really ready to
use my voice just yet. I'd only been conscious for a few minutes and I'd spent
every second of it worrying about Troye, today was shaping up to be wonderful,
exactly like the last few. "You said you wanted me to wake you a bit before we left
so I was just making sure."

"Yeah, I'm up." I announced, voice coming out uncomfortable raspy after just waking
up. I listened to her retreating footsteps and sighed softly, still not very happy
about being up. It wasn't actually early, only 10am according to my alarm clock
when I lifted my head, but it felt way earlier.

I hadn't been sleeping so well these last couple of nights, meaning it felt like
the ass crack of dawn compared to the times I'd been waking up since break started.
I had Troye to blame for that too, my thoughts a complete mess when I was trying to
fall asleep. That was usually when I ended up texting him too, not really thinking
about how pathetic the string of unanswered messages was at that hour. Sadly, I
wasn't as pleasantly oblivious the next morning. I was annoyed with him for being
so cruel, but I was even more annoyed with myself for caring as much as I did. What
was I going to do if things didn't work out between us?

I was stirred from my thoughts by a knock on my door, forcing myself up into a

sitting position before telling her she could open it. She did immediately,
surprising me when I found her in an apron with her hair up.

"Do you think I should bake something to take with us? Like a pie or something?"
She asked, making me roll my eyes at her nervous tone. While Troye had been
blatantly ignoring me, Laurelle had been doing nothing but talking to my mother.
They were on the phone practically every second when she wasn't at work, the sound
of my mother laughing obnoxiously at her jokes becoming the only sound heard
throughout our house most nights. However, despite their fast friendship, Mom was
still incredibly nervous to meet her. Something about being intimidated by how much
money they had compared to us and worrying she would be stuck-up in person.

I tried to convince her otherwise, but when she repeatedly refused to hear it I
just gave up. I had enough stuff to stress about on my own, she could sort hers out
by herself.

"Why don't you ask Laurelle?" I asked, my tone going unintentionally sour. I
couldn't help it, my annoyance and anger seemed to seep into everything I did
lately.

"Are you getting jealous over my friendship with your boyfriend's Mom right now?"
She laughed, quirking her eyebrows at me in obvious disbelief. I shrugged my
shoulders noncommittally, biting my lip as I realized just how stupid the way I was
acting was.

"I'm not jealous." I stated stubbornly, refusing to even consider it as an option.

I was cranky, but I wasn't jealous. Who gets jealous over the friendship of two
middle-aged women? "Though it must be nice having her actually reply to you and
care about what you have to say."

"Still fighting?" She sighed, walking out of the doorway and coming to sit beside
me on the edge of the bed. I shrugged my shoulders again, trying my absolute
hardest to seem indifferent on the situation. I knew she could probably see right
through me, but that didn't mean I wanted to outright show just how obsessed I was.

"We're not fighting, just not talking." I explained, realizing how stupid it
sounded only after I'd said it. We are fighting, aren't we? It might be the docile
silent kind of fighting, but what else would you call this?

I felt my face drop, not even surprised when she sat her hand on my upper back and
started to rub calm comforting circles between my shoulder blades.

"Honey, everything's going to work out fine. You're in that switching from friends
to dating stage, it's bound to be awkward." She explained, unknowingly just
repeating the same things I'd been telling myself in a futile effort to comfort my
nerves. It wouldn't work then and it won't now, but I guess it's the thought that
counts. Apparently realizing she wasn't going to get a real response out of me, she
tried to change the subject. "Do you have his present ready?"

"Yeah." I answered simply, not in the mood to really put any effort into the
conversation. I didn't want to put effort into anything right now, I just wanted to
go back to sleep. I couldn't though, I had to get ready so I looked at least half-
presentable when we went to Troye's.

"Ty, stop stressing over it. I've seen the way that boy looks at you, feelings like
that don't just vanish without a trace." She laughed after she said it, like the
thought itself was comedic. How could she be so sure though? She barely knew Troye
aside from the way he looked at me, maybe he looked at everyone that way- Okay, I
know that's not true, but still. If he can outright ignore me like this clearly I
don't mean as much to him as he means to me.

"I should get ready." I sighed out, running a hand through my hair. She nodded,
offering me what was probably supposed to be a reassuring smile before getting to
her feet. She walked quietly out of the room, instinctively closing the door behind
her.

I sighed, a mix of happy and upset to be alone with my thoughts again. I was far
from ready to talk about it with someone else, but I wasn't particularly thrilled
to be stuck alone and thinking about it again.

I got to my feet and stumbled a bit, mind still muddled from sleep. I regained my
balance quickly though, continuing over to my dresser and picking up Troye's gift
for what felt like the hundredth time since getting it. I went into town Christmas
shopping the day after I'd last seen Troye, always putting it off until last minute
like I did every year. It felt weird having someone to shop for other than my
mother, but a good kind of weird. Well, kind of good. It would have been a lot
better had we been on better terms right now.

As it was I found myself getting emotional over practically everything I picked up

with him in mind, thinking about how he'd react to it when he opened it. Was he
going to be like his old self again or would things still be weird? That was before
he'd followed-up with a few days of ignoring me. I knew things were going to be
weird now, I didn't have a single hope they wouldn't be, but I already had the gift
bought now. I just hope he likes it, I spent nearly an entire paycheck on the junk.

I couldn't decide on just one thing, convincing myself that it was better to buy
multiple so there was a better chance of him liking at least one of the things. I
bought him a jacket first, a blue one that I was certain would be a bit baggy on
him, but just enough that he'd like it. Then, in a moment of clingy cheesiness, I'd
picked up and purchased another set of friendship bracelets without even thinking.
Though, to be fair, he still wore the stupid ugly one from that night at the
theater, so maybe an updated one would be for the greater good. These ones were
cute enough that I could see myself wearing my matching counterpart. Then, lastly,
I decided to go with something a bit less cheesy and rather practical, a gift card
for gas. I mean, it was more like paying him back for all the driving me around he
did, but the only way I could get him to accept it was in gift form. That wasn't
technically the last thing, a bunch of candy and cheap things littered throughout
the gift bag as well, but they were just space-fillers really. Surely he'd at least
like the candy, what kind of weirdo doesn't like candy?

I abandoned the gifts, leaving them there on the dresser and making my way toward
the bathroom. I closed the door behind me and stripped my clothes off, hurriedly
getting in before my thoughts veered off course to anything less desirable again. I
did not want that right now.

Surprisingly, I managed to keep myself pretty distracted with thoughts of what I

was going to do for New Year's rather than thinking about him. Marcus was throwing
another small party, this one involving alcohol and an enjoyable lack of Sawyer's.
It surprised me how easy-going he was when I told him my problems with Sawyer,
immediately agreeing to leave him out of any future plans. I guess he hadn't been
so fond of him either.

However, it was when I was getting in the shower, that my mind started to betray
me. Along with the thoughts of Sawyer came the memories of the last party, my heart
clenching uncomfortably when I remembered how it had felt to be ignored by Troye
that night. Sure, he ended up having a decent explanation, but it still hurt.
Especially knowing it's exactly how I feel right now. It's a repeat of that night
but it's lasting a lot longer than a few hours, and I hate it.

I spent the rest of the shower playing my favorite game as of recently: Try to
guess what the hell Troye's problem is. The best part was nobody won in the end,
every single player was a loser! By the end of it I was practically pulling my hair
out in frustration when I scrubbed the shampoo in.

I walked back out of the bathroom with intentions to go straight to my dresser,

veering off course when I heard my phone go off with the text message alert. He
finally replied! I rushed over, picking it up in a hurry and glaring at the screen
when I saw Marcus's name. Why can't Troye just reply to me?! A simple yes or no
would do!

Anger was blurring my thoughts so badly then that I didn't really have time to
realize how stupid my actions were until the phone was already ringing. I could
have just hung up, but what did it matter? It's not like he's going to answer
anyway. One ring, two ring, three ring, four ring, and five r-

"Hello?" My jaw dropped in silence when his voice actually rang through the phone,
my heart racing as I brought my knees up against my chest. He sounded so
uninterested, his voice totally absent of emotions. "Hello? Anybody there?"

"Uh, yeah, sorry, I just didn't expect-" I paused, realizing how clingy what I was
about to say was. 'I just didn't expect you to pick up', wow, that's definitely how
you get boys to like you. Instead, I hurriedly came up with another reason to be
calling him. "We're still on for today, right?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't we be?" He laughed, my nervous lip-biting turning into a small
smile. He sounds casual. Maybe I've just been blowing this whole thing out of
proportion and he really is just busy lately. It'd make sense, the days before
Christmas are hectic for everyone.

"I was just making sure." I muttered, feeling stupid for even asking now that he'd
reassured me. I'm so needy, why does he put up with me?

"Look, I was about to get in the shower and the water's running, I should really
go." My smile faltered then, hearing the blatant lie in his voice. He was a
horrible liar, or maybe he was just a horrible liar to me. It didn't really matter,
the thing that mattered was the fact he was lying at all. He just wants me off the
phone. Things are not okay between us and I have not been overreacting, no matter
how hard he wants me to believe it.

"Embarrassed to talk to me on the phone while naked? Isn't that ironic?" I

muttered, anger seeping into every word.

"Ty?"

"Forget it. I'll see you in a bit."

"Hi guys! Come in!" Laurelle squealed excitedly, glancing between the two of us
before setting a hand on my mother's shoulder and leading her inside. She looked
her in the eye rather than me when she spoke up, grinning widely. "It's so nice to
finally meet you!"

"You too! Your home is lovely!" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the middle-
aged lady talk, shrugging off my own shoes and tucking them neatly into the cubby
they kept them in. It was weird how I'd grown so used to their customs after just a
few visits. It was like instinct now. "Ty, Troye's up in his room if you want to go
see him."

"Actually I think I'll wait down here if it's all the same to you." I muttered, my
nerves coming crashing back to me when he was mentioned. What are things going to
be like between us now? I have no idea where I even stand with him. Are we mad at
each other? Are we just in an awkward situation and avoiding conversation?

Either way, Laurelle looked at me like I'd gone mad when I said I'd rather wait
her, giving my mom a weird look. I read her face of reply easily, knowing the
classic 'I'll tell you when Tyler isn't in the room' like the back of my hand. I
decided not to call her out on it though, just walking into the living room and
heading directly for the empty couch. The other one was occupied by Sage, but she
seemed to engrossed in her show to really bother me. Does she even do anything
other than watch cheesy reality tv?

After about half an hour sitting there with nothing to do, I found myself pretty
invested in the stupid characters on screen too. I found myself almost emotional
over the poor girl that couldn't afford the wedding dress she wanted, knowing then
that I had reached an all-time low in my loser status. However, as the episode
ended, I heard a slightly-annoyed sounding Laurelle speak up with words I'd been
dreading all morning.

"Shaun, go see what's taking Troye so long." I snuggled back further in the
cushions, trying to calm my racing heart as Shaun walked out of the room and headed
for the stairs. The minutes that followed were utter torture. My heart must have
stopped altogether when I heard footsteps on the stairs again, refusing to turn my
head to face him. That'd make me seem needy like I missed him or something, I was
desperate enough after that phone call.

"He was still doing his hair, the little beauty queen. He didn't even realize you
guys were here! He'll be down in a second." Shaun spoke up suddenly beside me. I
just nodded my head slowly, not even looking up as I stared at the floor.

He wasn't lying, it was only a matter of seconds until footsteps started on the
stairs again. My palms were sweaty and there was no denying how crazy nervous I was
to be around him again, but my stomach was full of butterflies fluttering around
just as insistently as ever. Troye walked in front of me and I gave myself just a
second to let my eyes linger on his body as he walked past me, forcing them off and
back to the floor when he turned to sit next to me.

I waited ever-patiently for him to speak up, to say absolutely anything. He never
did though, the silence surprisingly speaking wonders. I never knew silence could
get a point across, but it seemed to just fine for him. I guess it came from being
silent for so many years, he learned how to communicate without even talking.

When someone finally spoke up, it wasn't either of us, Laurelle surprising me. I
didn't know they came back into the room.

"What are you guys up to in here?" Just from her over-curious tone I could tell Mom
had filled her in on everything about Troye and I.

"Watching TV. " A smile involuntarily spread across my features at the sound of
Troye's voice, my heart speeding up despite myself. I really had it bad, smitten
even when he was acting like a total douche.

"Cool." I could definitely see where Troye got his awkwardness from by Laurelle's
one-word response, trying to resist the urge to snicker.

"Can we give him the present now?" My eyebrows shot up in interest, looking over to
Sage curiously. She just smiled wryly, winking at me and refusing to elaborate.

"Woah, what? Mom, I didn't say you could give him a present." Troye spoke up, the
tone of his voice almost threatening. Why was it any of his business anyway? Is he
just worried about embarrassing himself? I'd rather he look like a flustered idiot
than the cold-hearted asshole he does now. Who is he to dictate the gifts I get
anyway?

"Well, it's none of your business so I don't think she cares if you said anything
or not." I snapped harshly, turning for the first time to face him. Our gazes
locked, mixed emotions like a whirlpool in his sea blue ones. Confusion was etched
across every one of his features, like he was genuinely surprised by the way I was
acting. He was the idiot that caused it.

"Uh, yeah, Sage, go and get it." Laurelle's tine made it clear she picked up on the
tension between us, clearly unsure of how to approach the situation. Sage scampered
off then and I lifted my head just in time to watch Shaun and my mother walk back
ito the room, the flour on her shirt making it clear she'd been baking something.

"Here!" Sage shouted as she walked into the room, holding a small wrapped gift over
her head. I sat up in excitement, ignoring the way I could feel Troye's eyes on the
back of my head, looking up as soon as I'd looked away. She tossed the present onto
my lap and I eagerly tore it open, knowing in the back of my mind that Troye was
watching next to me just as curious. I furrowed my eyebrows at the all-black book I
unwrapped, looking up at Sage skeptically. She rolled her eyes, rolling her hand in
a get on with it movement. Sighing, I tentatively reached out and opened it, unsure
of what I'd find. I wasn't sure what exactly I'd been expecting, but it certainly
wasn't the laminated photos that I found. There were some of the first time I came
over, obviously taken without my knowledge. Troye and I on the swing cuddled up,
wrestling by the broken ladder, us in the pool play fighting. My chest was
uncomfortably tight, teeth sinking into my bottom lip in an effort not to outwardly
react. Instead I stayed expressionless as I flipped through the following pages.
Halloween, us together at the store the day I met Sage, even ones as recent as the
dance photos she just took. I wasn't sure whether to be uncomfortable over how
much sneaking they must have had to do to get most of these photos or just be
thankful for it and move on. Regardless of Troye and I's current situation or what
became of it, it was nice to have all of our memories recorded down like that.

"Thanks, guys, it means a lot to me." I muttered, realizing they were probably
beginning to worry over my lack of reaction. I still wasn't quite ready to look up
again though, not if I wanted to keep my face blank. Instead I continued flipping
through the pages, actually finding a smile trying to break through rather than the
upset frown I'd expected. I couldn't help it, the photos made the memories seem
fresh in my mind, making me realize just how far we'd come from then.

"No problem! I look forward to taking more." I caught the almost questioning tone
she had, as if subtly asking if she'd ever get the chance. I didn't answer her
though, just smiling down at the album before falling completely silent and
unresponsive again as I stared down at it. It was the last filled page, the photo
of Troye and I kissing filling the last slot. Suddenly I didn't feel like smiling
anymore, openly frowning because I knew it'd be impossible this reaction. What if
we don't kiss and make up? What if we never het to again? "So, we should head back
out to the kitchen and focus on dinner, huh, Jackie?"

"Yep!" She answered cheerily, the sound of retreating footsteps following.

"That includes you, Shaun." Laurelle grumbled lowly, something I may have laughed
at in other circumstances. He didn't argue, rising to his feet where I could just
barely out of the corner of my vision.

The silence that followed felt even worse than earlier, maybe because I still had
the album opened to that last page. I couldn't bring myself to close it yet though,
just staring at the photo in disbelief. It was hard to believe we'd been that
casual just last week and this was us now. Deciding I'd been trying to keep my
emotions on lock for too long, I was about to excuse myself to the bathroom to hide
out for a bit, looking up quickly. However, I wasn't expecting to find Sage
mouthing silent words to Troye.

"Talk to him!" She mouthed, making urgent hand gestures. I darted my eyes back down
to the floor, not wanting them to know I'd been watching the exchange. Did he tell
his family about the drama? He doesn't usually talk about things like that with
them. Maybe she's just picking up on how awkward things are on her own.

"Do you want to go to my room while we wait for them to finish?" My lips turned up
into a smile before I could stop them, obviously a lot quicker to forgive than I
should have been just because he was making an attempt at conversation.

"Sure." I answered casually, getting to my feet. He led the way and I carried both
the photo album and the present I'd bought for him, snatching it up on the way. I
walked up the stairs behind him, staring at my feet until we reached the doorway to
his room. He gestured for me to go first then, pointing to the bed. I nodded
obediently and sat down on the end of the bed, clutching the things I'd carried up
nervously as he sat next to me. Surprisingly, it was only a matter of seconds
before he spoke up this time.

"Did you get anything cool for Christmas?" He asked quietly, not even looking at me
as he spoke. I shook my head before remembering he couldn't see it, trying to
swallow the lump that had developed in my throat as before I spoke up.

"We're going to open our gifts to each other when we get back." I explained,
silently thanking every higher entity out there that I managed to get it out
without stumbling over my words or making a fool of myself. That was the last thing
I wanted right now. I didn't want him to see how much his careless actions affected
me, he didn't deserve to know. "What about you?"

"Musical stuff, clothes, nothing I'd really call 'cool'." He said casually,
shifting to run a hand through his hair. I was openly staring at him now, not even
trying to be discreet about it. However, he still refused to meet my gaze, looking
forward at nothing instead. Would it really be that hard to just acknowledge me
sitting right next to him? Don't I deserve his attention more than a fucking blank
wall?

When he spoke up again at least a minute had passed, yet he still hadn't looked at
me once. "Are you mad at me?"

"No! No, I'm just..." I trailed off, trying to figure out what exactly to tell him.
What am I 'just' anyway? I have no idea where I was going with that response. Am I
mad at him? Kind of. He's acting like a total douche, it wouldn't be wrong for me
to be mad at him right now.

I paused, biting my lip before looking back over at him. He still wasn't looking at
me, my jaw dropping just slightly when I saw his attention glued to the screen of
his phone. Yep, that answers my question, I am definitely mad. "Yeah, actually, I'm
pissed at you. You've been acting weird toward me since the dance and you've
completely ignored me these last three days. I'm not just some toy you can pay
attention to when you want!"

"Tyler, I wasn't ignoring you." He said levelly, the strain in his voice making it
very clear he had to practically force himself to say it. At least he'd looked up
to lie to me, though it was a stupid move considering I could see in his eyes he
wasn't telling the truth. I shook my head, balling my hands into tight fists at my
sides, so hard my nails dug into my palms.

"And look, now you're lying too." I spat, giving him a sideways glare. He bit his
lip, running a hand through his hair in an almost nervous way before leaning back
and looking up at the ceiling. I waited for him to elaborate, for him to backtrack
and tell me the truth instead. It didn't happen though, and as the minutes of
silence ticked by I only found myself growing angrier with the boy sitting next to
me. "Is that it? You don't have anything else to say for yourself? No explanations
for your actions?"

"...No."

"I'm going back downstairs, here's your present." I snapped, gripping the stupid
bag so tight it made crackling noises, creases forming around my fingertip's grip.
I chucked it at him, relishing in the 'oof' he let out as it collided with his
chest. I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room then, heading straight for
the stairs. I wish I could say I ignored his pleas for me to come back or change my
mind, but the sad truth was there weren't any. He didn't even try to explain
himself once.

I ran down the stairs in such a hurry I nearly tripped over my feet, pausing only
momentarily at the bottom to look around the living room. I didn't see Steele or
his girlfriend yet, only Sage and Tyde. They were sitting on opposite couches and
bickering over the remote. Sage looked up curiously and lifted an eyebrow at me,
the attention reminding me what I was doing as I hurriedly continued into the
kitchen. It was childish and stupid, but I really just wanted to be near my mother
right now. Maybe she knew something to say that could calm me down and put this
stinging feeling in my chest to rest.

I walked into the room breathing heavily from my rush down the stairs, hands shoved
into the pockets of my sweater. My mother was the first to acknowledge me, turning
around from whatever she was doing at the counter to lock eyes with me. It only
took a second before concern flooded into all of his features.

"Ty? Are you okay?" She asked, tone almost panicked. That got the attention of
Laurelle who was standing beside her and Shaun who was sitting at the table, both
of them looking at me with matching worried expressions. Good to know at least some
people in this family are capable of caring how others feel.

"Lovely, glad you asked." I snapped, cursing myself for how I'd let my anger with
Troye seep into my voice again while talking to her. She wasn't who deserved the
hostility right now, she was only trying to help. It was too late to tack it back
now though, and I wasn't really in a mood that included that ability to apologize.

Instead I just continued across the room, falling onto one of the seats at the
table. I purposely chose the one in the far back corner, relief flooded through me
knowing I wouldn't have to be as surrounded by people.

Silence followed for a few minutes, all of them staring at me incredulously. I

guess it made sense, I hardly ever got upset and threw fits like this, always
trying my hardest to stay cheerful. After about a minute Laurelle cleared her
throat, snapping Shaun's attention away from me as he looked over at her. They
exchanged a series of faces similar to the ones Troye and Sage had earlier, Shaun
turning back to me afterward with a completely plastered-on fake smile that anyone
could see through.

"I'm going to go check around for a board game to play. Tyler, do you like
checkers?" He asked, his voice almost tentative. It was weird seeing him upset like
this too. It made me feel almost guilty for making such a big deal, but I couldn't
help how I felt.

"Sure." I answered indifferently, shrugging my shoulders and staring down at the

table instead of meeting his gaze. He nodded awkwardly, getting to his feet and
starting out of the room. It only took a matter of seconds then for both of the
mothers to advance, Laurelle sitting across the table from me while my mom walked
around to sit beside me. She tried to put a comforting hand on my shoulder but I
shrugged it off, shaking my head gently. It wouldn't help.

"Did he say something to you? Do you want me to talk to him? He can be real dense
sometimes." Laurelle pried, staring at me with curious eyes. I shrugged, trying to
piece together some sort of reply to keep them from asking anything more. He's not
dense anymore, he knows exactly how I feel, he just doesn't seem to care.

"No, don't bother." I didn't realize I was going to cry until I spoke, regret
immediately rushing through me. I thought I was mad, I had every reason to be mad
at him. I wasn't a person that cried when they were angry though, I got throwing-
things and yelling mad. This isn't mad though, now is it?

I leaned forward to brace my elbows on the table as I buried my face in my hands,

taking my glasses off after a second of better judgment and sitting them on the
table. My mother reached forward to immediately distractedly fiddle with them,
probably an attempt to distract herself from how concerned she was. As a single
parent, she'd learned how to be overbearing and more involved in my life than was
probably healthy. It must have killed her these last few years when I refused to
tell her anything about my friends. Then again, it must be killing her right now to
see me like this.

I swiped the first couple of tears away with the pads of my thumbs, giving up after
that and just letting them streak down my cheek instead. My mom sat her hand on my
shoulder again but I didn't swat her away this time, just letting her squeeze it
reassuringly. Of course it didn't reassure me at all or comfort me in any way, but
it was more for her sake than mine. If she felt like she was helping maybe she
wouldn't worry as much.

I only looked up when a short gasp sounded from the doorway, annoyed with myself
for hoping it might be Troye finally coming after me. It wasn't, the curiously
shocked face of Sage leaning against the frame of the door the one I found. We
locked eyes, not really silently communicating with our expressions, more just
staring at each other. She bit her lip, giving me a weak smile before slipping back
out of the room. I wiped my cheeks, laughing ironically at the entire stupid
situation.

"I hate boys."

"Join the club." They both groaned at the same time, giggling to each other at
their timing. It was slightly comedic, but I didn't really have it in me to laugh
right now, instead just sinking down against the table with a dramatic sigh.

A/n: Okay hi shutup um um um um um um this chapter was boring and written mostly
between the hours of 1am and 5am sooooooo.... Sorry if its shit, I tried, sometimes
you just gotta release a shitty chapter to write a good one next yanno? (actually
no thats not a thing but imma pretend it is so i have an excuse to release shitty
chaps dont come for me) (or do come for me, I mean, you and your coming is your
business come for who you want you do you) Also, the lovely @KaterinaSivan from
twitter (basically the official freak edit maker at this point) has made yet
another masterpiece. Can someone say phONE SEX EDIT?? (ALSO if you cant really see
the words it says 'You'll like it, I promise'

Chapter Sixty-Four
*Troye's POV*

"Troye? Tyler's downstairs, what are you doing?" I'd been expecting someone to come
up for a while now, surprised that it took as long as it did. It's been nearly half
an hour since Tyler got here, you'd think they'd either send me down or send him up
as soon as he got here. What was he even doing down there? Helping my mother bake?

"Just doing my hair!" I called, trying my best to sound cheery despite my current
state. Apparently he bought it, considering his casual response. I wasn't
surprised, I'd been faking happiness for years and they believed it. Well, maybe
they didn't believe it, but they didn't ask questions either.

"Well hurry up, aren't you worried about Sage saying something to him and messing
everything up? You always seem to be." He laughed after he spoke, walking away from
my closed door, thankfully without opening it. Had he opened it, he would have
known what I said was a lie. I finished my hair hours ago, along with choosing my
outfit and basically every little detail I could ever worry about. I mean, with my
sporadic sleep schedule lately, I didn't even bother trying to fall back into a
peaceful slumber after waking up from a nightmare at 5am.
It was the first one I'd had in months, getting a full night's sleep something I'd
started to take for granted. However, after waking up covered in sweat with my
heart racing in the worst way possible, I made a mental note to appreciate every
single night I went without one. It was similar to the ones I'd always had, mostly
about accidentally exposing my secret and having everyone completely shun me.
Sometimes they even went to the extent I got sent away to some type of weird
experimenting facility so they could 'research' it. It didn't take that path
tonight, yet I'd still found myself even more upset when I woke up. I think because
it was Tyler it all seemed more serious, especially given our current situation.
All that happened was me accidentally replying to his thoughts out loud, but his
over-dramatic hateful reaction to learning my secret had been the part I couldn't
stand. I couldn't even stomach the thought of Tyler hating me like that, hence the
unsettled feeling I'd had in the pit of my stomach all day.

That was why I answered the phone when he called, despite my better judgment. I'd
been ignoring him for a few days now, mostly to sort my own thoughts out and try to
figure out a way to get rid of the awkwardness that had fallen over us. I didn't
want to do something stupid and mess it up even worse, so I figured ignoring him
and not saying anything at all would be better. I could just tell him I'd been busy
and put off speaking until I knew exactly what to say. Except now he was waiting
downstairs, and I was out of time, yet I had no idea what I was going to do.

"It's not like she could mess it up any worse than I already have." I muttered
under my breath, remembering what my father had last said before leaving. I was sat
on my bed leaning against the headboard, hugging my knees tight to my chest as I
looked over at the door, knowing I should get up and head downstairs before they
start to really wonder what's keeping me.

Despite my decision to head downstairs I still found myself dragging my feet

slightly, not overly excited to see how things would be around Tyler now. Of course
I missed him, how could I not? He was literally all I could think about these last
few days, the urge to just give in and contact him unrelenting and insisting. But I
missed the him I was used to, the one I could be casual with and not worry about
over-thinking everything I said. I couldn't be sure, but after his passive
aggressive tone on the phone earlier, I doubted the Tyler waiting for me downstairs
was that Tyler.

I was halfway down the stairs when I saw him for the first time, only the back of
his head considering he was sitting on the couch facing opposite me. He didn't look
up to greet me, but I tried not to read too much into it, instead just taking
advantage of the moment to study his faded hair. I'd told him once before I liked
it best vibrant just after he dyed it, but honestly I always liked it. He could
pull off anything really.

I didn't speak up as I walked past to sit in the middle seat beside him, deciding
it'd be just too rude to sit on the opposite side of the couch. Maybe there isn't
even anything wrong on his end, it'd only make something for him to be upset over
if I sat way over there. It's not like he bites, I'll be fine here.

He kept his head down and hands tightly folded in his lap, his body language
practically screaming nervous. And as much as I wanted to comfort him and put him
at ease, I struggled with words to say so bad that I ended up not saying any. What
if I make it worse? I'm going to make it worse, of course I am. I don't know what
you say to people in awkward situations, all I'm good for is causing them.

I debated just reaching out and taking his hand or something, a simple gesture to
comfort him and let him know things were alright on my side of the spectrum. Even
that could mess up though, couldn't it? What if things were horrible on his side
and he outright slapped my hand away, furious that I'd even try to make any sort of
move on him.

I hated this. I hated not knowing where we stood, I hated not knowing how to figure
it out, but most of all I hated not being able to just be ourselves. I wanted the
real Tyler back, the one that would be smiling and mercilessly teasing me right now
over any little thing. I could say I hated it all I wanted to, but I'd never mean
it. I might get embarrassed at the time, but really I loved anything that meant his
focus stayed on me, basking in the feel of having all his attention, basking in the
knowledge that he cared.

"What are you guys up to in here?" I tore my gaze off of Tyler's nervously
fidgeting hands, instead looking up to greet my mother as she walked into the room
sporting a cheesy 'kiss the chef' apron. I swear, if Dad tries to make a big show
of kissing her even once I'm peacing out from the entire dinner.

"Watching TV. " I answered simply, knowing everyone in the room knew damn well I
wasn't paying attention to the nonsense on screen. I didn't think anyone was at
this point, noticing that Sage had dug her phone out of her pocket and was
distractedly looking at something on it.

"Cool." Mom answered, locking eyes with me and arching a single eyebrow. She was
obviously picking up on the awkward atmosphere between Tyler and I, asking for more
details in a way that wouldn't get her in trouble with me. Had she just asked out
loud I would have been furious, shooing her off for embarrassing me in front of
friends.

"Can we give him the present now?" Everyone's heads whipped in Sage's direction
then, mine only staying for a second before I was looking to Tyler instead. It was
the first time he'd looked up since getting here, a familiar flurry of butterflies
finding me as I took in all of his features. You could see how tired he was in
every movement he made now, but I decided not to comment on it. It could be from
anything and the last thing I wanted was to bring up a sore subject that'd make
things even more tense between us. Besides, as I watched Sage sit up, I remembered
I had more important things to worry about.

"Woah, what? Mom, I didn't say you could give him a present." It was more of a
question than chastising, curious to know what she had planned. She hadn't even
told me she was getting him something at all, I wasn't entirely sure I trusted
their judgment of what was acceptable to get their family member's love interest
and what wasn't. I wouldn't put it past them to literally make a gift basket of
different types of condoms. However, I think Tyler took my concern as something
entirely different, his voice seething with anger when he suddenly spoke up.

"Well, it's none of your business so I don't think she cares if you said anything
or not." He turned to openly lock eyes with me for the first time, his narrowed
into hateful slits behind their frames.

"Uh, yeah, Sage, go and get it." Mom said tentatively, as if she thought the
sentence was going to set off some sort of ticking time bomb between the two of us.
It wouldn't, I wasn't upset with the gift as much as wary. Yet I couldn't get over
how angry Tyler was when he turned to me like that, a negative side of his
attention I'd hoped to never be the target of.

I couldn't remember a time I'd been more thankful for Sage than when she walked
back into the room, ending the bitter silence that fell over the group of us. Even
when Jackie and my dad walked in the room remained silent, everyone just looking
around at each other as if begging someone else to speak up.

"Here!" She shouted cheerily, holding the gift over her head like the child she was
at heart. It amazed me how she was managing to act so happy given the situation,
just charging on and not letting anyone's else's moods affect her. I guess she was
probably just going out of her way to try and make the situation better,
considering she'd sort of become my shoulder to cry on while Tyler and I were
fighting. Obviously not really crying, but I was constantly ranting to her or
asking for advice on things. I never took it though, considering she always told me
to just go to his house and talk and I was nowhere near ready to do that, but she
sat there and listened to me complain just the same.

I leaned forward to watch Tyler's reactions as she walked toward him, tossing the
gift onto his lap carelessly. I'm assuming it's not something heavy, considering
his lack of a reaction. It was perfectly square, really making me wonder. A box of
chocolates maybe? Why did they go through all the trouble of wrapping that?

I was just as eager as him as I leaned forward even further, biting my lip in
anticipation as he tore the paper off. I resisted the urge to laugh at his confused
expression when he opened it to a book, ending up just smiling stupidly at him. He
didn't see of course, his gaze locked on the gift in question. I wondered what it
was too in the back of my mind, but suddenly gazing at him was a lot more
interesting, lost in the reactions I watched flicker across his face. After the
confusion finally passed he looked up at Sage, skepticism decorating his face now.
I didn't look up to see her reaction, just assuming it was something along the
lines of urging him on when he looked back down at it, sighing gently before
reaching out and flipping the cover open.

My breath caught as my eyes took in the pictures aligned neatly in their slots,
taking only a second to realize what they were. After that I focused more, taking
in all the details of the photos and left feeling overwhelmingly melancholy. Of
course I hadn't forgotten the days I spent with him, they'd just never been quite
as vivid as now. It was insane watching the transition from photo-to-photo, almost
like you could see us growing with each passing frame. The way my smiles got bigger
and more confident, how we got physically closer on every page to the point you
could barely tell where Tyler's body started and where mine ended, and just the
emotion in our eyes. It sounded cheesy, but you could genuinely see how happy we
were to be there with each other, something I didn't want to ever lose. It wasn't
too late to ensure it stayed, right? It's not gone yet, is it?

"Thanks, guys, it means a lot to me." My eyes snapped up from the page we were on,
studying Tyler's face carefully despite the fact he refused to meet my gaze. He was
still staring down at the book, flipping through the pages absentmindedly.

"No problem! I look forward to taking more." I didn't even look at my mother as she
spoke, remaining focused on Tyler even if he was oblivious. I was so caught up in
just staring at his eyes I nearly missed it when he frowned, only realizing because
his eyebrows scrunched together at the same time. I looked down to the book again,
curious what had upset him, my own face falling when I saw the picture of us
kissing.

I didn't really register any following conversation, only realizing the parental
units had left the room after about a minute. Before that, I was caught up staring
at the photo right along with Tyler. I looked up before him though, not wanting him
to catch me staring. I was surprised, however, to find Sage expectantly staring at
me. She immediately opened her mouth when our gazes locked, obviously in a rush to
say whatever she had to before Tyler saw.

"Talk to him!" She mouthed, keeping her words silent in an attempt not to attract
Tyler's attention. When he didn't immediately look up, I decided to answer her in
the same manner.
"No! I can't!"

"Can't or won't?" She mouthed back, giving me a stern glare. I frowned, biting my
lip and resisting the urge to sigh as I realized she was right. I can talk to him,
it just isn't going to be a very fun conversation to ever. She ended her lecture by
making desperate hand gestures, repeating her original statement. "Talk to him!"

"Do you want to go to my room while we wait for them to finish?" I blurted, looking
to him expectantly. I could feel my palms sweating as I wiped them on the knees of
my jeans, heart racing as I waited for his reaction. I had absolutely no idea what
to expect. That said, my heart probably could have beat straight out of my chest
when he offered an adorable excited smile, nodding his head eagerly.

"Sure." He replied, a smile finding my face as I rose to my feet, trying not to let
him see just how ecstatic I was over the stupid reply. It was one word, it wasn't
really that big of a deal. It certainly felt like it though, considering it was the
first word he'd spoken directly to me all night.

I led the way up the stairs, pausing in my doorway and gesturing for him to go in
first. I wasn't sure why exactly, it just felt like the right thing to do. He
inviited himself in, following my gesture and sitting on the bed. I blushed at how
he sat at the very end of the bed, making me wonder if he was thinking about the
things I did in it a few days ago, while on the phone with him.

"Did you get anything cool for Christmas?" I asked immediately, knowing it was a
good question to go for to start a conversation. It may not turn out to be a very
interesting conversation, but it was something. It could lead to something more if
I did it right. I couldn't bring myself to look at him though, nervous beyond
belief now that we were alone. He could snap at me anytime, not worried about
fighting now that no one would witness it.

"We're going to open our gifts to each other when we get back." I resisted the urge
to frown at his less-than-conversational response, taking a second to try and come
up with another better conversation starter. However, he spoke up again suddenly,
meaning I wouldn't have to. "What about you?"

"Musical stuff, clothes, nothing I'd really call 'cool'." I said, breathing a quiet
sigh of relief when I managed to get it all out without stuttering or messing up my
words. I raised my hand to run it through my hair, using my arm for a momentary
cover so I could drop my casual expression for just a second. It was hard, acting
like nothing was wrong between us when I was more or less walking on eggshells
around him. After I let it fall back down to my lap I waited patiently for him to
reply, heart dropping to my feet when the seconds added up and I realized it wasn't
coming.

Did I say something wrong? Shit, I was being so careful! This is why I should just
not talk to people ever. How do I fix it? I don't even know what I did wrong! I
guess I could ask, it's not like I really have any other option now. "Are you mad
at me?"

"No! No, I'm just..." I resisted the urge to smile in relief, knowing he wasn't mad
at me finally. I didn't want to seem too clingy so soon after rekindling our
friendship. I'd hear him out completely before throwing myself at him and making up
for all the snuggling oppurtunities we missed. Maybe we could make up for some lost
kissing opportunities too- "Yeah, actually, I'm pissed at you. You've been acting
weird toward me since the dance and you've completely ignored me these last three
days. I'm not just some toy you can pay attention to when you want!"

"Tyler, I wasn't ignoring you." I said cautiously, strain showing in my voice in

the struggle to keep my emotions from showing. I wasn't going to show him how upset
his sudden change of heart made me, knowing I probably had it coming for lying to
him anyway. He should be mad at me, what kind of friend does that?

"And look, now you're lying too." I felt like my heart was snapping in two over the
sour tone he was using, one I thought he reserved only for the likes of Caspar. I
deserved this though, for acting like an idiot. I lied to him, I ignored him, and I
should be able to put up with him being angry over it. And I would, I'd put up with
it, but that didn't mean I liked it at all. I ran a hand through my hair, leaning
back and staring up at the ceiling. I couldn't look at him right now if I wanted to
get throug this without crying. I'll let him get it off his chest and then we'll
talk, really talk this time. "Is that it? You don't have anything else to say for
yourself? No explanations for your actions?"

"...No." I wanted to hit myself, I really did. I had tons to say, I was just scared
to explain it. I was scared of messing things up when they were already a complete
wreck, somehow convinced I'd find some way to make it even worse. However, when he
rose from his seat and turned back to give me a glare of pure hatred, I had to
wonder if I already had just by staying silent.

"I'm going back downstairs, here's your present." He snapped, gripping it tightly
before chucking it right at me with all he was worth. Not expecting the impact I
was slightly off-thrown by it, despite the bag feeling relatively light. I watched
him storm off with my mouth open and ready to blubber some stupid plea for him to
stay, but I doubt he'd want to hear it. Anyone that passionate about making a
dramatic exit does not want to come back.

Instead I watched him leave with slightly blurred vision, pouting my lower lip up
as I reached a balled-up fist to swipe at the tears gathering on my cheeks. It's
fine, it's going to work out, friends fight all the time. Boyfriends fight all the
time. It's nothing time can't fix.

I turned to the giftbag that had bounced off my chest onto the bed beside me,
grabbing it and tentatively peering inside. All I saw was a blur of blue, letting
curiosity get the better of me as I tore it out. It was a welcome distraction from
how miserable I felt, my attention completely stolen as I dug out the piece of
cloth first. A giddy smile found my face, completely contrasting the leftover
tears, as my eyes fell on the blue jacket. It was the perfect shade too, one that I
could genuinely say I loved the look of on me. I shrugged it on immediately, not
caring that it probably wasn't cold enough in the house to warrant that many layers
of clothing.

Now comfortably snuggled into the coat, I investigated the rest of the gift's
contents. I pulled out a bracelet next, biting my lip to ward off the smile. It
wasn't nearly as bulky and noticeable as my current one, the one still fitting snug
around my wrist, but I figured that was the way Tyler wanted it. I'm assuming he
bought one for himself too, so he probably wanted something a little bit more
stylish. Of course I cared about style too, but up until now that had been the only
wearable thing Tyler had bought me. I liked having it on, it was like a constant
reminder of how close we'd grown. And whenever I wasn't in a good mood, all I had
to do was see a glimpse of it and remember all the memories I'd shared with Tyler,
how much he cared.

Shrugging it onto my wrist along with the old one, I continued digging through the
contents of the package. A lot of what was left was a bunch of candy, along with
the occasional random things. There was some sort of hair product, I assumed was
his favorite and he was trying to introduce me to it. What caught my eye most,
however, was the card in the very bottom of the bag. I dug it out, crawling up the
bed to lean against the headboard as I tore the envelope open.
I rolled my eyes at the overly-cheesy Christmas card, knowing he'd picked it on
purpose just to make fun of what a 'scrooge' I was. I only made it halfway through
the paragraph-long message on the front wishing me a 'memorable holiday filled with
joy for ages to come' before I gave up and flipped it open. My eyes went wide as a
card slipped out, moving to pick it up first. I pouted slightly upon seeing it was
just a boring gas card, half-hoping it was for the movies or something so I had an
excuse to ask him to go with me without having to make a big deal of it.

Dismissing the giftcard and setting it on the bed beside me, I looked back to the
actual card and pulled my knees tighter against my chest as I started to read
through it. The card only came with the words 'happy holidays!' printed on the
inside, but Tyler had left a short message of his own in pen.

"Merry Christmas, Troye! Did you like the card? I thought of you as soon as I saw
it. I've never been very good at writing these stupid little notes in cards but I
figured you probably deserved at least an attempt at one. It took me forever to
pick out these gifts so even if you don't like them, pretend you do for my sake.
Oh, and don't think you have to give me anything in return, I just wanted to get
you something. So I guess this is sort of a thank-you for putting up with me, in
all my clingy annoying glory. Love, Tyler." I read it all in silence, a weird
mixture of entertained and upset the more I read. The idea of Tyler writing this or
even just struggling to shop for me was absolutely adorable, but reading the
message knowing our current situation was torture. I felt even worse when I read
the end of it, realizing he still considered himself clingy and annoying because I
didn't reply to his messages. I wanted to! I was just scared of making things
worse. I guess he had no way of telling that though.

"Troye?" I closed the card in a hurry, sitting up further as Sage stormed into my
room. Someone does not look or sound happy, what did I do? She stopped standing
beside the bed, giving me the most intimidating death glare I'd ever seen her use.
Shit, I must have really messed up this time. "Come here."

"What?" I asked, tentatively crawling closer to the edge of the bed and staring at
her balled-up hand. What did she have? A bug or something? I didn't leave a bug in
her room, who does she think I am? I leaned over her hands, trying to get a glimpse
at whatever it was, when she suddenly hauled them away, only to bring it back
across my face in a killer slap.

"Ow! Sage, what the hell!?" I shouted, flinching away from her so far I nearly fell
off the opposite side of the bed, clutching my own hand to the stinging cheek the
entire time.

"I could ask you the same question! Tyler's crying downstairs. What did you do?" I
put my whining and glaring on hold, even freezing the rubbing motion of my hand I
was doing in an effort to lessen the pain. Physical pain didn't really matter, not
in comparison to how absolutely horrible I felt inside knowing I'd made Tyler cry.

"H-He's crying?" I asked tentatively, a gut-wrenching guilt creeping through me as

she nodded her head in confirmation. "Shit."

"Well? You better have a damn good excuse or I'm hitting you again." She snapped,
crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at me. Despite not being entirely sure
she was being serious, I found myself inching even further away from her. She
groaned loudly, running both of her hands through her hair in a way that could have
easily been mistaken for stressfully pulling at it. "Did you guys talk? Is that why
he's upset?"

"Not about what we should have." I muttered, staring down at the floor on the
opposite side of the bed from her, purposely avoiding absolutely any eye contact.

"Get down there then!" She groaned, her voice practically screaming how frustrated
she was. I couldn't really blame her though, I was frustrated with us too.

"He doesn't want to see me." I sighed out, hating the words even more now that they
were out loud. It was one thing knowing it in the back of my mind, stating it aloud
was just painful. I never wanted there to be a time ever when he didn't want to be
near me.

"If you seriously believe that you're even stupider than I thought, and that's
pretty damn stupid." I rolled my eyes at her sassy tone, sighing quietly as I
started to debate her advice. Does he really want me to go after him? I'm pretty
sure storming off means he wants to be left alone, but what do I know about people
anyway?

"Where's he at?" I asked, still on the fence about the entire situation.

"The kitchen."

"And everyone's around him? I can't talk to him in front of all them!" I replied
immediately, a trace of what could have been mistaken as panic seeping into my
voice just over the thought. What if I said the wrong thing and they all pointed it
out? They were going to tease me to no end, possibly even be mad at me for making
Tyler upset in the first place. No, I can't handle that.

"Troye." Sage said, her tone surprising neutral now, as if trying to comfort me. I
took a deep breath, forcing my eyes off the floor and looking back to her. She
smiled softly when our gazes locked, exhaling loudly before speaking up. "You said
you wanted my help. You haven't taken any of my advice before now, but trust me,
this is the one you should listen to. You do not just let people run off crying and
not go after them, even I know that."

"What do I say?" I whined out, squishing my face up in exasperation. This was going
to suck. What if he still hates me and I just make things worse?

"That doesn't matter, you just have to go after him." Sage insisted, grabbing my
wrist before I could dodge and hauling me toward that side of the bed. Deciding it
was pointless to fight it anymore I begrudgingly got to my feet, staring at her
angrily as I stomped out of the room and toward the stairs. I still had no idea
what I was going to say, wracking my mind for absolutely anything as I walked
further. Sage was behind me, likely ready to shove me forward if I tried to turn
around at any time. She was a bossy little thing when she wanted to be.

I never did turn around though, realizing it was a useless move. It wouldn't
accomplish anything and I'd just be forced to move forward again by Sage anyway. So
I trudged on, keeping my steps firm while my hands flitted nervously from my
pockets, to twiddling my thumbs, to playing with my hair, anything to distract me
from the way I felt right now.

I walked nervously into the kitchen, surprised when Sage didn't follow me. I would
have looked back over my shoulder to see where she had gone, but that would mean
looking up from my feet, which I wasn't sure I was capable of now that I was in the
same room as Tyler.

I wasn't sure how long passed with me refusing to look up, everyone else remaining
so silent I had to wonder if they were even still there. However, after an
undetermined amount of time, a feminine sneeze filled the room and let me know they
were still there. Sighing and mustering every ounce of courage I had in me, I
slowly lifted my head. I swallowed roughly upon seeing Tyler seated at the table.
His head was still in his hands, making me wonder if he'd even looked up to see me
yet. All of the parents obviously had, Dad trying to act casual while Mom outright
glared at me. Jackie wasn't currently addressing me though, instead paying
attention to her son and whispering something to him as she ran her hand up and
down his back.

"Uh, hi." I stuttered out, my voice shaky as I struggled over the couple of words.
Mom lifted a single eyebrow, looking almost skeptical as she raked her eyes over my
frame. Wow, thanks for the moral support, mother.

My nerves only grew when Tyler didn't lift his head, not even acknowledging me.
However, Jackie did look up, giving me a soft sympathetic smile as if alerting me
he had heard, he just hadn't replied. I wanted to walk out of the room then,
knowing he'd outright ignored me, but I wouldn't. I had to talk to him now, I
already saw what happens when I put it off. "Tyler, can I talk to you?"

"I don't care." He said into his hands, the words muffled as he shrugged his
shoulders in indifference. I bit my lip, looking to my father for any sort of
assistance. He just shrugged his shoulders back, making it clear where I got my
social capabilities from. I sighed, taking a quiet breath before speaking up again.

"I meant in private."

"I'm not moving." He responded immediately this time, his voice gruff and strict,
enough to make me seriously debate leaving this time. He definitely doesn't seem
like he wanted me to come after him. I looked toward the door, rolling my bottom
lip between my teeth as I considered an easy escape. Clearly talking about it isn't
what we need to do after all, maybe I can just slip out and pretend I was never
here. It could work, if I just-

"Actually, we have to make a run to the grocery store to pick up a few last-minute
ingredients. Are you coming, Jackie?" I looked back to my mother in disbelief,
watching her get to her feet. She picked her purse up from the chair beside her,
swinging it onto her shoulder and turning to give me a pointed glare. Okay,
nevermind, I guess I'm not allowed to slip out after all.

She looked back to Jackie then, who sighed and gave Tyler one last lingering look
before starting to stand.

"Yeah, I guess so." You could just see the worry in her eyes like she didn't want
to leave Tyler, her protective instincts kicking into overdrive after seeing him
cry. She shot me a warning glare as she walked past, as if trying to ensure I'd be
nice to her son in her absence. She still lingered in the door for a few seconds,
staring over at Tyler's heaped form with a frown before forcing herself to turn and
leave the room.

"We're just gonna bring everyone so we can collectively decide on what we want at
the dinner. You two better stay to keep an eye on the turkey." My mother explained
as she walked back into the kitchen, hugging me tightly in her own form of motherly
comfort. Or at least that's what I thought it was, until she pinched my hip harshly
and whispered in my ear. "You fix this, Troye. Tyler better be smiling when I get
back."

"I'll try." I whispered back, eyeing Tyler as I spoke to make sure he wasn't
listening in. She nodded before backing out of the hug, plastering a smile onto her
face as she looked back and forth between the two of us.

"Steele will probably be here before we're back. Bye boys, have fun!" And with that
she turned and walked out of the room, giving a stern look to Sage who was
complaining about being forced out of the house and hitting Tyde on the back of the
head for stupidly not wearing a jacket. After that she was quick to herd everyone
out of the house, as if rushing to make sure they were gone before we blew up into
some sort of fight or something. I hoped we wouldn't be that aggressive.

After the door closed behind them the house was deadly silent in comparison, to the
point I could hear Tyler's harsh breathing and occasional sniffle from where he was
still leaned over the table. I even jumped when he spoke up suddenly, thankfully
catching myself before I fell on my butt or something and made a fool of myself.

"I changed my mind, I hate your family." I grinned despite myself just over the
sound of his voice, oddly relieved he was talking to me even if it was just to
complain about being left alone with me.

"You don't mean that." I scoffed, secretly unsure of my own words. Hopefully he
doesn't hate them. As much as I complain about them myself, they can be kind of
cool sometimes.

He didn't reply, an uncomfortable silence finding the room again that left me
searching for something to say to fix it. I came up short after about a minute,
deciding I'd better just be straightforward. I had to stop putting it off, we
needed to have a serious talk if we wanted to fix this the right way. "Can we go up
to my room now?"

"Do I have a choice?" He asked skeptically, lifting his head finally. My heart
clenched seeing the tear streaks all over his face, feeling absolutely horrible as
he got to his feet and started around the table. He didn't stop beside me like I
expected, instead just carrying on right into the other room. I followed, realizing
he was headed up to my room only after he took the first step up the stairs. I
followed behind him slowly, suddenly nervous again about what was about to happen.
What if it goes horribly and he storms off?

I didn't really have the option to back out now though, following him right into my
room. I was slightly surprised when he sat right on my bed without any hesitation,
looking up at me expectantly when I stayed lingering in the doorway.

"You said you wanted to talk, get in here and talk." He snapped, my legs moving
before he even finished his statement. I hurried across the room, sitting on the
edge of the mattress beside him. My heart was racing as I tried to come up with
what to say, discreetly watching him out of the corner of my eye. He just looked
around the room at first, surprising me when he paused to swipe at his cheek,
making me realize he was crying again. Shit. I have to fix this now, I don't want
him to shed another tear over me.

"I'm sorry." I blurted, not even trying to hide my attention and instead turning my
entire body to face him. He glanced over at me with faked disinterest across his
features, quirking his eyebrow in an obvious bid to get me to elaborate. "Tyler, I
really am. I was so scared of saying something that'd make things worse that I said
nothing, which ended up being the absolute worst thing I could have done. You don't
deserve to have to second-guess everything I do and I realize that now. I'm shit at
showing my feelings, but I promise I'm going to try and get better."

"What exactly are your feelings then? Because I'm still not entirely sure." He
asked, his tone still cold but his eyes beginning to show their familiar warmth. I
debated for only a second, realizing almost immediately what I felt strongest at
the moment.

"Guilt, mostly." I explained, trying to study his eyes for any sort of reaction. He
was surprisingly amazing at keeping them contained though, eyes void of any
evidence as they stared right back into mine.

"For?" He urged, clearly not letting me off the hook easy. I couldn't really blame
him though, knowing I deserved it. He deserved an explanation.

"For lying, for ignoring you, for making you cry." I sighed out all on the same
breath, feeling oddly relieved after getting it off my chest. He seemed to need a
moment to process, turning his head away from me. I waited patiently, ready to
reply to whatever he said next. The tension already felt lightened, making it clear
I was definitely doing the right thing to sort this out. Maybe by the time the
conversation ends we'll be back to our usual selves.

"Lying about ignoring me? Or is there something else I should know about?" He
didn't look back at me as he spoke this, his tone strangely cautious as if worried
how I'd react to the question. I bit my lip, realizing it was probably because he
wasn't sure what I was about to reply with. He's probably worried I've been lying
about something a lot more serious than that and doesn't know what to expect.

I guess I didn't really have the ignoring thing in mind when I said it, knowing
here is when I should confess what's really been eating away at me these last few
days. Ugh, this is not going to be fun at all.

"I hate this sharing feelings thing already, it's super awkward." I stated, earning
the first giggle I'd heard from him all day. I felt like my heart was restoring
itself three sizes bigger just after hearing it, knowing that this had to be the
right thing now. It's worth it. I can blaze past the awkward stage if it means
getting the happy Tyler back. "I, uh, I didn't exactly forget what we did while I
was drunk."

"Are you serious?" He replied immediately, his composed act completely vanishing as
he turned to me with wide eyes. I blushed crimson, not expecting that much of a
reaction after how unresponsive he'd been before. I mean, I guess it was warranted,
but it was still embarrassing. I sighed, realizing I hadn't replied after promising
myself I would, tentatively nodding my head as I continued to watch for his
reactions. He spent nearly a minute just gawking at me then, jaw dropped and eyes
curious as they studied my face intently. I was half-surprised when he finally
spoke up again after such a long pause. "Like, you remember all of it?"

"Not every single thing that was said, but I remember everything we did." I
answered honestly, cheeks heating up to the point of uncomfortable the more I
thought about that night. I couldn't believe I was sat here talking to Tyler about
it, something I'd never have expected myself to do.

"Well, that is super awkward." He muttered, looking down at his feet for a change.
I chuckled next to him, nodding in agreement as I looked up at the ceiling in
search of a distraction.

"Hence the ignoring you until I could find a way to not make it awkward." I
explained, glancing over at him despite my awkward angle. I was relieved to see him
nod in understanding, hoping this meant he was no longer upset with me over it now
that he knew my motives. I couldn't really just ask him that though, giving him
more time to process the new information as I stared at the ceiling. I followed the
outlines of at least twenty of the glow-in-the-dark stars and planets before he
spoke up again, voice so quiet and tentative I could hardly recognize it.

"Do you regret it?" I chuckled awkwardly, looking anywhere but to him as I tried to
sort out an answer in my head. I didn't have to think about it, knowing I didn't
regret it in the slightest already. I did, however, have to think about what to
tell him. Should I be honest? What if he regrets it? What if I don't word it right
and it just sounds creepy? I sighed, running a hand through my hair and continuing
to avoid his gaze as I cautiously spoke up.

"Should I?"

"Maybe." I frowned at his response, immediately worrying I'd said the wrong thing.
"-But I'm glad you don't, because neither do I." A smile broke out across my face
then, a breath of relief leaving my chest as I relaxed next to him for what felt
like the first time in days. We sat in a comfortable silence, both of us lost in
thought. I wasn't sure what was on his mind, but I was stressing over our next
topic. I figured we were on a roll, we might as well get all of the tense things
out of the way now.

"So, uh, what does this mean?" I asked finally, looking up at him curiously. It
wasn't exactly specific, but I hoped he could figure it out on his own. I realized
that my hopes were a bit too high, however, when he looked over at me with his
eyebrows knit together.

"...That we had phonesex?" He asked curiously, giving me a look of pure confusion.

"No! No, I mean like... what are we?" I spoke slowly as if testing the words out,
still worried about how they'd sound. After they were out there was no taking them
back though, my mouth snapping closed as I took a shaky breath. I didn't look away
though, watching his face for his every reaction, disappointed when he kept up the
blank expressionless mask from earlier.

"What do you want to be?" He asked after only a couple seconds, his tone cryptic in
the sense it gave nothing away. I groaned, tugging at my hair in frustration as I
tried to figure out how to respond without seeming over-eager, but still
passionate.

"Why do you keep asking me all the hard questions?" I laughed, only half serious as
I sho

Chapter Sixty-Five
*Tyler's POV*

"Not yet I don't." I called back, snickering under my breath as I skipped down the
stairs, gripping the railing tightly in case my carefree steps resulted in my legs
giving out under me. I couldn't help it, I was way too happy to walk at a normal
pace right now. I was practically bouncing with excitement, ecstatic even despite
the fact I was going to greet two people that had more or less interrupted my
heated make-out session. I mean, I called it off, but only because of them.

I slid across the floor in my fluffy socks, grinning as I stumbled over the welcome
mat. I opened the door wide without thinking it through, not expecting the confused
expressions I got in response. Oh, do they even remember who I am? Did they know I
was going to be here? This is awkward. I should really stop smiling... Shit, I
can't stop smiling.

"Ty...ler?" Steele seemed unsure of himself, the name coming out as a question as
if he was asking for confirmation. I mean, it could have been worse, he could have
forgotten who I was completely. That'd be awkward.

"Yep!" I beamed, turning around and walking back into the house further, cursing
under my breath at myself. I stopped once I heard them shut the door behind
themselves, making it clear they were already in the house. I turned back to them
again then, grinning so big it was definitely easy to tell I was trying to make up
for the situation. "Just Troye and I are home right now, everyone else will be back
soon."

"Okay." Steele answered with a nod, still sounding unsure of the situation. I
offered him an apologetic smile, watching the two of them walk into the living
room. I noticed the way he kept his arm around her waist tightly, taking note of
how cute they were together. However, I knew better to just stand there and stare,
which would definitely make them label me as creepy. Instead I waited until they
both sat on the couch and looked back to me to gesture toward the kitchen.

"I should go check on the turkey." I explained, partly just trying to give them
space and get myself out of the tense situation. He nodded again, his features
still bent up in slight confusion.

"Okay." I nodded back and we ended up in what was almost a nodding competition,
only for me to turn around when Troye's steps on the stairs finally started. What
took him so long? Trying to compose himself after our make-out or something?
Whatever, he can play host now.

I wandered into the kitchen intending to just loot his fridge, pausing in the
middle of the room when I noticed the grey swirls of smoke pouring out of the
stove. My eyes went huge, jaw dropping before I got a grip on myself and flew into
action.

"Troye, the turkey's smoking!" I hollered, only noticing when it stopped that he'd
been talking in the other room. The silence only lasted a split second though
before his footsteps followed, rushing into the kitchen with a panicked expression.
His eyes fell on the smoking appliance and he exchanged one last worried glance
with me before continuing over to it. I bit my lip, fighting the urge to plea with
him to be careful, knowing that was probably borderline too concerned. I couldn't
help it, I didn't want him to hurt himself.

As he opened the door and a cloud of smoke rolled out, I couldn't hold back my
worries anymore. I bounced over to his side and hurriedly grabbing the oven mitts
off the counter, shoving one pair at him as I slipped the other on. He raised a
single eyebrow at me but I just shook my head, gesturing to how big the roasting
tin was. There was no way he'd be able to get something that hot and that big out
on his own, especially taking into account the extra weight of the turkey. There
were handles on both sides. I'd just help him.

He nodded in understanding, both of us going to grab either handle at the same

time. We managed to get it half out when my grip loosened just enough for my hand
to slip down, the base of my thumb rubbing up against the scorching metal.

"Ow!" I screeched, immediately letting go and jumping backward. I winced, bringing

it to my mouth and pressing my lips to it in a bid to cool it down, realizing as
soon as I'd accomplished it that I'd left Troye completely on his own with the
task.

"Jesus Christ, Tyler! I nearly dropped it!" He shouted, sounding genuinely angrily.
I studied the tin, noticing he let it fall to rest on the open door of the stove,
still slipping slightly. Now that it was out of the enclosed space though, he
walked around to the front, awkwardly stretching out to grab both handles before
lifting it up to sit on top of the stove. He turned back to me then, breathing
heavily as if the adrenaline from the heat of the moment was still affecting him.
"Are you okay?"

"No." I whimpered pathetically, purposely over-reacting as I looked over at him

with big puppy dog eyes. He sighed, shaking his head as he walked over to me.
"Come on, run it under cold water." He instructed, wrapping an arm around my
shoulder and steering me over to stand in front of the kitchen sink. He stood
behind me, reaching around my body to turn on the tap. I took a deep breath,
bracing myself for the water's freezing temperature as I tentatively reached my
hand out.

"I'm dying." I groaned as soon as it slipped under the water, my head falling back
to rest on his shoulder. I started to flinch my hand away as the temperature got
colder, pouting when he grabbed my wrist and forced me to keep it there.

"No, you're not."

"I think I might be." I muttered, letting my eyes flutter open to see his reaction.
I was quickly becoming used to this position, since the grinding at the dance
anyway. I'd learned that if I turned my neck just right, I could see most of his
face. Which is exactly how I managed to catch his eyeroll in response, scoffing in
fake offense. When that didn't get his attention, however, I decided to turn to a
different approach. I turned my head and pressed my lips to the closest part of his
neck, mumbling my sentence into it. "You should kiss it better."

"That'll make it worse." He muttered, his indifferent tone making it clear he

wasn't even really paying attention to me. I sighed in frustration, moving my face
back from his neck to look up at him the best I could.

"You don't have to kiss right on the burn, I think it'll still be effective
regardless of where you kiss me." I explained, batting my eyelashes when he finally
looked back down at me. He rolled his eyes, glancing back over at my wrist once
before turning me to face him, keeping that side of me facing the sink and my hand
under the water stream. I squeezed my eyes shut, standing up on my tippy-toes and
jokingly pursing my lips like some sort of duck. I guess I had it coming when he
didn't kiss me the way I wanted then, but I was still upset when his lips ghosted
over my cheek rather than my desired location. "Troye! Not the cheek!"

"So needy." He giggled against my skin, pulling back to lean our foreheads against
each other. I met his gaze with confidence, purposely bringing my bottom lip back
between my teeth because I knew he could see, my own silent form of begging for his
embrace. He smirked slightly, clearly noticing my desperation but not making any
move to satisfy me. I exhaled loudly through my nose, narrowing my eyes into a
glare as I wrapped my free hand around his back. It settled between his shoulder
blades, not giving him any time to brace himself until I pulled him insistenly into
to my chest. We bumped heads and earned winces from both sides, but after he pulled
away and laughed it off, he gave me what I wanted.

He pressed our lips together firmly, the kiss starting open-mouthed rather than
working up to it. He used his tongue sparingly though, only to flick it over my
lips teasingly light or to guide my tongue into his mouth. I began to get
frustrated with his playful movements, sliding my hand down his body only to
reintroduce it to his back, but slipping it under his shirt this time. He gasped
against my mouth, clearly not expecting my cool touch under his clothes. I ran it
up his side, stopping on his ribcage and debating whether to move to his back or to
his chest. I knew he'd rather chest normally, but he may have limits knowing there
are people in the room over. The kitchen doesn't even have a door.

He answered my mental question for me though, one of his hands finding mine over
his shirt, sliding it over to rest on his chest. I smiled against his lips,
beginning to kiss him rougher and thankful when he met my pace, clearly shedding
his teasing and inhibitions now that I was providing him with another pleasant
distraction from his thoughts. His tongue explored my mouth eagerly now, meeting
each of my movements with a more dominant one of his own.

He moaned against my mouth when I shifted my hand to where he really wanted it to

be, pulling away from the kiss immediately afterward. My eyes snapped open in
confusion, relieved when he immediately reassured me with a smile. He lifted the
hand that had been sitting over mine, pressing a single finger to his lips before
nudging his head toward the door. I followed the movement, not seeing anything but
knowing they were likely still in the room over. With a soft sigh I slipped my hand
out of his shirt, letting him take a step away as I turned my attention to the
other hand. It didn't hurt as much anymore, though I doubted it'd stay that way
once I took it out of the water.

I withdrew it with caution, looking at the white mark the burn had formed before
looking to Troye with a pathetic expression. He rolled his eyes again, not giving
me the sympathy I was looking for and instead just grabbing the oven mitts again.
He lifted the cover of the tin carefully, biting his lip as he peered inside. It
didn't look completely black, so that was promising.

"Ugh, we've ruined Christmas dinner." He sighed in exasperation, my heart clenching

at how purely disappointed he sounded. I stepped closer, snaking my arms around his
waist and latching onto his side.

"It looks fine, Troye." I whispered, craning my neck to press our lips together in
a quick peck. Of course that was the second Steele decided to walk into the room
though, our position not at all blocked from his sight now that Troye was facing
me. We pulled away blushing, Steele eyeing us curiously but not necessarily
uncomfortably.

"Where did you guys say Mom went?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow as he looked back
and forth between us.

"Grocery store." Troye answered, relief flooded through me when I heard how casual
he sounded. Maybe he's not as upset about being caught in the act as I though. I
let my head fall on his shoulder, nuzzling my face into his neck rather than paying
attention to his brother.

"Okay." Steele said for what seemed like the hundredth time, his tone that same
awkward confused quiet I was beginning to associate with him. He walked out of the
room then, Troye letting out a loud breath the second he was out of sight.

"Tyler! He's going to tell the whole family about us! Stop being so casual." He
scolded, pushing me off his side. I pouted, leaning back against the counter and
staring down at the floor as I spoke my next words.

"Were we going to keep it a secret?" I definitely knew what answer I was hoping
for. I wanted to be able to tell everyone, I was so proud of finally overcoming our
shyness. But if he wanted to keep it under wraps, I'd go along with it to make him
happy.

"No, but we weren't going to shout it from the rooftops!" He hissed, giving me a
stern look. I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face, realizing it was
only out of embarrassment he'd scolded me.

"Why not?" I pried, smirking at his taken aback expression. It faded into a glare,
a soft sigh leaving my pouting lips as my eyes fell to the ground. "I'm just
excited, sorry."

"Don't apologize, I'm not actually annoyed... It's cute." He whispered the last two
sentences, my heart swelling in my chest just like earlier as I looked up again. I
wasn't expecting to find him looking down at the ground too now, grinning ear-to-
ear at the pink blush dusting his cheeks. He looked back up with a bashful smile,
eyes sparkling as they found mine again. I got lost in them for a second, realizing
just how cheesy the moment was then and tearing my gaze away.

"Oh God, we're already one of those emotional sappy couples. Quick do something
less sentimental!" I said in an urgent whisper, tugging on his shirt as if to kick
him into action. I was expecting him to roll his eyes like he did to every other
sarcastic thing I said, jumping in shock when he brought his hand down on my ass,
smacking it roughly. "T-Troye!"

"You asked." He giggled, a smile laced with fake innocence finding his lips. Prior
to the night of the dance I'd never seen that devilish grin, but all I could think
about seeing it now was when he'd pulled it in the car, when he'd been touching
himself right beside me.

"Here I thought it was the alcohol making you horny the other night." I snapped,
turning around and starting to the refrigerator. Really I was just trying to
distract myself from the path my thoughts were beginning to take, knowing all too
well how I'd end up if they continued.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He cooed behind me, the sarcasm clear in every
word. I opened the fridge in search of any form of distraction, eyes widening when
they fell on the drink of the gods.

"You guys have egg nog?!" I beamed, bouncing from foot to foot eagerly before
grabbing it out. I got an unimpressed look from him as I slid over the tiled floor
to the counter, completely ignoring it as I reached for a mug to drink out of. My
cup was half-filled when a voice rang out through the house, both of us whipping
around to face the door.

"Boys? We're home!" Laurelle called, her voice strained like she was carrying
something. Groceries, probably.

"In the kitchen, Mom!" Troye called, turning back to me as I started to sip at my
drink. I pulled an ecstatic face, eyebrows shooting up as I hummed contently. He
shook his head as he fought off the smile threatening to break out, turning back to
face the other side of the room as his mother walked in.

"Woah, the lines were crazy. I guess I should have expected it, considering it's
the only store around here open on Christmas day, but still." She explained to no
one in particular, walking straight over to the table and dropping off the armful
of bags.

"Steele's here. I think him and Amy went upstairs or something." Troye stated,
looking at me as he spoke to her. I finished my drink and sat the empty cup down on
the counter, furrowing my brows at the weird look I got from him in reaction. He
giggled quietly then, obviously trying to muffle it as he stepped forward to stand
directly in front of me. He grabbed the paper towel sitting on the counter, smiling
as he dabbed a piece over my upper lip. I only realized what he was doing once he
finished, blushing as I realized I'd probably been sporting some type of egg nog
moustache.

He just smiled fondly, tossing the soiled paper back onto the counter and locking
eyes with me. I couldn't quite figure out what he was trying to say with his eyes,
but I didn't entirely care, I was going to pretend that he was asking me to hug
him. I threw myself into his arms, mine snaking up to wrap around his neck. I put
all of my weight on them, watching him start to lean forward in his strain to keep
himself upright with the added weight. I let my feet touch the ground again,
giggling quietly as I buried my face in his shirt.

"I take it you two have sorted everything out now?" I was surprised to hear my
mother's voice rather than Laurelle's, answering as soon as the momentary shock
wore off.

"No, you must be mistaken. I'm not trying to hug him right now, this is discreet
strangling." I beamed sarcastically, lifting my head just to look over my shoulder
at her. I grinned harder at Troye's scoff above my head, his grip that had landed
on my hips tightening.

"Shut-up."

"You two are too sweet, get out of here before you give someone a cavity. We have
dinner to finish." Laurelle beamed, walking by and swatting at our intertwined
forms with a dish towel. We obediently left the embrace, though neither of us
seemed very happy about it as we walked into the living room, dragging our feet
behind us.

We both fell onto the empty couch, my body immediately moving to curl around his. I
hitched one leg over his knees as I snuggled in against his side, my face ending up
pressed into his neck again. I could feel his steady pulse, eyes falling shut as I
suddenly felt drowsy in the comfortable position. That is, before Sage walked into
the room.

"Just a reminder that, despite my status as wing-woman, the no face-sucking rule

still remains intact." She stated, the sound of her sitting down on the couch
opposite us following.

"Wouldn't have expected anything different." Troye said above me, my face falling
at the thought of not getting to kiss him around his house. They were kidding,
right? At least one of them had to be.

I lifted my head with intentions to check, instead practically crashing our lips
together when our faces ended up centimeters from each other. He'd been looking
down at me while I shifted to look up, ending in a pretty compromising position.
While he blushed like mad, I decided to just take advantage of the moment, pressing
my lips against his softly. It was meant to be a sneaky movement, one Sage wouldn't
even notice, but she seemed to have the eye of a hawk.

"I just reinforced the rule! Guys!" She shouted, a pillow hitting my shoulder
seconds later. I couldn't help it, beginning to laugh into the kiss so hard I had
to pull away. I looked over at Sage then, giggling as I took in her flustered and
annoyed state, arms crossed as she glared at the both of us.

"Rules were made to be broken, Sage." I teased, sticking my tongue out and wagging
it at her. She made a face, likely thinking about where the tongue had been, before
turning her gaze back to the television with a shake of her head. I leaned my head
on Troye's shoulder, deciding to do some 'platonic' cuddling for her sake. I had a
feeling she did something to get Troye to come after me after she saw me crying in
the kitchen, and if that was the case she deserved at least a little bit of
gratitude.

By the time we heard the elusive call of 'dinner's ready' we'd sat through two
episodes, my stomach rumbling practically constantly throughout the second of them.
I jumped up before the words even registered with the people sitting around me,
rushing into the kitchen and finding myself a seat. Part of me was worried I'd
stolen someone's specific spot to sit, but I couldn't really be bothered to care
either as I watched my mother scoop out the first of the meals.
"Shaun, go get a couple extra chairs from the other room." Laurelle ordered, Shaun
nodding obediently before trudging off out the door. I smiled at how quick he was
to follow her orders, wondering if Troye would be like that for me. Probably not,
but I can dream.

Troye was nearly a minute later walking into the kitchen, immediately scouting out
a seat next to me and giving me a wave of relief knowing I wouldn't have to sit
surrounded by people I didn't even talk to. That would have been awkward. Even if
I've decided his family are all nice people, I don't think I'm ready to be alone
with them yet either.

"Thanks." I beamed as my mother sat a plate down in front of me, watching everyone
else pile into the room in one big group. They filled the chairs up quick, only
leaving two where I assumed our mothers were supposed to sit. I wasn't sure if I
was relieved or upset it was so far away from us.

I wasted no time digging in to the food, giving an over-the-top groan at how good
it was. My eyes fell shut, savoring the taste as best I could while eating it as
fast as humanly possible. I devoured half the plate in less than a minute with my
eyes closed, confused and disoriented when I opened them again and found everyone
staring at me. Shit. What did I do? "Are you one of those families that has to
thank the lord before eating? Why are you all staring at me like that?"

"Because you're going to be long finished your dinner before their's are even up."
Troye explained, looking over at me with a pointed glare. I blushed, actually
feeling embarrassed as I realized not one more dinner had made it up in the time it
took me to eat half of mine.

"Oh." I blurted, feeling almost spiteful when Troye took to laughing like mad next
to me. I couldn't stay mad at him for long though, especially not when he grabbed
onto my knee to support himself.

"So, I take it I'll be seeing a lot more of you around here in the future?" Steele
asked suddenly, Troye's laughter halting as we both looked to him curiously.

"What gives you that idea?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow. I wasn't denying his
words, though I was curious why he chose to say them.

"I haven't seen Troye smile like that since he was a kid, I'm going to be very
disappointed if I don't see you around in the future." A giddy smile found my lips
then, looking over at Troye with a mix of lovesick and cocky written across my
features. He rolled his eyes, shooting Steele a glare when he thought I wouldn't
see.

"Steele, we were trying to keep the sap to a minimum! We've had enough for one
day." He explained, earning a chuckle from Steele. I looked away from Troye to the
rest of the table, both surprised and relieved to find most of them had their
dinners now.

"Are you kidding? How could you have too much sap after the mess we left you two
in?" Laurelle laughed, sitting down her own plate as the last one, finally falling
into her seat at the head of the table. I didn't miss the way she'd purposely added
a chair right beside hers where my mom sat, both of them even sharing the same
placemat.

"Trust me, we made up for it while you were gone." Troye explained cryptically, a
smile playing at my lips no matter how hard I tried to fight it. I had a feeling
they all noticed too, judging by their matching ones.
"Oh? Something you should tell us?" Shaun asked, eyeing us with pure curiosity
written across his features. I looked to Troye with a similar expression, wondering
where he stood on the whole situation. I wave of relief washed through me seeing
his own matching smile, a mixture of annoyed and flustered as he tried to find
somewhere to look where there wasn't someone staring back at him expectantly.
Failing his mission, he sighed loudly before looking to me and nodding his head
slowly.

"Go ahead." He whispered, my smile growing even bigger as I looked around the table
to make sure everyone was paying attention. They all were, eyes wide and attentive
as they eagerly awaited me speaking up. I took a deep breath, masking my face in
utter seriousness and speaking on the exhale.

"Troye and I... are expecting."

"Tyler!" He shouted at me before I'd even completely finished the sentence,

slapping my harshly on the arm as the table fell into fits of laughter. I waited
until everyone had relatively calmed down to finish, ignoring Troye's pointed glare
like he thought I'd try to make the same joke twice or something.

"-Expecting a lot of congratulations, because we're finally dating!" I shouted,

throwing my hands up in excitement. While everyone else took to squealing and
smiling, Troye simply rolled his eyes next to me, trying and failing to hide the
bemusement on his features.

"Fucking finally." Sage muttered, giggling when we both looked to her in disbelief.
I guess she really had been rooting for us, even with her cockblocking and no face-
sucking rules.

"Sage! Language!" Shaun boomed, even his stern voice not sounding very
intimidating. He was too jolly of a person to seem scary, no matter how hard he
tried. "But God, I agree, took you guys long enough."

"I thought they were dating before and just being sarcastic when they said they
were just friends." Tyde mumbled from where he sat, not nearly as invested in the
conversation as the rest of them. He seemed more concentrated on the plate of food
in front of him, not that I could really blame him for that.

"Congrats, both of you." Steele said with a genuine smile, his features making it
clear he'd known before the announcement. He paused as if debating whether to
continue or not before shooting a glance toward his girlfriend. "Also, not to steal
your spotlight, but Amy and I actually are expecting."

"What?!" Everyone around the table seemed to have the same responses except for my
mother and I, who just smiled politely considering it wasn't really our place to
celebrate. I couldn't deny I was happy for them though, just the look on their
faces made it very clear how excited they both were over it.

"I was looking for a chance to announce it and you guys kind of gave me the perfect
opening." Steele laughed, shrugging his shoulders before almost nervously running a
hand through his hair. I couldn't really blame him though, it was a huge thing to
announce.

"Well? How far along is she? Do you know if it's a boy or girl yet? You better get
a place around here after you finish school this year!" The questions Laurelle
asked were rapid-fire, not a single pause between each one. I had no idea how she
expected them to answer.
"She's only two months, guys, geez. We'll figure the rest out when we get there."
He turned to his girlfriend and gave her a smile then, as if reassuring her
everything would be alright despite the craziness of his family. Come to think of
it, I recall Troye giving me the same look.

"I'm so happy for you guys." Troye said suddenly, my eyes flickering to him as I
studied his features. He really did look genuinely happy, almost like he was on the
verge of tearing up. It was strange seeing how much he'd learned to care again, if
that made sense. No offense to him, but he'd been a bit of an ass to his family
even just the first time I came over. I loved watching him come out of his shell,
bit by bit.

"You too. Who knows, maybe you'll be next." Steele teased, wiggling his eyebrows as
he looked over at Troye. Troye's reaction face was priceless, switching from shock,
to confusion, to flustered, and ending up on unimpressed.

"I don't really think that's how the male anatomy works, but it's the thought that
counts." He muttered, tone slightly hostile. I wrote it off as embarrassment
though, knowing he tended to get a bit snappy when that was the case.

"You know what I mean. When did you get to be such a sarcastic little shit? I kind
of miss the shy Troye that went along with everything I said."

"Oh, he's long gone. You have Tyler to thank for that." Sage replied, dismissing
the question with a wave of her hand as if it was just common knowledge at this
point.

"Thank-you, Tyler. Really." Steele said, turning his gaze to focus solely on me. I
shrugged my shoulders, chuckling nervously as I looked across the room. I didn't
want to take the credit for how Troye had changed, it might not even be because of
me.

"What did I tell you about being sappy!" Troye snapped, picking a pea off his plate
and pinging it at Steele. I was surprised when he immediately went to return the
attack, not realizing he was that immature. He never got the chance though,
Laurelle's strict voice ringing out around the room.

"Alright, boys, stop fighting and go take care of the dishes. Us girls have lots to
talk about!" She announced, pointing out Shaun, Tyde, Steele, and Troye. She
pointed to the sink then, giving a pointed huff as she began to stand. Troye
started to giggle next to me, his eyes flitting around the room and refusing to
meet mine. Realizing what he was getting at I gasped, gawking at Laurelle.

"Are you implying I'm a girl?" Her eyes went wide, clearly realizing her slip-up.

"No! I just meant- You know, the guests and ladies get the night off. I forgot
there was- You know what, just do whatever you want." She sighed, walking over and
offering a hand to Amy. They walked into the living room then, an unimpressed Sage
and excited Jackie trailing behind them.

"We should go outside!" Tyde beamed just as they left the room, looking to me for
my thoughts on the matter. I shrugged my shoulders, eyebrows quirking when Laurelle
leaned back into the doorway.

"If you go outside you don't have to do the dishes." She offered, Tyde's eyes
lighting up even further. He looked to me with desperation now, like he was begging
me to get him out of his chores. I wasn't sure why he couldn't just go outside on
his own, but I decided it couldn't be that bad to spend some time with my
boyfriend's brother.
Boyfriend. I'm never going to get used to the way that sounds.

"Yeah, I'll go outside." I decided aloud, smiling at Tyde's dramatic hoots of

success as he jumped to his feet, racing out of the room. I stood up much slower,
taking my time to walk across the floor to where Troye was standing by the sink. I
placed a hand on his lower back, deciding not to get anymore forward than that with
his older brother and father standing a few feet away. They'd probably encourage
getting handsy in this backwards family, but that didn't mean I wanted to where
they could see.

"Are you coming?" I asked shyly, trying to ignore the intent focus of his family
members as they watched us interact. Troye hummed intuitively, thinking for a
second before shaking his head.

"I'm gonna help out I think, I might afterward." I nodded my head, trying not to
let any disappointment show as I started out of the room. I could tell just by his
tone he had no intention of going outside, but I refused to call him out on his
blatant lie. I couldn't blame him for not being an outdoorsy person, it wasn't his
fault.

Instead I trailed after Tyde on my own, reaching the entryway just in time to watch
him duck out the door with Sage. I sighed, tugging my outdoor clothes on and
bracing myself for the cold as I slipped out the door. However, I didn't remember
to brace myself for the inevitable snowball bombarding.

"Hey Tyler!" Tyde and Sage shouted in unison, the feeling of snowballs pelting my
chest following a mere second later. I fell back against the door with a whine,
regaining my composure a second later and taking off from the doorstep.

"Let me build a fort first!" I shouted, covering my head with my hands as I ducked
behind a particularly large drift of snow from the plowed driveway. They both
sighed loudly in response, but they did agree after their hesitation, deciding it
was 'only fair'. I immediately set to work, knowing it'd take a while to build
anything that'd ward the two of them off for any amount of time.

It was only ten minutes later that I found myself in the middle of an intense war,
sheltered behind my small fort as I listened to Tyde's threats.

"Give up now! Resistance is futile!" Tyde shouted geekily, another badly-aimed

snowball flying right over my fort, instead hitting the side of Troye's car. He'd
be killing us if he were out here, considering how many of them have sailed right
onto his precious pile of metal and plastic.

"Never!" I screamed back, jumping upward suddenly to completely attack them. I'd
been stocking up on weaponry for a good ten minutes now, meaning my firing was
basically unstoppable as I pelted them down. They both ended up on their butts
shouting that they wanted a rematch, laughing like idiots as they brushed the
freezing snow off of them. It was weird seeing them act so childish, knowing the
winter weather brought out my inner five year old exactly the same. "I'm going to
go get Troye so it's an even match this time."

"Good luck, he hates outdoors even more in winter." Sage said grumpily, beginning a
snow angel as she watched me walk across the lawn with lumbering steps. I turned to
face her with a smirk.

"I'll persuade him." I purred, watching their expressions change from content to
horrified as they realized the way my mind was drifting.
"Ew! Tyler! You're disgusting!" They both shouted, turning to face each other and
exchange matching petrified faces. I just cackled as I stumbled up the steps,
gripping the railing for support given how heavy all my winter clothes were. I
brushed myself off as best I could before opening the door and stepping inside,
knowing the task of putting the wet clothes back on would be horrendous. Troye had
better give in and go outside after all the work I'm going through to ask him.

After getting all the outdoor clothes off I started into the kitchen, trying to
ignore the wet footprints I was leaving through my socks. I found Troye in the same
place as earlier, standing in front of the sink. Except his father had gone
somewhere, leaving him with only Steele at his side. That wasn't so bad, he'd
already seen us kissing.

I started across the room with a determined wicked smile, freezing halfway there
when Steele turned and noticed me. I was about to sigh and give up, expecting him
to alert Troye of my presence, but I was pleasantly surprised when he just turned
back to Troye and continued their conversation like nothing had happened. I picked
up my pace again, eerily tip-toeing across the floor before coming to a stop
directly behind him. Grinning, I threw my damp freezing arms around his torso and
pulled him back my equally-as-cold chest.

"-thinking about options and- J-Jesus Christ! Tyler!" He shouted, trying to jump
out of my vice-like grip and only really succeeding in pulling me closer against
him. My breath hitched as he sent my hips grinding against him from behind, quickly
moving to regain my composure as I rested my chin on his shoulder.

"Hey babe, did you miss me?" I beamed, trying to get a view of his reaction. He
groaned, shoving my arms off roughly and turning to glare at me.

"I hate you." He stated harshly, shivering slightly as he brushed the melted snow
off his arms. I shook my head, stepping closer to him as a grin spread across my
lips.

"You love me." I insisted, leaning in a second later to whisper the rest of my
statement in his ear. "You even said so yourself."

"Shut-up." He muttered, cheeks heating up as he backed out of the second embrace.

He didn't look very impressed with me, but he did look adorable, flustered and
angry like that.

"We're almost done here, Troye, if you want you can just go. I can finish." Steele
offered, giving me a particularly large smile when our eyes locked over Troye's
shoulder. Troye started to shake his head and protest, annoyance seeping into my
mood as I listened to him fight it.

"Well, I should probably help-"

"Thanks, Steele!" I shouted, grabbing Troye's wrist and forcefully dragging him out
of the room. He complained constantly as I led him into the entryway, pausing once
we were beside the shoe cubby and pointing to them expectantly.

"Come on, put your boots on." I instructed, groaning in frustration when he crossed
his arms and outright confused. Deciding I was desperate enough to do anything at
this point, I sunk down to my knees and grabbed the boots for him. I lifted one of
his legs before he even realized my intention, a gasp leaving his lip as his
fingers wove through my hair, tugging at it insistently in a bid to regain his
balance. I tried to keep my mind from drifting, I really did, but I was on my knees
in front of him while he pulled on my hair, what do you expect from a dirty-minded
teenager driven by hormones?
After managing to get his first shoe on I moved on to the other, giggling under my
breath every time he lost his balance and brought the foot back down before I was
finished. I was still wrestling with it when the door opened suddenly. Our heads
both turned, immediately noticing Sage's uncomfortable expression as she peered
around the door.

"I'm not sure what this is, but I'm adding it to the rule of things not allowed in
my proximity." She stated strictly, a bubbly giggle leaving my lips. She proceeded
to explain she was just coming to check how long we'd be, disappearing back outside
when I told her a minute at most.

I turned my attention back to Troye then, fighting desperately with the stupid
shoe. I finally managed to get it on and sat back on my haunches, admiring my work.
A sudden idea popped into my mind and I trailed my hands up from his boots, running
them over his jean-clad legs and not stopping until they reached his behind. He
clenched his jaw, staring down at me but not scolding me like I'd expected. So I
decided to take advantage of the rare moment he let me get away with things like
this when we were in danger of being seen, grabbing at his ass and purposely
increasing my grip with each of the movements. I waited patiently for him to
object, surprised when he lasted a good minute before his voice rang out, raspier
than usual.

"Tilly, cut it out." He said quietly, lust pooling downward at the tone of his
voice. God, he is way too hot for his own good. I got to my feet, albeit a bit
reluctantly, and shrugged on my coat. I handed him his next, thinking better of it
and lifting it over his head. I helped him put it on, even doing the zip up for
him. I was quite proud of myself, only getting sidetracked once and rolling his
nipple between my fingers through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. That he'd
immediately rejected, likely because of the noise that clawed out of his throat
unwarranted in reaction. Had I not heard what it was like when he came undone, I
might have said it was the hottest noise I'd ever heard him make.

"Now, come on. We have a snowball war to win." I stated, trying to get my mind off
the path it had found it's way onto again, determined to be filthy despite my
better judgment.

"Wait for me!" Troye shouted, not fully prepared when I gave the call to invade. I
charged on ahead despite him falling behind, taking one for the team as I ran
across the small stretch of yard between the enemy's fort and our own. I made it a
little bit over halfway, dodging every snowball they launched, when a particularly
large one sailed through the air and collided with my collarbone, breaking apart
and sending shreds of snow and ice down my shirt. I fell to the ground with a
dramatic groan, throwing an arm over my eyes.

"No! I've been hit! Man down!" I shouted, writhing around on the ground in what I
hoped was a reasonable dying impersonation.

"Tyler, you idiot." Troye sighed as he finally reached me, a smile tugging at the
corners of my lips when I heard his footsteps stop, alerting me he'd paused by my
side to make sure I was alright, even if I was just an 'idiot'. He knelt next to me
and I removed my arm, our eyes locking before we moved on to scan each other's
faces. God, he was gorgeous. He was pale, but not enough to look sickly, especially
not with those deep red cheeks, flushed from the cold. His eyelashes were long
enough to collect flakes of snow, framing his huge, blue, concerned eyes perfectly.

Before I realized what I was doing fully I reached a hand up, gripping the back of
his neck and trying to pull his face to mine. He didn't fight the movement, but he
was slow, only making it halfway before I got to watch up-close the view of a
snowball smashing against the side of his head. He jumped off of me then, falling
into the snow at my right. "Ow! That one had ice in it!"

"Do you want to wave the white flag?" I asked immediately after he'd finished
speaking, not wanting to risk another snowball impact even if we were already shot
down. I wouldn't put it past Sage and Tyde to be such bad sports they attacked us
while we were down.

Troye's eyes lit up at my suggestion, excitement pooling into all of his features.

"Does that mean we get to go inside?" He asked hopefully, turning onto his side
beside me. I shivered noticeably when he hitched his leg over one of mine, letting
it settle directly between the two. I fully intended to blame it on the cold if he
asked though.

"No! They're talking about childbirth in there!" I shouted after a few seco

Chapter Sixty-Six
*Tyler's POV*

Smut warning: aGAIN KALI?!?!?!??11?!? Yes, get used to it, there are many more to
come (ay) and I'm having fun writing them. Also, the acts themselves might not be
very realistic for virgins just a heads up, but I tried to make it seem virginy, at
least the first one. Idk go read also its so hard to pinpoint where the smuttiness
starts its like over half the chapter but okay.

"I should get to choose the music, I'm the guest." I pouted, reaching for the
control panel yet again. It was probably my fifth attempt at least, Troye's hand
coming down on mine each time and swatting it away. As expected, he kept up the
pattern this time as well.

"You're the loser bumming a ride, I get to choose the music." He retorted, slapping
my hand away with ease, his other hand remaining tightly gripping the steering
wheel. I groaned over-dramatically, sinking down in my seat and looking out my
window with a pathetic frown.

"Only because you paid for my car to get fixed and basically forced me to be
carless for a week." I muttered, my angry facade surprisingly convincing. I guess
it was easy to sound ticked off when the background music was the most atrocious
alternative vocals I'd ever heard. Don't get me wrong, I adore different types of
music and Troye's taste normally, this was just one song that came on his favorite
station and he refused to change it just because it was his channel. Lord knows
he's not enjoying it either.

"Excuse me, I'll never buy you anything again." He snapped, beginning to sound
genuinely irritated. I bit my lip, trying to think of some flirty or funny quip I
could make to get back on his good side. I smiled once I thought of one, scooting
out of my seat to lean my head on his shoulder. We were on Marcus's road, only six
houses away at most, I'm sure I'd be safe for that far without a seat belt.
Especially considering it's a community full of kids and the speed limit is like
thirty.

"But I'm carsexual, you can't just take my car away. How am I supposed to get
intimate now?" I whined, batting my eyelashes as I looked up at him. He didn't
grace me with a reaction, only a reply.

"I'm sure you'll think of something." I caught the slight smirk after he finished
speaking though, lifting my head to gasp and throw a hand over my heart.

"Was that flirting, Troye Sivan?" I scoffed, forcing fake disbelief over all my
features. He risked a glance over at me, looking back to the road while shaking his
head just barely enough to be noticeable. "Inappropriate. You should be
concentrating on driving."

"That's very hard with you sitting next to me." He mumbled, tone almost spiteful in
the way he said it. I debated taking actual offense or taking a hint and giving him
some space, but when the innuendo entered my mind I couldn't ward it off.

"What isn't very hard when I'm sitting next to you?" I purred, purposely trying to
make my voice sound as flirty as possible. Even with that extra hint at which way
my mind was drifting, it still took him a second for everything to click into
place.

"Tyler!" He shouted, turning his head to face me now rather than just glancing in
my direction. I giggled at first, bursting out into my signature cackle when he
turned away with a scowl on his face. He was still shaking his head slightly,
though his gaze stayed firmly trained on the road ahead of us now. "I can't believe
you."

"I'm pretty unbelievable, huh?" I replied cheekily, spinning his words to sound
like a compliment. As if I hadn't known before, his answering scoff made it very
clear that wasn't his intention. I planned on staying silent after that, but after
passing another house we were close enough that we could see Marcus's drive despite
the trees surrounding it.

"Ugh, look at all the cars." I groaned dramatically, sinking down in my seat and
pouting. He made it sound like it'd be even smaller than his last party, just a
couple of friends having a sleepover. I wasn't going to stay the entire night if
there were this many people, especially not if they were all drinking. I didn't
really want to be around that and I highly doubted Troye would.

"Are you lusting after cars or unimpressed by the amount of people?" I blinked at
first, realizing I'd gotten lost in my thoughts long enough for him to park the
car. We'd ended up on the side of the road across the street, considering everyone
else had taken up every square foot of his driveway. I didn't really mind though,
it'd make it easier to get out if we did end up leaving earlier.

"Both. That Toyota over there, woof." I sighed, throwing a hand over my heart as if
to show just how smitten with the vehicle I was. He furrowed his eyebrows, looking
between me and the car in particular I was talking about with utter confusion
written on his features. Finally, he stopped, staring at me now.

"Woof?" He questioned, my lips turning up into a smile of success since he'd asked.
I'd just recently came up with the term and I wanted to see if it could catch on.

"Woof." I confirmed, only getting an even more confused look in response. I

giggled, deciding I would probably need to elaborate. I made hand gestures and
facial expressions as I spoke, hoping it would help him understand. "You know, like
when you see a cute butt and it's like woof. Or when you someone gross tries to
come onto you and it's like woof."

"So is woof a good thing or a bad thing?" He questioned, his voice tentative like
I'd laugh at him for asking the question because it was obvious or something. To me
it did seem pretty obvious, but I was also the person to invent it so maybe that's
why. Either way, I was certain there was a teasing twinkle in my eye as I responded
to him.
"It depends how you say it." He groaned, as if this did absolutely nothing to help
him, and let his head fall to rest against the steering wheel.

"I'm so done with you." He muttered, clearly just frustrated he couldn't make sense
of my trendy saying. At least that better be why.

"You love me." I insisted, gasping when he didn't grace me with a response. I
glared at the side of his head, sliding closer to him on the seat and resting my
head on his hunched shoulder. I watched the beginning of a smile start to quirk his
lips up, smiling myself as I started to get the reaction I'd been hoping for. I
started to kiss along his jaw then, pulling away when I couldn't go any further
without the steering wheel getting in the way.

I wasn't expecting it when he followed my movement, sitting up again himself and

turning to face me. I bit my lip as I took in his hooded eyes, trying to keep
myself under control as he started to lean forward. It was obvious he was after a
deep kiss, though I pulled away the second our lips brushed. We were already
running late, we really should head inside before we get carried away. "See? Told
you so."

"Okay, fine, I do. Do I get a real kiss now?" He asked, batting his eyelashes
hopefully. I was about to explain my reasoning against it, but I didn't get a
single word out before he was attaching his lips to my neck. I bit my lip, knowing
I had to put a stop to it before things got out of hand.

"Troye." I said levelly, tensing as he started to lick over my neck. "Troye!" I

snapped as he nipped at my sensitive spot, smirking against my skin as he
completely ignored my warnings. "T-Troye!" I shouted now, pushing him off of me
when his hand settled just a little too high on my thigh to be ignored.

"You're cute when you're flustered." He snickered, leaning back in to peck me on

the lips before finally turning his attention to his door. I wasn't nearly as happy
to see him go now as I would have been earlier though, more content to sit in the
car with him than actually attend the party if this was how it'd go. Maybe we'd
move to a more secluded spot than Marcus's driveway, but it definitely sounded like
a more desirable alternative to ring in the new year.

I didn't tell him that though, a mix of too shy and too late considering he was
already halfway out of the car. So instead I followed his lead, scooting over and
getting out my own door. I rushed to reach his side then, grabbing his hand just as
he started across the snow-covered yard.

We hadn't told any of our friends about our relationship yet and I was curious to
see if they'd even call us out on our coupley behavior. Troye figured they'd just
assume we were still 'just friends' that had a very deranged idea of what friends
do and don't do. I guess he had a point, we'd always held hands and cuddled before.
The only thing we didn't do on the regular was kiss, though Zoe had caught us once
at the dance. But I doubted we'd be kissing all that much in front of them tonight
anyway, so we'll probably be fine.

I was practically clinging to his side as we walked up the steps, freezing just
after the short walk from the car. He was the one to knock, surprising me when he
wrapped his arm around me when he finished rather than letting it fall back to his
side like before. I happily nuzzled into him further, not even caring when the door
flew open and whoever it was got a clear view of our embrace. I did glance over
before they spoke though, surprised to find Shane rather than Marcus.

"Hey guys! Marcus is in the middle of a very heated game of beer pong so just make
yourselves at home." Shane greeted, gesturing behind him as if leading the way we
should walk into the house. There was only one hallway so our options were actually
pretty limited, but we both just went along with it.

Shane walked off as soon as he closed the door behind us but we didn't really mind
the loss, concentrating on ourselves as we got our winter gear off. I loved the
snow, but the heavy coats and boots did get a bit tiring fairly early on.

"They didn't say there'd be alcohol." Troye muttered as I stood back up, looking
slightly uncomfortable as he chewed on his bottom lip. I grabbed his hand and
squeezed it supportively, keeping them entwined as we walked further into the
house.

"I think it's sort-of implied at a teenage New Year's Eve party." I laughed, ending
the sentence quietly as we reached the end of the hallway. In front of us was the
match Shaun had mentioned, the game set up on Marcus's expensive looking kitchen
table.

I debated ducking out of the room before anyone saw us, taking too long to decide
considering Marcus turned just as I made my decision to run.

"Troye! Tyler! Do you guys want to play next round?" He beamed, greeting us both
with a wide-stretched bear hug. I didn't enjoy being squished into a sweaty drunk
man sandwich, pushing him away as I got ready to answer for both of us. However,
Troye surprised me by speaking up himself.

"I, uh, I don't drink." He muttered, cheeks aflame as if he was genuinely

embarrassed to admit something like that. He shouldn't be, it's totally a matter of
personal preference.

"Change your outlook since the last time we saw each other, huh?" Marcus snickered,
his drunken alter-ego already beginning to annoy me. It might have been fine had I
been intoxicated too, but as I was I picked up on just how asshole-ish he was
acting. "What about you, Ty?"

"Not tonight." I stated firmly, even managing to get annoyed by his indifferent
shrug of response.

"Suit yourselves." He turned and walked off, leaving me feeling a bit bad at just
how happy I was to see him go. I turned to Troye and pecked his cheek quickly,
noticing the unimpressed expression he had already, so soon into the party.

"Come on, let's go see where the others are." I told him, turning us both to face
the stairs. We started down side by side, not entirely sure what we would find down
in the basement in contrast to that mess upstairs.

I wasn't actually that surprised when we paused at the landing and took in the
state of the room, watching all the couples seated on every possible surface, or
each other. They were under the pretense of watching whatever movie was flickering
across the screen, but I didn't see a single person with their eyes on the
television. They were all too focused on their significant others, or strangers,
who really knew how they knew each other. All that was clear was the fact they were
all very horny and didn't seem to be sober enough to care who watched.

"I think we've walked into a clothed orgy." Troye whispered, leaning closer so he
could whisper in my ear rather than say it aloud.

"It's not an orgy, just a bunch of couples making out in the dark." I defended,
only trying to stick up for them because it was still a better option than
returning upstairs with the obnoxious drunks.

"Are we going to?" Troye whispered in obvious confusion, the question so unsure and
ludicrous that I couldn't help it when I burst out into a laugh in response. I
immediately regretted it though, watching as one of the couples broke apart, the
girl turning to look at us with huge familiar eyes.

"Troye and Tyler! When did you guys get here? Come over here!" Zoe squealed, waving
us over dramatically. I debated turning and going back upstairs then, I really did,
but I decided that probably wasn't the best bet. She'd probably just try to follow
us and hurt herself. So instead I walked across the room, pretending to go along
with her 'reeling us in' movement.

We fell onto the space on the couch she left for us, thankful we only had to share
it with her and Alfie. Still, it was only meant to be a loveseat, meaning Troye was
pressed up against my side between us anyway.

"Hi, Zoe. How are you?" I greeted, offering her a smile in greeting. She blinked,
tilting her head to the side in obvious confusion.

"I'm eighteen." She answered with a smile, a sigh leaving my lips as that answered
exactly how drunk she was.

"Oh, okay." I replied, deciding not to call her out on her irrational reply. It'd
only confuse her further in this state. She didn't seem to want to dwell on the
topic anyway, considering the mischhievious smile currently spreading across her
lips as her gaze flickered between Troye and I.

"What are you guys doing down here? Looking for a dark place to be alone?" She
purred, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"Actually a place to avoid the loud drunks upstairs." I explained, watching her
face fall in reaction before a dramatic groan left her lips, drawing the attention
of every couple in the room.

"When are you guys going to get together?" She whined, leaning back against Alfie
in a pout. He seemed even more out of it than her, content to just stare off into
space uselessly when she wasn't paying him attention.

I seriously debated how to answer her. From telling the truth and seeing if her
drunk ass would remember tomorrow to just letting Troye answer. I ultimately
decided to just tease her, my own form of revenge for forcing to come down into
this awkward couple haven with her.

"Who knows really, could be years at this rate." I answered, giggling at her
answering glare. I expected her to protest, surprised when she did the opposite and
completely ignored me. She turned back to Alfie, who seemed more than happy to play
the part of comfortable distraction from frustrating friends.

She crawled back onto his lap and they immediately crashed their lips together, the
embrace seeming sloppy and gross from where I sat watching. I felt bad for Troye
though, considering he was literally sat right beside it. I turned and tried to pay
attention to the events going on all over the screen, quickly realizing it was just
some type of documentary and getting even more bored by the second. I was debating
escape methods when my phone finally went off in my pocket, giving me a distraction
with perfect timing so I wouldn't have to look for one.

"I'm uncomfortable." I read in silence, trying to resist the urge to audibly giggle
at Troye's text. Not just because Zoe was beside him, but because I didn't want to
encourage him. They were our friends, even if they were a bit disgusting and
couldn't keep their hands off of each other. They probably thought the same about
us during the dance.

"Shh, be nice." I replied quickly, trying to turn my attention back to the screen.
It didn't work though, my phone going off again in a matter of seconds.

"They're making noises." I turned to look over at him this time, scrunching my face
up at him before turning back to my phone.

"You would be too if we were kissing like that."

"You're awfully full of yourself, Ty." I smirked, picking up on the flirty aspect
of the message just through the text.

"Nah, I just know from experience." I didn't even bother to try putting my phone
down now, eagerly waiting for the notification alerting me he'd replied. I jumped
on my phone the second he did, slightly embarrassed that he could see just how into
texting him I got now. Normally we texted when we were far away from each other,
meaning he couldn't see just how much I relied on his responses.

"I think I might go get some water upstairs. Do you want anything?" I pouted
slightly when I found he wasn't going to continue the flirting through text. I
respected his decision though, already worrying about him upstairs around those
drunks. What if they tried to pressure him into drinking? Was he strong enough to
reject their offers if they did?

"No. Make sure what you're drinking is actually water this time though." I replied,
trying to make it seem like teasing despite how genuinely worried about him I was.
I couldn't help but smile at his simple two-word response though.

"Hate you." I watched him raise from his spot then, only realizing once he'd gotten
to his feet the downside of the situation as this left no space between me and the
practically connected bodies on the other half of the couch. I shot a glare at the
back of his head, sighing softly because I knew it wasn't his intention and he
definitely couldn't see my reaction.

I looked back to my phone, trying to fight the urge to watch him walk away like
some sort of clingy boyfriend. Then again, I was his boyfriend now, and we were
literally in a room full of couples, I doubt any of them would judge me. I glanced
back up with this in mind, eyes going wide when they landed on his feet and where
they were about to step. I opened my mouth to warn him but it was too late,
watching as he tripped over the edge of a shoe just barely sticking out from under
the couch.

"Ah!" He exclaimed, falling forward and throwing his arms out to catch himself. All
he really succeeded in doing was knocking against a beer bottle on the table. He
fell on to his stomach, immediately rolling over with flushed cheeks to pick
himself up. However, he didn't realize the bottle was still rocking on the table,
finally losing balance and falling off now. It flipped onto it's side and poured
all over his lap and stomach, a frustrated sigh leaving his lips as he grabbed it
and placed it back on the table with a little too much force to be considered calm.

"Oh, sorry man." One of the people sitting on the couch laughed, likely owning up
to the fact that it had either been his shoe or his bottle. Either way, I don't
think the apology really made Troye feel any better about the situation. I watched
him rise to his feet and stomp toward the stairs, immediately jumping to my feet
and following after him, albeit less clumsy than he had.
I reached him just as he reached the landing of the stairs, placing a calming hand
on his lower back.

"Come on." I whispered, following him up the stairs. He sighed despite the smile I
noticed on his lips, continuing ahead of me but still taking the time to reply.

"You're gonna miss the movie."

"I wasn't watching it, if you couldn't tell by the way my eyes were glued to my
phone." I laughed, realizing just how little time I had spent watching the right
screen once Troye started texting me. We really were just as bad as those clingy
couples, even if we weren't quite to the stage we were ready to show it off in
public quite like they did.

I followed Troye into the bathroom, careful to make sure no one spotted us slipping
in together. I didn't really have a problem with people spreading rumors in
general, but we were in a rush to make sure it didn't stain right now and I didn't
want to deal with their intoxicated idiocy.

"Do I really make noises like that?" Troye asked once the door was closed, my
eyebrows shooting up for a second before I realized what he was getting at. I
smiled to myself as I rummaged through the drawers under the sink, locating a white
face cloth after a few seconds.

"Only when you're really into it." I replied, digging it out and starting the tap.
I went to work getting the entire cloth wet, wringing it out so I wouldn't soak him
any further.

"So every time then?" He asked, voice so quiet and shy I couldn't help but feel a
bit bad for him.

"Pretty much." I laughed, remembering the multiple occasions I'd caught on to the
noises. Normally I was distracted by the kiss enough to not noises, but sometimes
I'd notice the soft sighs, whimpers, and moans he made when he got really into it.

I began to worry when I went without a reply, abandoning the cloth on the counter
next to the sink and turning to check on him. He was staring at his feet with his
eyebrows scrunched together, looking like he was deep in thought. I took a step
closer, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to reassure him. What if he thought I
didn't like them or something and tried his best to stop?

I reached up and cupped his jaw, forcing him to look at me as I spoke my next
words, hoping that'd make them sink in better. "It's hot, don't worry about it."

"Yeah?" He asked curiously, searching my eyes as if to make sure I was telling the
truth. I nodded eagerly, leaning in to press our lips together.

"Mmm, it lets me know I'm doing something right." I mumbled into the kiss, pulling
away the second I thought he was going to try and deepen it. We didn't really have
time for that right now, not if he really cared about preventing stains. "Take your
shirt off, we might as well just put it in the sink."

"What will I wear?" He questioned, lifting his shirt up before I even answered and
making it very clear just how much he cared. I raked my eyes over his exposed
torso, watching his slight muscles flex as he tossed the clothing article into the
sink.

"My sweater." I answered finally, clearing my throat before I spoke up. I knew it'd
be raspy and deeper if I didn't, just from looking at his exposed chest.
"It looks like I pissed myself." He blurted suddenly, my eyes flickering downward
to see if he was right. I smirked a bit at the huge stain, trying not to let it
show too much. He was obviously embarrassed already, I didn't want to make it
worse.

"My sweater's long enough to cover it, let's just make sure it doesn't stain." I
explained, grabbing the cloth from where I'd left it earlier. I started to pat at
the wet area, knowing it probably wasn't the most useful method but doing the best
I could without having to completely undress him. Not that I was opposed to the
idea, but I didn't have a spare pair of pants I could lend him and I doubt he'd let
me just snag a pair of Marcus's for him.

So instead I stuck with trying to rub the stain out with them still on him, knowing
after a few seconds it probably wasn't going to achieve anything. Well, that was a
lie actually, judging by the way his hands kept flexing into fists at his sides, it
was going to achieve something, it just wasn't going to have anything to do with
the stain. I pressed down harder on purpose, biting my lip to control myself when
his hips jerked forward against the touch, a low moan leaving his lips. He caught
himself immediately afterward, hands snapping up to cover his mouth as his eyes
went wide.

"I am so sorry." He said, sounding incredibly nervous. Does he really not know by
now how much I enjoy reactions like that? I'd purposely pulled that one out of him,
what more did I have to do to reassure him?

"Don't be." I insisted, stepping close enough the length of our bodies were pressed
together. I was about to grind my hips forward, figuring that was a pretty easy way
to reassure him, when a knock sounded suddenly on the other side of the door.

"Are you almost done in there?" Marcus asked, an annoyed groan of exasperation on
the tip of my tongue as he got on my nerves for the hundredth time tonight. I held
it in though, taking a step back and grabbing Troye's shirt out of the sink. Troye
didn't seem nearly as casual, looking slightly panicked when he spoke up.

"Tyler, what do we do? He's going to assume something-"

"He's drunk as hell, he won't remember a small detail like us leaving the bathroom
together tomorrow." I assured him, leaning in to peck my lips to his cheek. He
sighed, nodding his head as he stepped away from the door so I could open it. I was
far from happy about being interrupted, expecting to at least get to make out with
him before we were forced down into the awkward dark pits of the basement.

"Ayy." Marcus greeted as we walked out, only to make a face and rush past us into
the bathroom, probably something to do with not holding his liquor well. I rolled
my eyes, turning to head back to the kitchen. However, halfway, my eyes fell on the
door to Marcus's bedroom down the hall. It was closed, meaning it was off-limits to
normal party-goers. That would be the perfect place to pick up where we left off,
wouldn't it?

*Smut Warning*

"Wrong way." I said in a singsong voice, arm snaking around Troye's waist and
nearly knocking him off his feet when I started to pull him in the opposite
direction. He caught himself though, turning around in my grip. He stumbled along
beside me, turning to shoot me a weird look when I paused in front of a familiar
white door. Familiar to me, probably not to him.

I was relieved to find it unlocked, pushing it open just as the bathroom door
started to open again. Realizing I didn't have any time to waste, I tightened my
grip on his hip and ducked into the room, dragging him along with me. I pushed the
door closed behind us as soon as he was through, clamping a hand over his mouth
before he asked the inevitable question of what the hell we were doing.

Surprisingly he didn't try to shrug out of the embrace, just standing there pressed
up against the door and staying completely silent. I waited until I'd heard the
footsteps fully retreat, giving a loud sigh or relief and removing my hand once
they had. I heard Troye audibly swallow, breathing heavy as if nervous. I couldn't
really blame him though, I'd more or less just forced him into a dark room and
shoved him against a wall.

Deciding to reassure him in the easiest way, I took a step closer and pressed the
length of my body against his. With my sense of sight compromised it seemed to be
even easier to hear, catching his quiet gasp in reaction with ease. I placed my
hands on either side of his head against the door, sliding them up slowly as I
rolled my hips against his. I heard his breath catch, waiting until the second he
inhaled again to wind my fingers through his hair.

I used my grip on his hair to tilt his head to the right, advancing on his neck the
second I saw a clear opportunity to. I immediately when for the desperate pace we'd
led up to in the bathroom, finding my spot of preference under his jaw and finished
off the hickey I'd started earlier. I pulled away with the intention of checking
how much the color had deepened, scowling when I realized I couldn't see in the
dark room. Deciding it was a problem easily solved, I backed away from Troye a
step, breathing heavy and voice low as I spoke up again.

"Come on, let's move to the bed." I urged, grabbing his hand loosely in mine. I
didn't pull him to come along with me, simply gripping it tight enough that he
could easily break out of the grip just by refusing to follow my movements. He
didn't though, instead obediently trailing behind me so close he stepped on the
back of my heels when I came to an abrupt stop. I bit my lip when he stumbled
forward and his hips ground agaist my backside, forcing myself to concentrate on
getting some light in the room before I acted on my more primal desires. I wanted
to be able to see him, see every single reaction I managed to pull out of him.

I turned and grabbed him by the shoulders, quickly stepping out of his path to push
him ahead of me instead. He let out a confused hum, only to follow it up with a
loud gasp when I suddenly pushed him back. He tried to clutch to my hands at first,
only to completely abandon them when he landed on the bed, the sound of the springs
squeaking with the heavy impact making it clear. Deciding he was probably good for
a second on his own, I turned and reached for the bedside table, locating the lamp
after a couple seconds and turning it on.

I winced slightly as the light flickered to life, eyes adjusting in a matter of

seconds. As soon as they had I turned my attention back to the bed, quickly wetting
my lips as I took in the sight of him again. I'd only been without it for a minute
at most, but it was still long enough for me to want to really drink in the sight
of him now. He'd crawled up the bed far enough that his head would fall on the
pillow, had it not been propped up on one of his elbows. He legs were crossed too,
something I doubted was comfortable given his tight wet jeans and the noticeable
bulge in them I'd felt just a few seconds ago. I guess it was possible he might be
feeling bashful, though I doubted it'd stay that way for long given our past
experiences. He tended to get a bit... careless once we got into things, even if it
was only kissing.

With that in mind, I eagerly crawled onto the bed with him, staying sat on the edge
as we locked eyes. We held each other's gaze for a few seconds before he looked
away, blushing as he stared over at one of the poster-covered walls. Smirking to
myself, I stalked further up the bed, pausing when I'd reached the same heighth as
him. I debated my next move for a second before swinging one of my legs over his
hip, settled myself down sitting directly on his lap. I watched his jaw clench in
response, secretly thrilled with even that small reaction I'd pulled from him. I
couldn't wait for more, to hear him make pleasured noises and lose control over his
own body as he got lost in me.

I leaned over him and pressed our lips together with a strained amount of self-
control, keeping it slow-paced despite how badly my body protested it. I even
refused his request to deepen the kiss, surprised in myself for managing it. It was
worth it though, smiling to myself as he pulled away with an irritated groan. He
let his head fall back against the pillows and glared up at me, a permanent pout
seemingly inbedded into his swollen lips.

"We shouldn't even be doing this. Let's just go watch the movie. There's no lock on
the door, anyone could walk in."

"That's half the fun." I argued, slightly ticked off that my teasing hadn't gone
the way I wanted. It was supposed to get him more desperate for me, not annoyed
enough to give up on the moment altogether. I'd just have to make it up to him by
really distracting him now, enough to make him have trouble remembering his own
name, much less where we were.

I crashed our lips together with a renewed passion now, not holding back as I
eagerly moved mine against his. I had to fight the urge to let them quirk up into a
smile when he started to make the noises we'd discussed earlier, satisfied grunts
and sighs in the back of his throat as he lost himself in the embrace. I didn't
really have to ask for permission to introduce tongue, practically forced when he
opened his mouth and left it uncomfortably ajar against mine until my tongue
slipped out to meet with his. He snapped back to life then, moving his tongue
eagerly against mine, sucking on it lightly before pushing into my mouth to
explore.

We concentrated solely on the heated kiss at first, the first to drift away from it
being Troye. I wasn't expecting it when he grabbed the back of my neck, pulling my
mouth harsher against his. I moaned into the kiss, much louder than he had been,
but he didn't seem alarmed or surprised by the sound. His hand started to drift
lower, seemingly content with that amount of reaction. My heart began to race as it
traveled past the space between my shoulder blades, wondering where it was going to
come to a stop. If I was right, which I hoped I was, it really seemed like Troye
was beginning to lose his inhibitions already. If that was the case, I knew exactly
where his destination would be.

I broke away from the kiss to let my head fall to rest against his collarbone. I
panted open-mouthed in a desperate bid to regain my breath as quick as possible,
wanting to get back to the feel of his mouth on mine. I got momentarily sidetracked
though, eyes falling closed as his hand reached the small of my back. I waited
patiently for it to move lower, starting to lift my head only when I was sure it
wouldn't. However, as if that was his cue, he slipped his hand lower immediately,
grabbing at my ass and pulling me harder against him. I sunk my teeth into my
bottom lip in an effort to bite back the moan that threatened to escape at the
unexpected friction he'd created, sitting up again rather than staying in the
hunched-over position. He lifted an eyebrow, watching as I braced my arms on either
side of his body so I wouldn't lose balance. I rolled my hips down against his
then, a long deliberate thrust that had both of us throwing our heads back, careful
not to make a sound despite how badly we both felt we needed to.

After that I repeated the action, picking up a steady pattern of it and grinding
our bodies together harshly. I couldn't help but think about how different this
position would be without the clothes separating us, but I tried not to dwell on
it. Not that I had a problem with my thoughts taking that route when we were
practically dry-humping in my best friend's bed, but I'd prefer to stay in the
moment rather than get lost in some fantasy. They were great, but they didn't come
close to actually having Troye sprawled out beneath me.

"This is a lot more fun than the movie, huh?" I chuckled breathlessly, not
stilling my movements at all as I spoke, despite the throbbing in my thighs from
all the physical exertion. Troye had started writhing along with me at some point,
trying to get as much friction as possible out of each roll of my hips.

"Mmm." I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his less than satisfactory response,
letting my hands move to his chest rather than the bed. I clenched my fists
involuntarily with each wave of pleasure, eventually gripping bunches of his shirt.
However, that did cause his shirt to ride up and expose his lower stomach, so I
couldn't really complain. My eyes raked over the newly-exposed skin, happy to have
something else to stare at. It didn't quench my thirst quite like I'd hoped for,
only leading me to be more desperate as my eyes fell on the familiar happy trail. I
still hadn't seen where it led to, my patience growing thinner the more time
passed. I wasn't happy with just the grinding anymore, suddenly rolling off to lay
next to him.

He reacted immediately, turning his head to face me in confusion. He furrowed both

of his eyebrows together, silently begging me to explain before he had to ask. I
decided to let him off easy, knowing I'd have to explain my actions no matter which
route I took.

"Your pants would probably dry faster if you took them off." I explain, nodding my
head downward. He seemed confused for a second before a nervous smile found his
lips. There was the hint of something else there too, excitement maybe, or maybe
just surprise over my sudden suggestion. To be fair, I doubted either of us had
expected to go as far as we had already today.

"You think so?" He replied, glancing down between us at his jeans again. I nodded
my head eagerly, trying my best to get him to follow-through without seeming
desperate. He looked back up and locked eyes with me once more, the mixture of
anticipation and nerves I found dancing in them oddly comforting. It was just nice
to know he was on the same page as me, nervous despite how amazing everything was
going right now.

Despite my efforts to seem indifferent, I couldn't help but whimper softly when he
actually reached down between us. I watched with eager eyes as he started to fumble
with his button, heart racing. I couldn't tear my eyes off of him as he unzipped
his pants, neither could I when he took them off and tossed them across the room.
In fact, I was still staring mindlessly when he'd abandoned them completely and
turned back to me with an expectant expression.

"God, you're big." I exclaimed without thinking, realizing what I'd said only after
it was too late. My eyes went wide as they finally flickered away and back up to
his, surprised to find his cheeks flushed a deep red. I'd been expecting a cocky
expression, getting ready to tease me about getting so worked up over just the
outline of his length through his briefs, not this bashful one on his face now.

"Shut-up." He muttered, blushing profusely and refusing to meet my gaze. Picking up

on how nervous he was all of the sudden and wanting to put him back at ease, I
quickly sat up and peeled my shirt over my head. His eyes followed the movement,
darkening as they flickered back down to cover the expanse of my chest.

I settled back down laying beside him, both of us on our sides facing each other
now. I stretched my neck out to press my lips to his again, keeping the kiss slow
and deep. It was more to regain his confidence from earlier than anything else,
thankful when he started to speed it up after a few seconds. I didn't put my full
attention into the kiss even then though, instead more interested in my hand as it
moved slowly across the space between us. I lifted it and settled it on his hip,
noticing the slight pause in the kiss in reaction. He picked up the pace again
though, nipping at my bottom lip eagerly when I didn't immediately move along with
him.

Taking that as permission, I slipped my hand lower down his front, settling it over
the bulge in his briefs. He broke the kiss off completely then, dark eyes
fluttering open to lock with mine at the same close proximity. We were too close to
look down between our bodies still, instead just contently getting lost in each
other's eyes as I pressed the heel of my hand down. He exhaled loudly, hips bucking
forward to meet the touch seemingly on their own accord, judging by the blush that
followed. Eager to reassure him, I did it again, not halting before repeating the
movement another time and another, picking up a steady pattern.

Feeling him grow harder under my palm, I switched to running my hand up and down
the outline under the cloth. He bucked forward almost constantly now, but he didn't
seem embarrassed by it any longer and I definitely didn't mind, feeling myself
throbbing just over how into it he was.

"Yeah, it's in my room." My hand froze, eyes going comically wide as the sound of
the approaching footsteps and voices really registered. Troye looked utterly
mortified, scanning the room as if trying to find some other exit.

"Tyler!" He hissed under his breath, looking at me in a total panic. I just shook
my head, jumping off the bed in a rush despite how uncomfortable my pants made it.
I hurried to the closet door then, waving Troye over when he hesitated on the bed.
He followed, albeit a lot more hesitantly. He did let me shove him into the dark
confined space though, immediately leaning back against one of the walls as I
closed the door behind us. I sighed out heavily, listening to the door open to
Marcus's room.

"Our clothes are still out there!" Troye hissed suddenly, eyes wide enough to be
seen even in the low-lighting provided by the small window at the top of his
closet. I quickly placed my hands on either of his shoulders, pushing him back
again

Chapter Sixty-Seven
*Troye's POV*

No, this isn't another smut warning. There's some stuff in here that's like
flashbacks of parents breaking up and basically I don't want anyone who's extremely
sensitive to stuff like that to read it. I'll explain in the ending author's note
what it was and basically avoid the italicized text and you'll be fine.

"I'm nervous." I muttered, watching Tyler scan his eyes over today's lunch options.
There wasn't actually that much to choose from, but as always he was ecstatic. We'd
been standing in the same spot for two minutes now, but not because of how slow the
long had been moving, but because that's how long it was taking him to choose. He
was letting people butt him in line just to spend more time choosing between gross,
grosser, or grossest. None of it looked even remotely good today, but he didn't
seem to share my outlook.

"Why?" He asked finally, apparently getting a spare second away from his food
ogling to reply to me. I glanced back over toward the back corner, swallowing
nervously as I watched our friends interact. From afar, it looked no different than
any time ever before. That didn't give me any comfort though.

"The last time I saw any of them was at the party after we, well, you know." I
muttered, cheeks heating up at the memory. I was beginning to get a bit more
confident talking about things like that now, but having people standing directly
beside us made me really consider my words before speaking. The last thing I want
is to be overheard and unintentionally cause a huge scene. People may not be
outwardly homophobic around the school now, but that doesn't mean they aren't at
all. It was better to be safe than sorry.

"I don't know if you're thinking about what I'm thinking about, maybe you should
elaborate- Ow!" Tyler whined, holding the back of his head where I'd instinctively
hit him when he started to tease me. It was his own fault for always being so
sarcastic and annoying.

"Don't be such a dick." I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring at
him. He smirked then, never once taking his eyes off the glass pane covering the
food as he replied with an extremely cheeky tone.

"You are what you eat." Despite how bluntly he'd said it with that familiar
mischievous grin, it still took me a second to really understand what he was
getting at. The moment I did though, I could feel my cheeks heat up, the warmth
spreading to the tips of my ears.

"I fucking hate you." I grumbled, following suit as he sidestepped to stand in

front of the ordering counter. Before he spoke up though, he turned to face me
again, keeping his voice in a hushed whisper as he replied.

"That's not what you said when I was sucking your dick." I gasped, immediately
snapping my mouth shut and trying to hide my reaction to his blunt words. I should
be used to it by now, especially after actually being in sexual situations like
that with him, but I wasn't sure I'd ever get over his teasing.

However, I was beginning to have the same effect on him. There'd always been the
rare occasion that I made Tyler speechless, but it seemed to be occurring more and
more as of late. Though, to be fair, most times it happened was when we were in the
middle of those sexual situations. While he got shy and embarrassed, I lost myself
to the moment and shed every single inhibition, saying things I'd never dream of in
any other situation. I couldn't bring myself to regret or be embarrassed by them
though, remembering the reactions they pulled out of Tyler more than the words
themselves. No, I definitely liked the feeling of being in control for a change, so
I couldn't really blame Tyler for his neverending obsession with pulling reactions
out of me.

Our relationship was growing in the physical aspect as well, both of us already
learning what the other liked and becoming confident in our actions. It'd been a
little over a week since new years and I was already beginning to have trouble
counting the amount of blowjobs and handjobs we'd given each other. Tyler was
always the one to initiate it, our role reversal usually starting after the clothes
came off. He got bashful, I got brave, and it worked surprisingly well.

"That'll be twenty-two dollars and thirty-six cents." Tyler started to reach for
his wallet, halting when I held up a hand. I snatched my own out quickly then,
before he could change his mind and protest my actions. I shoved the money at her,
thankful I'd decided to tune back into the real world at just the right time to pay
for him. I'd bought basically everything I could ever need with my past few
paychecks, the only thing I had to spend it on regular being gas money and phone
bills. So now, with an unnecessary amount of money on top of my regular allowance,
I was practically looking for things to throw it away on. Tyler seemed to be the
perfect option, especially when I saw his tiny blush in reaction to the gallant
gesture.

"Thanks." He mumbled, turning and starting across the room. I followed beside him,
completely ignoring the lunch lady's expectant stare. While she didn't question my
lack of order, it only took a matter of seconds before Tyler did. "Are you not
eating?"

"We'll share." I assured him, smiling widely as I wrapped an arm around his
shoulders. In all honesty I figured I'd get more benefits from going without than
eating that gunk he had, but the idea of sharing with Tyler was strangely
appealing. Maybe it was just all the scenes I'd seen in movies of couples sharing
food and drinks, making it out to seem all-romantic. I doubted it'd really be that
loving of an experience, especially with that mush he was eating, but it was worth
a shot.

"You're lucky I love you." He snapped, my eyes immediately rolling at how

protective he was of his disgusting food. I still found myself dwelling on the
actual words though, despite the hostile way he'd spat them. I would never get
tired of hearing him say how he felt about me. It might have been considered clingy
how much I lived off of the reassurance of his feelings, but it's not like I didn't
have reason. I was used to people leaving me, it felt weird having one I could rely
on for a change. The good kind of weird though, of course. The best kind of weird.

I was still walking with my head in the clouds and my heart pounding insistently in
my chest when we reached the table, nearly knocking myself off my feet when I kept
walking after Tyler stopped, the arm around his shoulders completely throwing me
off balance.

While I managed to catch myself, I also managed to catch the attention of everyone
and anyone in the surrounding area. I blushed under their gaze, taking a step
closer to Tyler and practically clinging to his side. While I felt embarrassed, I
didn't panic and freak out quite like I would have before, surprised by this
revelation. I guess it might have had something to do with Tyler being by my side,
something I didn't really want to admit to. Just because I can rely on him doesn't
mean I should as much as I do.

"Hi guys!" Tyler beamed suddenly, my gaze snapping up from the floor and finding
his rather than even checking who he was talking to. They didn't really matter all
that much anyway, not when Tyler's eyes were so easy to get lost in.

"Hey! We haven't talked since the party! What's up with you two?" I turned to face
them then, cracking a nervous smile as my eyes met with Zoe's curious ones. She
couldn't possibly know, she's just asking because she's genuinely curious. Then
again, the answer would still be something along the lines of 'we've been avoiding
human contact and constantly getting each other off', so maybe a bit of acting is
in store regardless of whether she's onto us or not.

"Nothing really, just being a couple of recluses together." Tyler answered

cheerily, setting his tray down before slipping onto the bench, me stumbling on
after him. I leaned my head on his shoulder now, feeling unusually clingy now as I
hugged his arm to my chest. He seemed unphased, other than the struggle he was
having eating his lunch with his left hand. It made me feel a bit special knowing
he put me before his eating abilities.

"Sorry, all I heard was 'just being a couple', can you repeat what you said?" Tyler
just smiled and looked down at his plate at this, the obviously faked smile making
my mood deplete quickly. Why is he- Oh. He probably wants to tell them. It was him
that mentioned something about wanting to shout it from the rooftops, wasn't it? Is
it really bothering him that much having to keep from shouting it out at them?

I sighed, deciding I'd better get my own priorities in order. While my happiness
comes first, it pretty much relies on his happiness, meaning just one thing.

"Close enough." I muttered, smiling as I watched the tables expressions change to

one of bewilderment. Okay, maybe Tyler's onto something, it's fun as hell watching
this.

"What?! You're not going to deny it?" Zoe shouted eagerly, bouncing on her seat. I
felt like slapping her considering we already told her and Alfie once, but I guess
they were more intoxicated than we thought. She seemed almost cautious as she took
a deep breath, expression serious as she spoke her next words. "Are you two
together? Finally?"

"Maybe-" I didn't even get to finish a single word before Tyler was nodding
eagerly, shouting out over me.

"Yes!" I turned to face him with an unimpressed glare, the expression immediately
wiped from my face as he leaned in and quickly pecked our lips together. I sighed,
knowing he'd done it partially to reinforce his words, but I couldn't be mad at him
for kissing me.

"What?! Why didn't you tell me!?" Zoe screeched, giving us both exasperated stares
until one of us cracked and spoke up. One of us being me.

"We came out as a couple at the party, not our fault you don't remember it." I
answered, trying to keep from sounding too sassy. I loved Zoe, she could just be a
bit much at times.

"I was drunk!" She shouted, turning a few heads with her loud confession. I sighed,
letting my face drop into my hands in my own bid of exasperation.

"Still not our fault." Tyler stated next to me, a smile finding my lips despite the
fact none of them could see it. I looked out through the cracks between my fingers,
getting a decent view of Zoe and her unimpressed reactions.

"I hate you both." Zoe pouted, crossing her arms and looking back and forth between
the two of us.

"Whatever." I said dismissively, purposely acting like I couldn't care less to

irritate her. Judging by the wicked smirk she grew in answer, I may have made the
wrong move. She bit her lip as if trying to restrain herself, but judging by the
mischief in her eyes we all knew that wasn't going to work. Her resolve finally
fizzled out, her upper body leaning across the table toward Tyler and I. Naturally
I just backed farther away, but Tyler seemed indifferent as he sat there munching
away at his food, even as she leaned over the tray at way too close of a proximity
to be comfortable.

"Have you done it yet?" She whispered, a disgusted expression forming on both of
our faces at the 'seductive' tone she attempted. Even despite her blunt way of
wording it I found myself beginning to blush again, cursing my body's natural
reaction when her eyebrows shot up inquisitively. I was actually a bit annoyed by
her prying, her eyes all over me like she could pull an answer out of my body
language or something.

"We just started dating Zoe, calm down." Tyler said, his tone absent of it's usual
cheer. She didn't move away like I wanted though, just turning away from Tyler and
focusing solely on me.

"I saw the way you were at the dance and if that's any indication-"

"It's not. I was drunk." I snapped, clenching my jaw in an effort to keep my voice
from sounding too hostile. I assumed it didn't work, considering how quickly she
jumped back into her seat. I almost would have felt bad, had I not been so
irritated with her right now.

"Okay, sorry, I didn't mean to hit a nerve." She mumbled, immediately turning away
to face Alfie. He quickly wiped his shocked gaze away, turning to face her with a
smile and letting her strike up a conversation like that hadn't just happened. But
it had, we both knew it had. I couldn't help it, I just didn't like the way she
constantly tried to act like she knew more about Tyler and I than even we did.

However, I could feel the anger and spite seeping out of my body the second Tyler
grabbed my hand, weaving his fingers through mine and squeezing tightly.

I hope he's okay, I know he's sensitive about the alcohol stuff. But at the same
time he has to realize Zoe means well, even if she's a bit abrasive and insensitive
in her methods.

I sighed as I let his thoughts sink in, realizing how stupid I was being getting
upset over this. I honestly have no idea where I'd be without him sometimes. He's
so reasonable. So good. I'm not sure what I did to deserve someone like him, but
I'm not going to dwell on the 'why', I'm just going to be thankful that I have him.

"Did you guys see the posters about that girl around the school?" I looked up to
Alfie curiously after he spoke, trying to recall any new posters I'd seen. I
couldn't think of any, but apparently Zoe could.

"The one that went missing on Christmas? Yeah, it's heartbreaking." She spoke up,
tone apologetic and genuinely sad as if the topic really upset her. Maybe she knew
the girl.

"Just a few blocks away from the school too, anything could have happened to her."
I bit my lip, an unsettled feeling washing over me the more we discussed the topic.
I still had no idea who the girl was or anything more in-depth on the story, but it
was still enough to worry about, stuff like that happening so close to us. What if
something happened to Tyler?

"I guess we should all be careful, huh?" Tyler suggested, looking around the table
with what was probably supposed to be an encouraging smile. It didn't look right,
the smile not reaching his eyes like usual. It's not like I could blame him though,
the topic wasn't exactly one you could grin through.

"Maybe she just didn't get the present she wanted and ran off, don't be so morbid."
Alfie laughed, Zoe's immediate offended scoff making it blatantly clear he'd made a
horrible move. She reached up and smacked him, probably a bit too hard to be
considered playful.

"A child is missing from it's home and loved ones, that's morbid in itself!" She
spat, rage seething through each of her words. I had to agree with her now though,
it wasn't a joke. That girl could be anywhere and her family probably feels
horrible.

"Sorry, bad topic idea. Let's talk about something else." Alfie backtracked,
rubbing at the back of his head. I made a face when they started a conversation
about some girl in our grade that had announced her pregnancy over Christmas break.
Not that I had a problem with it, it was more the way they talked about her. I
didn't want to contribute to a negative discussion like that, instead grabbing my
phone with my free hand and fooling around on it. It was a matter of seconds before
an alert flashd telling me Tyler was texting. I read it immediately, grinning
harder with each word.

"We should get out of here." I snapped my head up, locking eyes with him
immediately. Both of our smiles grew from miniscule from huge, ending up staring at
each other with stupid giddy smiles. I looked back to my phone eventually,
realizing we'd never be able to actually leave if I didn't reply.

"And go where?" I replied, watching his face as he read it and typed out a reply.
He didn't show any reactions to either, making me wonder how boring his reply was.
I was prepared for a straight-forward boring answer, nearly choking on my own
tongue as I read the actual one mentally.

"I hear your car is a stellar spot for heated make-outs... and the occasional
facial." I spluttered a bit, trying to fight the laughter threatening to escape for
the sake of everyone else at the table. I didn't last long though, bursting in a
matter of seconds and nearly collapsing onto the table in a fit of giggles. Tyler
laughed next to me, but a quiet one. It was quite clear he was more concerned with
relishing in the fact he'd made me laugh so hard than anything else.

"You guys are too cute, it's not healthy to set everyone else's relationship goals
so high." Zoe muttered, giving us a fakely annoyed look. I watched through watery
eyes as Tyler calmed down before me, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Sorry." I managed to choke out, taking deep breaths as I tried to calm myself
down.

"No you're not." Tyler laughed, shoving me away playfully before starting to get to
his feet. I quickly regained my composure then, eagerly jumping up to stand beside
him. "We've actually got other plans for this lunch hour, you guys won't mind if we
leave?"

"That depends. What are these 'other plans' you speak of?" Alfie asked, his
suggestive tone accompanied by the most sexual expression I'd ever seen on anyone,
much less Alfie. I groaned, about to turn around and just march off. However, Tyler
spoke up before I got the chance.

"We're gonna go make-out in his car, right Troye?" I turned to gawk at him for a
second, trying to communicate with him through nothing but my eyes. Either he was
completely oblivious to my unimpressed stare or he just didn't care, grinning up at
me like he deserved praise and not annoyance.

"He's joking." I said firmly, turning to lock eyes with each of them individually.
Judging by the way they looked to each other and smirked afterward, they did not
believe me. Ugh, it was worth a shot.

I didn't even bid them farewell before grabbing Tyler's hand and marching off. I
wasn't actually that grumpy, but I was curious to see how he'd try to make it up to
me if I held out with the act. He stayed silent next to me, though I didn't think
it really had so much to do with being nervous of upsetting me as just being
comfortable with the silence.

It wasn't until we walked outside that he spoke up, huddling closer to my side and
shivering against me.
"Brr." He exclaimed, teeth chattering as he spoke and making the word sound
distorted.

"Serves you right." I snapped as we reached the car, still clinging to the hope I
might get something out of it if he thinks I'm actually upset. He looked up at me
in disbelief, gasping and throwing a hand over his heart. I rolled my eyes at his
obvious show of fake surprise, leaning forward to open his door. It wasn't a
chivalry action, it was just to get him to stop clinging to me. Or at least, that's
what I was going to tell him if he asked.

He slipped into the car happily, keeping eye contact as I walked around the car to
my side. It was completely distracting though, my knee ending up bumped against the
corner of the hood when I watched him instead of where I was going. I cursed,
muttering angrily under my breath as I finished the trip and fell into the driver's
seat. I slammed the door shut and immediately went to turn the car on, noticing
Tyler's quivering frame as he shivered helplessly.

As soon as I sat back in my seat his needy expression changed, advancing toward me
across the seat with sultry eyes. I swallowed roughly, not protesting as he swung a
leg over my hips, settling himself down on my lap. His arms reached up and wove
around my neck, fingers distractedly tugging at the small hair there as our eyes
locked.

"I missed you this weekend." He purred, leaning in to kiss up my jaw. I clenched my
teeth together, breathing heavily through my nose as I tried to think up a
response. I'd only been gone for Saturday and Sunday, going on a very boring
shopping trip to the city with my family to celebrate Sage's birthday. I guess that
was long enough for him to feel the loss though, considering how desperate his
movements were now.

"Calm down, sheesh. It was only two days apart." I said, trying to brush it off as
something casual. Apparently it didn't work though, given the ludicrous expression
I was greeted with.

"Exactly." I rolled my eyes, sighing softly as he went back to kissing at my neck.

I knew our friends would be mentioning the new hickey standing out in contrast to
my pale skin, but I didn't really have the resolve to push him off either.

"That's not a long time, Tyler." I laughed breathlessly, moaning lowly when he
nipped at the sensitive skin.

"It feels like a long time." He replied, grinding his body down against mine with a
surprising amount of effort. I gasped, my hips naturally bucking back up under him.
He sat back up and continued the movement, his devilish grin making it clear he had
no intention of stopping, especially not with my encouraging natural reactions.
Even usually he wasn't quite this desperate, making me really wonder why he had so
much pent up sexual frustration.

"Could you not have gotten yourself off?" I laughed, deciding the only way to find
out was to ask him. That was the first thing I said or did to make his movements
halt, a deep blush finding his cheeks as he looked down between us.

"It's not the same now." He muttered, my own cheeks heating up as I realized what
he was saying. Touching himself doesn't compare to being with me, at all. I
grinned, oddly satisfied with the idea of him only getting off under my hands.

"Not in the school parking lot." I muttered, my tone absent of hostility now as I
leaned forward and kissed his cheek. He sighed knowingly, making it clear he hadn't
really expected me to say anything else. While it slightly irked me that he'd been
getting me hot and bothered knowing we couldn't follow through, I couldn't really
get mad at him after that confession.

"After school?" He asked hopefully, searching my eyes curiously. I shook my head,

squeezing his hip affectionately.

"We have work." I explained, watching his face fall even further. We both knew we
worked every day this week aside from the weekend, making up for how much time we'd
had off during Christmas break in a sense. Bruce was pretty easygoing, basically
letting us choose when or if we worked. I felt bad constantly taking time off
lately though, deciding we'd better start now. However, the weekend was completely
free. "What are you doing this weekend?"

"Why?" Tyler asked curiously, hand moving up to weave his fingers through the hair
on the back of my head. I bit my lip, trying to figure out how exactly I wanted to
spend the free time. We could just stay in like we had been the last couple of
weeks, purposely choosing the house without family home so we wouldn't have to
worry about any sounds we made. And while that was great, I figured we'd better get
out in public at least once every couple of weeks.

"I have nothing in particular to spend my paycheck on and was thinking we could go
shopping, my treat." I explained, turning to gauge his reaction. He bit his lip,
apparently having to think about it considering his thoughtful expression.

"I'm not just letting you buy me stuff like some type of sugar daddy." He
concluded, immediately earning an eye roll from me. Leave it to Tyler. Half the
time he's begging me to pay for things and when I actually offer it's considered
rude.

"I want to." I tried to assure him, moving my hands up and down his sides. He
shrugged his shoulders, turning to look out the window.

"We'll see, I don't want to impose." I rolled my eyes even harder now, seeing right
through his polite act. He'd already made up his mind, probably as soon as I'd
offered it to him.

"But you'll come?" I prodded, trying to solidify the plans even if he ended up not
letting me spend all my money on him. I seriously doubted that'd happen though.

I guess he saw something in my words that I didn't though, judging by his evil grin
as he leaned forward. He pressed our lips together gently, brushing his against
mine as he spoke.

"As many ways as you'll let me." I blinked, shoving him away when I realized what
he was getting at. He spun off into his uncontrollable cackling fits then, gripping
my shoulders for support as he shook with laughter in my lap.

"You're despicable."

*Timeskip to that weekend.*

"You're never going to finish that." I stated blandly, watching as he continued to

gorge on his fourth burger. Worse yet, I didn't even believe my words, I knew damn
well he could finish that, but that didn't change how concerning it was.

"Watch me." He jibed back, grinning lazily before devouring another bite. I sighed,
shaking my head lovingly as I looked at all the bags sitting in the chair next to
him. So much for not wanting me to be 'some type of sugar daddy', huh Tyler?

"You know, when I said I was taking you shopping I meant for useful things like
cute matching couple outfits or, I don't know, maybe even blue hair dye. I did not
mean going to the grocery store and buying all of your favorite foods in bulk." I
sighed out, watching his answering indifferent shrug.

"I guess you should have specified." Half of me wanted to groan in exasperation
while half couldn't help but smile at the entire situation. Tyler in general
really, he was something worthy of constant smiling.

"Why did I expect anything else from you?" I laughed, shaking my head as I turned
to look around the room. We'd been shopping for a little over an hour when Tyler
announced it was time for food, not giving me a say on the matter at all as he
tugged me off to the food court. We were still there now, considering he'd ordered
enough food to feed a small army.

"Do you really want me to go blue next?" I looked over at him curiously, not
expcting him to bring the conversation back after such a long pause. Either way,
this was the closest we'd com to a discussion about his hair color and I'd been
wanting to suggest blue for a while now. This was my perfect chance. If I don't
mention it now I might not ever. I was about to speak up, mouth even unhinged
slightly, when Tyler decided to add more. "What if it looks bad? What if purple's
the only color I can pull off?"

"It's going to look amazing. Please? Do it for me?" I pleaded, nervous immediately
after saying it. Not even because of his reaction, I was too busy staring at the
table to see that, but because of all the possible ones. What if he thought I was
being vain and accused me of caring about his looks too much? Obviously that isn't
the truth and I'm not really that passionate about the blue hair, I'm just curious
to see what he'd look like with it.

"I do not change anything about myself for any man, Troye Sivan. I do the things I
do because I want to do them." He spoke up finally, my throat feeling unnaturally
dry as I thought about his response. He was so confident, such a contrast from me
and even him a few months ago. And though his words weren't exactly welcoming to my
suggestion, the teasing tone hiding behind them was practically inviting me to say
more on the topic.

"Not even the man that buys you copious amounts of junk food, puts up with your
never-ending sex drive, and offers to pay for you to have it professionally done?"
I prodded, grinning cheekily as I leaned across the table toward him. He'd
abandoned his food when the conversation started, surprisingly, meaning there was
nothing between us as we both leaned forward. We didn't kiss though, staying just
centimeters from touching.

"You say 'puts up' like it's a bad thing. I didn't hear you complaining while you
were 'putting up' with it." He muttered, giving me a spiteful look. I blushed,
realizing it had been over a week now since we'd done anything. Would it be totally
wrong to bribe him with that? Probably.

"Have I ever told you I have a thing for blue hair? Blue hair might just make me
feel more inclined to 'put up' with it again." I whispered, trying to sound
seductive and failing horribly. However, he seemed more impressed than I thought he
would, eyes darkening as they studied mine. Then again, it has been over a week, he
could probably get turned on by anything at this point.

"Fine, but you're holding up your half of the deal." He sighed out finally, an
eager grin finding my features as it sunk in that I'd gotten my way. I was about to
pull away from our close proximity, freezing when his shoe-less foot started to
travel up the inside of my leg. It paused on the chair between them, pressing down
on the crotch of my jeans lightly. "Every part of it."

"O-Okay." I stuttered out, unreasonably turned on just by the simple action. He

grinned then, shifting away and putting his shoe back on like it was nothing.

"Well? Are we going or not?" He asked expectantly, holding a hand out to me after a
few seconds of standing beside the table waiting. I took it, using my other to grab
his bags. They were heavy, but I didn't complain, hauling them along like it was my
job.

Ten minutes later and we were standing in front of the last possible hairdresser
choice in the mall. The others had all been appointment-only, which was a bit
irritating. But judging by the 'walk-ins welcome' sign in this one's window, I was
hoping we wouldn't have a similar problem here too.

I led Tyler inside, dropping the bags on a chair in the waiting room while he
walked straight up to the counter. The girl looked up after a second, flashing a
huge fake smile before turning to her computer.

"Hi, do you have an appointment?" She asked, looking to him impatiently like
couldn't finish whatever she was doing until he answered.

"No, but your sign says you take walk-ins." He explained, pointing out the sign
hanging in the window. She nodded once before turning back to the computer and
typing something out on it.

"What are you looking for?" She asked, tone disinterested as her gaze remained on
the monitor.

"A cut and a dye." He answered without hesitation, my lips quirking up into a smile
as I walked over to stand beside him. She nodded her head, typing something more
into the computer before looking back at him.

"Okay, just letting you know that things can get a bit pricey when you add in the
cost of the professional dyes. You're okay with this?" She said quizzically,
offering another of her never-ending supply of unconvincing smiles. Tyler didn't
hesitate here either, just leaning harder against my side as he replied smoothly.

"Of course, I'm not the one paying." She gave an annoyingly high-pitched laugh to
that, nodding her head as her eyes flickered between the two of us. Likely trying
to figure out if we were friends or together.

"I'll go get your hairdresser." She announced finally, turning on her heel and
disappearing through a door that led to the back of the shop. I looked around the
room at all of the models distractedly, wondering if Tyler was just talking about a
trim or genuinely wanted to switch things up with his hair. I wasn't sure which
sounded more appealing, deciding I'd be totally happy with either. I doubted there
was a thing out there that could make Tyler Oakley anything less than gorgeous,
both mentally and physically.

I was thrown off that train of thought by the click of heels as she walked back
through the door, a tall hunky man standing behind her. He looked older than us,
probably early twenties. He was a strange mix between twink and muscular, topped
off with an extravagant fashion sense that I found even myself jealous of. What I'd
give to have a wardrobe full of things like that. "This is Justin."

"Hi, Justin." Tyler purred immediately, my eyes going wide as I turned to look at
him. He seemed oblivious to my incredulous reaction, just continuing to oogle over
Justin like I wasn't standing right next to him.

"Nice to meet you...?" Justin's voice matched his outstanding exterior, something
that made me pout even harder. Is there anything he doesn't have going for him? I
bet he can sing too, maybe he even reads minds and knows how to actually turn it
off.

"Tyler." Tyler answered his unspoken question, a grin on his lips as they made eye
contact. I watched it linger, feeling oddly left out in the room despite the fact
the secretary woman was there too. She didn't count though, especially when she was
watching their exchange like she'd just pushed together a match made in heaven.

"Are you ready?" Justin asked, clearing his throat before speaking up. I was really
looking beginning to regret my decision to speak up about the hair colour, deciding
it definitely wasn't worth this. What if they're good friends by the time I come
back. Or worse, maybe they'll hook up in his styling chair! Okay, that's not
exactly realistic, but I still don't like the idea of leaving them alone for over
an hour.

"Yeah, one sec." Tyler answered, biting his lip with obvious intentions before
turning away from him. He walked back over to me then, surprising me when he threw
his arms around my torso and nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck. He pressed
his lips against one of the few hickeys he'd created earlier, backing away a bit to
whisper in my ear. "Thanks, babe. I'll see you afterward."

"Alright, have fun." I whispered back, making eye contact with Justin over Tyler's
shoulder. He had a curious expression on, as if he'd just noticed me standing there
for the first time. He lifted an eyebrow as our eyes met, mine immediately
narrowing into a protective glare as I wrapped my arms back around Tyler's
shoulders. I squeezed him to me tightly, watching Justin's answering eye roll. I
bit my lip, looking to the floor as it sunk in just how little he cared about my
protective behavior. It's not like I was the least bit intimidating.

"Stop worrying, you're way hotter." Tyler muttered, my cheeks heating up as I

realized he'd purposely said it loud enough for the others to hear. He pulled away
almost reluctantly, pecking our lips together before turning and sauntering after
his hairdresser. I couldn't help the cocky smirk when we made eye contact this
time, surprised by the surge of confidence Tyler had given me with just one
reassuring sentence.

I debated sitting there in the waiting area until Tyler was finished, realizing
it'd probably be an hour for the dye to set which would get insanely boring. That
wasn't even mentioning the secretary, occasionally glaring at me like I'd
personally offended her by breaking up her dream couple.

With all of this in mind, I made the decision to carry everything out to the car
first. I'd walk back inside and find something to do around the mall then. I
gathered everything up and started the long walk to the nearest set of doors, not
looking forward to the cold temperatures outdoors.

By the time I got everything stuffed into the car I couldn't even feel my feet,
shivering violently as I slammed the trunk shut. Why did Tyler need so many
groceries anyway? Jackie wouldn't have to shop for months. Actually, that's a lie,
she might have to to buy healthy food, considering the contents of his groceries
includes nothing but sugar-coated junk.

Despite being in no particular rush to do anything, I was still jogging across the
parking lot. I wanted to be back into the nicely-heated building more than anything
else right then, freezing to the point that my coat was doing nothing to help.

I rushed toward the doors, face tucked under the edge of my coat to block the
pelting snow. I had never been more thankful for automatic doors, not having to
shrink out of my cocoon before rushing inside. I regretted it though, wishing I had
of watched where I was going when I smashed directly into someone.

"Hey, idiot, watch where you're going!" He snarled, shoving me away harshly. I
gasped as his hand made contact with my shoulder, pain shooting through my mind as
a slew of images flew through it. My head was throbbing, but they didn't stop.

I have to get back to her. What if she escapes. God, why are there so many people
here? They have no idea who I am, what I've done.

I groaned, clutching my temple as I rounded the corner and immediately rushed into
the men's room. Thankful to find it empty, I walked over to the sinks, splashing
warm water on my face and taking deep breaths as the images played on repeat in my
mind again.

It didn't stop like usual, repeating until I was forced to pay attention despite
how badly my head hurt. First I saw a girl, playing on her front lawn and making a
snowman. Next the girl was screaming, grabbed under the shoulders and hauled
harshly into the back of a van. I got to watch the route the driver took, assuming
he was the man I'd just ran into given this first-person view. He drove down a dirt
road, the girl still crying in the back. A saw mill was the last thing I saw, the
images blurring out and becoming hard to distinguish, only the sound that went
along with the next ones being readable.

"What's your name?"

"Alex."

"My name's Carl West, want to be my friend?"

I groaned, the pain finally subsiding to a point I could open my eyes. I only then
realized someone had walked into the washroom and was standing there looking at me
like I was insane, but I dismissed it as I turned and walked into one of the
stalls. I locked it and sat on the back of the toilet, my feet resting on the seat.
I remembered sitting like this to hide from bullies during the last couple years of
school, suddenly seeing that as a welcome alternative to the mess I was hiding from
right now.

What was that? Did I just read the mind of a kidnapper? How can I be sure? What if
it was just a movie he'd watched and it's not even relevant? What if- Oh no. Shit.
I know that girl. The one from the posters, I'd been seeing them around school all
week, how could I not recognize her at first?

That means it's real. There's a real girl in danger and I know how to save her,
where to find her. I know that man isn't safe, remembering the unstable look in his
eyes when he asked her to be friends. I have to help her, I have to get her out of
there! But how? I can't do that on my own, I'm a scrawny eighteen year old. I can't
ask anyone else either, not when it'd risk them getting hurt or asking how I knew.

God, why did I have to touch him? Today could have gone perfect, I could keep going
on with my life pleasantly oblivious. That's selfish though, isn't it? I have to
tell someone, I can't just disregard something like this. There's a life at stake.

I can't tell them, people would ask. What if they saw right through my lies? Tyler
would ask, demanding to know why I suddenly wanted to go to the police station. He
could see through my lies easily, but that didn't really matter anyway, because I
couldn't lie to him. It was one thing to withhold the truth, but I couldn't
outright lie to him. He didn't deserve that, he deserved better. Then again, he
probably deserves someone that can be completely honest and open with him about
everything too. He deserves to know who he's really dating, doesn't he?

He deserves someone normal, not a freak like me.

And even if I could tell him, muster up the courage after all this time keeping it
so tightly under wraps, who's to say he'd even want to be with me then? If my past
has taught me anything, love is fickle. I could ruin everything just by being
honest. Then again, I could just as easily ruin it by not being honest and slipping
up someday. He would hate me then, keeping something like that from him for so
long. He wouldn't see it as withholding the truth for his sake, he'd see it as
lying.

He'd leave me, just like Lily.

I tried not to think about her usually, especially not when I was in public or
already upset, but even the name was enough to set me off when I was already this
spiraling into thoughts like this. Memories flashed through my mind, tears falling
from my face despite me not remembering starting to cry, let alone this hard.

"You can do what?" She laughed, dropping her Barbie to turn to me with curious
eyes. I'd wanted to tell her for weeks now, trying to find the right time. I was
scared she wouldn't believe me, that she'd accuse me of lying too.

"I can hear what people say sometimes, without them even speaking out loud." I
explained, biting

Chapter Sixty-Eight
*Troye's POV*

I shivered uncontrollably on the spot, still freezing despite being inside the
building now. My breathing was uneven and deep, as if I was trying desperately to
calm myself down with no success. I wasn't sure how long I spent sitting like that
either, strangely very similar to the night I sat by that lamp post, time just
didn't seem to pass the same.

I didn't remember anything I did or thought between the flashback and the time my
phone buzzed in my pocket, only to tell me I'd been sitting there for over an hour.
I climbed down and stood on shaky legs, opening the text Tyler had sent me.

"Hey babe, I'm done. Where are you?" I bit my lip, confused when tears started to
form again. I was unsure why, deciding it must just be because of Tyler in general.
Just the thought of him worried me right now, knowing what was looming just ahead
of us. I could lie and tell myself nothing was going to happen, but I know it
would. I couldn't just keep this information to myself and he was going to ask
questions, just like everyone else. Except, the difference was, I cared about him
too much to lie.

I couldn't put it off anymore though, knowing he was likely starting to worry about
where I was. I texted him back quickly, asking him to meet me in the food court in
a minute or two. I wasn't at all surprised when he texted me back saying he was
already there.

Despite how little I was looking forward to the events ahead of us, I was still
looking forward to seeing him, hence the speedy walk toward the food court. I
slowed down when I reached it, eyes scanning the crowd for the familiar head of
purple hair. It was only when they fell on the vibrant blue that I remembered the
change. I smiled for the first time in what felt like ages, even if it was a bit
weary and not nearly as bright as usual. I hurried toward him then, relieved to
find the usual effect he had over me was still working. I felt instantly better in
his presence, falling into the seat across from him with a loud exhalation.

"Eating? Again?" I laughed, gesturing to the pizza in his hands. He furrowed his
brows as he studied me in silence, my heart dropping as I watched them flood with
concern. Shit. He knows something's up, even if I'm more cheerful around him. He
didn't speak up with his mouth full, swallowing before pursing his lips as he raked
his eyes over my body.

"Are you okay?" He asked, reaching across the table to settle one of his hands on
top of mine. He squeezed it gently, running his thumb over the side. I didn't know
how to reply, biting my lip as nerves started to spark back up again. What do I
tell him?

"Y-Your hair looks great." I stuttered out, offering the most convincing smile I
had in my arsenal. While I was smiling, I was practically begging him with my eyes
not to press the issue. I knew I had to deal with it, I just wanted a couple more
seconds to enjoy our date, or whatever this was classified as. Judging by the way
he shook his head though, that wasn't exactly an option.

"I asked a question." He repeated, his voice gentle but firm. I sighed, slumping
down against the table. I didn't push his hand away though, pulling it under me and
squeezing it tighter. I pressed my lips to the back of it, taking a deep breath as
I savored the last few seconds of the moment.

"No, not really." I muttered, surprised by how weak my voice sounded. I thought I
could pull off at least sounding semi-okay, not like the total ruined mess I
actually was right now.

"What happened?" He asked, the way he moved his hand underneath me making it clear
he wanted me to sit up. I just shrugged my shoulders, trying to get the point
across that I didn't want to sit up. I wasn't sure I could say this and keep eye
contact.

"I don't wanna talk about it." I blurted, knowing I'd probably regret it if he
actually did back off completely. I didn't want to talk about it, but I had to. If
he didn't keep the conversation on the topic I might not ever get the guts to bring
it up.

"Did you run into someone you don't get along with? Caspar?" He asked, both
relieving and annoying me slightly in how persistent he was. It was for the best,
but that didn't mean I was happy about it.

"No." I answered, chewing my bottom lip nervously like I expected him to actually
guess the situation.

"...Lily?" I noticed his hesitation, almost like he was wary of even mentioning her
name. I couldn't blame him though, imagine if he was ever the one to set off one of
those miserable flashbacks. He'd be so upset with himself.

"No." I repeated, my voice only wavering slightly at the thought of her. This
wasn't about her, even if she'd contributed greatly to how horrible I felt right
now. Silence followed that remark, but not the comfortable kind. Despite not being
able to see him I could practically hear the gears turning in his mind as he tried
to figure out what was going on. Curious as to what he was suspecting, I lifted one
finger and repeatedly drummed it down onto his thumb, making it seem like a simple
distracted movement. It wasn't though, waiting patiently to see when I'd finally
get a thought. I concentrated hard, flinching when it worked the second I put all
my effort into it.

What's wrong? Is this still over that stupid hairdresser? I basically told him he
was the only one I had eyes for, is he really that jealous? God, I shouldn't have
flirted back at all, this is all my fault.

My jaw clenched at the last five words, remembering how often I'd thought them
myself. Of course it was a different situation, but the basic mechanics were the
same. He was blaming himself for something that wasn't even his fault, taking the
blame that someone else deserved. Justin shouldn't have flirted at all, it was
quite clear we were together. But yet Tyler is making himself out to be the bad
guy, and it's oddly painful to think about.

Desperate to change his outlook and lighten the mood, I decided it was time to put
things into action. I was still terrified and not looking forward to it in any way,
but I had to. Besides, at least I had Tyler with me, he'd make it easier. He made
everything easier.

I sat up slowly, keeping my shoulders squared and trying to ignore the rapid
fluttering sensation of my heart. I let my eyes drift to meet with his, albeit
reluctantly. They were still full of concern, but the thing I noticed most was how
well the hair actually complimented him. His eyes had never looked so blue.

"Do you trust me, Tyler?" I asked suddenly, forcing my attention back to the task
at hand. He nodded his head immediately, surprising me with how seriously he was
taking the situation. He was usually so sarcastic compared to this. I guess he
could tell it wasn't a joking matter.

"Yeah, of course." That was the easy part, considering I knew what he'd answer
already. Next was the hard part, actually having to explain the situation, even
vaguely. If he really does trust me, he'll go along with it. But if not, he might
demand answers and explanations that I'm just not willing to give yet.

"C-Can you drive me to the police station? I don't know if I'm safe behind the
wheel right now." I whispered, surprised by how meek my voice came across yet
again. His expression was a mix of shock and disbelief, staring at me with his jaw
dropped like he expected me to tell him he'd just been Punk'd or something.

As the seconds passed with no further comment, he seemed to realize I wasn't joking
around. His jaw clenched shut again, eyes cold and distant like they were studying
a stranger and not a best friend. Oh fuck, he probably thinks I want to turn myself
in for something after how dramatic I've been.

"Troye? What's going on?" His serious panicked tone only confirmingn my suspicions.
I started to breathe heavily again, worry seeping through me as I debated how to
answer him. What if he demands an explanation? I can't tell him, I can't. So
instead, I said nothing at all, until he complained about it and made me realize
just how flawed that plan was. "Don't ignore me!"

"I told you, you have to trust me. I know something about the missing girl and I
have to tell them. I'd call but I don't know if they'd take an anonymous tip as
seriously. It could be a matter of life or death." I managed to get it all out
without sounding annoyed or upset, glad I was finally beginning to get control over
my voice again. I figured a level voice would seem less suspicious than the shakey
one from earlier, still worried Tyler might think I was turning myself in or
something.
As it was he seemed confused and intrigued enough by the new information, cocking
his head to the side and narrowing his eyes in obvious deep thought.

"Did you see the girl? Here?" He asked finally, looking back to me. I shook my
head.

"No."

"Then how do you-"

"I saw the kidnapper." I explained simply, expecting his wide-eyed and further-
confused reaction. He opened his mouth a few times, each time promptly snapping it
back shut like he couldn't form words. I waited patiently though, perfectly okay
with not continuing the conversation if he didn't. Sadly, he eventually found his
voice again, asking me even more questions I couldn't answer just yet.

"But how do you know he's the kidnapper? How do you even know she was kidnapped?"
He pressed on, tone urgent but hushed as he leaned across the table toward me. I
was surprised to find myself instinctively jerking backward, putting space between
us on purpose for the first time in months.

"Ty." I whispered, letting all of my desperation leech into my voice. "I can't tell
you."

"Can you tell the police?" He asked immediately, asking the hard-hitting questions.
I couldn't blame him though, I guess he had a right to ask questions. If I was in
his position I would be too.

"Not the truth." I answered honestly, watching unreadable emotions flicker across
his face.

"Then what are you gonna tell them?" He asked, almost cautious sounding in his
uncertainty.

"A lie. They won't care how I know, as long as I'm right." I explained, watching
his reaction closely. His features were grim, the stress of the situation obviously
wearing him down already. He looked away as he thought, forehead creased and brows
furrowed as he pondered over the situation.

"Then why didn't you lie to me?" He asked suddenly, not looking over at me as he
spoke. I bit my lip, knowing this question was coming sooner or later.

"Because, I don't want your trust to be in vain." I whispered, just loud enough for
him to hear it. Realization dawned on his features as he looked back toward me, his
expression speaking for him. He trusted me, even in this situation.

"Okay, let's go." He said decidedly, a relieved sigh leaving my lips as we both
shuffled to our feet. He started to turn to leave but I lurched forward and latched
my arms onto him harshly, bringing him tightly back against my chest.

"I love you, Tilly." I whispered, nuzzling my face into the back of his shoulder as
I eagerly awaited his response. As the seconds ticked by I was beginning to get
nervous, shifting uncomfortably against him until he finally spoke up.

"I love you too."

The drive to the local police station was tense, to say the least. Neither of us
spoke, neither of us looked over at each other, and nobody even fought over the
radio. It was deadly silent and incredibly uncomfortable, but I couldn't muster the
courage to change anything.

Even as we walked across the parking lot toward the intimidating building, we said
nothing. He did reach for my hand just as we walked through though, surprising me
by the comforting gesture. I eagery accepted it, surprised b the relief his touch
could always bring me, even in situations like this.

The woman behind the desk looked up as we entered, my heart thudding uncontrollably
as we approached. We stopped in front of the desk, immediately greeted by a large
smile and curious eyes.

"Hello. How can I help you?" She asked, tone a lot more feminine than I'd expected.
I took a deep breath, practically breaking bones with how tight I was holding
Tyler's hand.

"I, uh, I have some information regarding the missing girl." I explained, watching
her eyes alight with curiosity. She nodded, turning to the computer and quickly
typing something. It was weird how much it reminded me of the hair salon when she'd
worked on her computer, such a simple moment in contrast to this, the two of them
only separated by a couople hours at most.

"Right this way sir." She spoke up suddenly, rising to her feet and walking out
from behind her desk. I nodded, following after her as I dragged Tyler behind me.
She paused in front of a door leading to the back rooms, looking back at us with a
polite shake of her head. "He'll have to wait outside."

"Okay, that's fine-" Tyler started, trying and failing to break his hand out of my
death grip. I shook my head, clinging to his hand desperately despite his attempts
at drawing away and following her orders.

"No, I need him with me." I said strictly, locking eyes with her as I spoke. I was
scared and nervous, but if I had to seem strict in order to keep Tyler by my side
then I would. She didn't seem impressed by my sudden burst of confidence like Tyler
did, just sighing softly before nodding her head.

"Fine, it can be arranged." She muttered, not looking particularly happy about it.
She turned back to the door annd started to open it, but my gaze shifted to Tyler
instead. He was more interesting to look at right now. He offered me a supportive
smile, mouthing the words 'it'll be okay' before walking ahead of me after the
woman.

I followed close behind him, gripping his hand as we walked past a room of desks.
They weren't separated by cubicles, but it seemed everyone had their own designated
space. Some of the chairs were occupied while some were empty, some desks messy and
some neat. It was a pleasant contrast, making the station feel oddly homey even
with the realization of what it was for in the back of my mind. She led us through
the maze of desks to the far side of the room, gesturing to the windowed-door
stating simply 'office'.

She nodded more urgently when we didn't rect, both of us exchanging a nervous look
before stepping forward and opening it. We slipped in, only slightly upset to find
she wasn't accompanying us. Instead we were left alone with the man sitting at the
biggest desk I'd seen yet, flipping through some type of magazine.

"Have a seat." He offered, nudging his head toward the two chairs in front of his
desk, only the top of it visible over the magazine. I didn't let go of Tyler's hand
even as we both sat down, scooting my chair closer to his without even asking for
permission. It wasn't a yes or no thing, I had to have him near or it wouldn't
work. Nothing would work.

The man, police chief I assumed, seemed indifferent about our closeness. He sat his
magazine down after a few seconds, glimpsed over us once, and cleared his throat.

"Well? Whaddaya got?" I froze suddenly, worry overtaking me again. What if he knew
how to tell when people were lying? What if he didn't believe me? What if I can't
even get the words out?

I was sitting there panic-striken until Tyler clear his throat, his hand slipping
out of mine with ease now that I was so unfocused. It didn't go far though, only
dropping to my thigh and running up and down in a comforting manner.

"Troye, go ahead." He whispered, eyes staying locked with mine. I didn't look away
as I took a deep breath, preparing myself.

"Her location, her situation, and the name of her kidnapper." I stated, breathing
heavily even after I'd said it. I didn't look away from Tyler though, his calm and
collected eyes comforting me even in a situation like this. They were so easy to
get lost in, to completely focus on them rather than all my worries and concerns.

"You're kidding." The man scoffed, leaning forward over his desk. I shook my head
slowly, eyes still locked with Tyler's. Tyler nodded in encouragement, occasionally
flickering his over to address the other person in the room. His reply took a few
seconds, likely debating whether to take me seriously or not, but eventually he sat
back in his chair and cleared his throat. "Alright, fill us in."

"She's in the abandoned saw mill, half-rotten on the outskirts of town. She's been
kidnapped and her wellbeing is in immediate danger. His name is Carl West." I
stated, my voice sounding uncomfortably mechanical with how level and timed each
word was. I was just proud of myself for getting them out at all. More silence
followed, but not the kind that ate away at you. It was a thoughtful silence, one I
could use to my advantage as I continued to study Tyler's familiar features as a
distraction. His plump pink lips, his blue-green eyes, his newly-blue quiff, his
thick black-rimmed glasses, his-

"And how do you know all of this?" I sunk my teeth down into my bottom lip instead
of just chewing at it then, wincing slightly at the self-inflicted pain. I couldn't
help it, his words had shattered my momentary peaceful distraction.

"I overheard a phonecall." I answered through a clenched jaw, trying to keep my

breathing even and my expression indifferent. I didn't want him to ask anymore
questions, I just wanted him to go. He had the information, there was a girl in
danger, why is he wasting time here?

"Interesting." He speculated, my heart racing as I wondered how that was

'interesting'. Does he believe me? He has to, I didn't go through all of this for
nothing. That girl needs to come home safe. "How do you know it was serious? Should
I take this information as fact or suspicion?"

"Fact." I stated without hesitation, turning to look at him now. I was still
nervous, but I knew this was important. I don't care if he judges me, he just needs
to believe me, even just enough to go check things out. I couldn't tell where he
stood from his skeptical expression, unsure of what he was thinking and unnerved by
it. "I know it's real, you have to believe me."

"We'll send some cars, scout things out." He replied, only after giving me a good
fifteen seconds to freak out internally. I felt like something had stopped
constricting my chest after an hour, finally breathing again as I nodded my head.
She's gonna be okay, the police are stronger than any one psychotic guy. I hope.

"He's armed." I stated randomly, suddenly remembering the guns I saw in the
background of the memories. I might not have noticed them before, but now that I
was debating whether the police would be able to take him down or not, it suddenly
seemed a lot more relevant.

"I don't see how a kidnapper with any brains would share this information with
anyone, much less over the phone in public." He stated, sounding more like he was
talking and debating it with himself than us. I was thankful for that, considering
it meant he was questioning the kidnapper's motives and not mine.

"Maybe he's stupid." I said dismissively, shrugging my shoulders and feigning

indifferent. He scoffed at my response, likely thinking it was just some dumb
teenager comment and not actually me trying to get him off my back.

"Alright, what's your name?" He asked, grabbing a notebook and looking up at me.

"Troye Mellet." I answered, following that with answering every other one of his
questions. Home address, phone number, parents names. It wasn't a fun experience,
but it would be worth it. After we finished he turned his head to face Tyler, an
expectant expression on his face.

"And yours?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. I thought I was free from worrying,
but this sent me straight back into where I was before. I don't want Tyler in their
records at all, I don't want him to be included in this, even if I needed him here
to talk. What if the psychopath breaks loose and seeks revenge? I don't want Tyler
to be at risk for that, no matter how unlikely it is.

"Unimportant." I practically shouted, knowing Tyler was about to give it away.

Tyler shot me a confused look like I'd just shouted that his name was
Rumpelstiltskin or something, but I shook my head, silently telling him to be
quiet.

"Then why's he in here?" The chief sighed, giving me an exasperated look. I

shrugged my shoulders, looking back over at Tyler and giving him a genuine smile.

"Support." I said honestly, blushing at the answering annoyed groan from the man.

"Okay, fine. You're free to leave at any time, I'll contact you with any updates or
new information." He explained, rising to his feet and nodding at both of us before
walking to the door. He held it open, gesturing for us to go ahead. We listened,
walking ahead of him down the small hallway and stopping at the same door we'd
walked through earlier.

He wasn't following us anymore, likely gone off to tell his men about the
situation. I didn't question it or care really, just happy the experience was
relatively close to over with. He didn't seem like a desirable person to be around
ever, much less in this tense situation.

"Are you ready to go?" Tyler asked, grabbing my hand again now that we were out of
that man's sight. I slipped my fingers between his, debating my answer. We could go
home, but what if they forgot to contact me? I needed closure, I needed to see her
safe in order to know I'd done the right thing.

"Can we just stay here?" I asked, looking over at him shyly. He nodded his head,
leading me back over to the waiting area and gesturing to the comfiest seat. We
both sat down, trying to ignore the secretary lady's lingering gazes.
"I'm proud of you." Tyler whispered suddenly, my head whipping to the left to look
at him. Despite how stressed I still was, I couldn't help the answering smile on my
lips when I saw his huge grin. I settled against him, resting my head on his
shoulder and nuzzling into him. I closed my eyes, debating whether it'd be a bad or
good idea to fall asleep. At least I wouldn't be awake stressing out then, but what
if I missed something important? No, Tyler would wake me up.

He said he was going to lie to the cops. If the phonecall was a lie how did he
know? Maybe he overheard a conversation, but how is that any different? Why would
he lie about that? How did he know?

I froze upon hearing the unexpected thought, my breathing heavy and uneven all over
again. It was stupid to believe he'd just forget or drop it, and if I really didn't
want him asking questions I could have lied to him too, but I still wasn't prepared
to actually hear it. To hear him suspecting things and debating. It was my natural
reaction to worry he'd guess my mindreading, even if it was completely stupid. Who
guesses something like that or even suspects it? There's no such thing as people
that can read minds, everybody knows that.

"Hey, don't cry, everything's going to be fine now. You did the right thing." I
jumped as Tyler reached up and started to wipe off my cheeks, not even realizing
I'd started to cry again before he spoke up. I cuddled further against him, trying
to ward off the morbid thoughts whirring around my head.

What if he hates me for keeping it secret? What if he tells everyone? What if he

tells me he can't be with someone like that? What if this is the last chance I get
to cuddle him?

God, I don't want to tell him. But I have to, it's only going to drive us apart for
sure if I don't tell him, his mind coming to it's own suspicions and conclusions
that may be even worse than what it actually is.

"Troye, wake up, someone wants to talk to you." I groaned, grumbling under my
breath as I shifted against Tyler. He wasn't taking no for an answer though,
shoving me off and even standing up himself so I couldn't fall right back into
place leaning against him. I sighed, sitting up and rubbing my eyes before opening
them. They went wide when I was met with the sight of a man standing directly in
front of me, hand extended for a shake despite my groggy state. I took it, shaking
it to the best of my ability when still half asleep.

I looked over behind him, lifting my eyebrows at the sight of a woman crying on the
floor. I studied it closer, noticing the little girl hugged tightly to her chest.
She poked her head up for a mouthful of air, freezing when our eyes met and
offering me a shy smile. I know her, that's- Alex.

"You have no idea how much what you did means to me. Nobody would have ever thought
to look there, thanks to you my daughter is home safe and sound. I couldn't be more
grateful, I owe you my life." I looked back to the man speaking, who I now knew was
the girl's father. I nodded my head, beginning to blush as I considered her words.
He was treating me like some sort of god, I didn't do anything that people
sohuldn't expect out of others.

"It wasn't much, I just did the right thing." I explained, surprised when he
immediately shook his head, stern disagreement written across his features.

"Sometimes doing the right thing can be hard. Thank-you, really." He insisted,
offering me another smile. I nodded my head, deciding to just embrace it rather
than fight it. He was going to be grateful whether I wanted him to be or not.

"You're welcome." I said simply, returning his smile this time. He reached forward
and clapped a hand onto my shoulder, squeezing it gently before giving me what I
assumed was a farewell nod.

"If either of you ever need anything, don't hesitate to contact us. Tyler has our
information." He offered, gesturing toward Tyler with a smile. I nodded in
understanding, not sure I'd ever have to take them up on the offer but deciding to
just go along with it.

I watched him walk back to his family, picking Alex up and hoisting her up onto his
shoulders. He helped his wife to her feet then too, immediately wrapping an arm
around her shoulders. They walked out of the building in this same position, even
though Alex had to hunch over to fit under the door frame.

There wasn't a single argument left inside of me then, I knew I'd done the right
thing. I'd just saved a life, an entire family, just by using my power. It may
cause me neverending trouble, but is anything capable of that really classified as
a curse?

"You should have seen the kidnapper's face, he was not happy when they hauled him
past." Tyler snickered next to me, his tone bubbly as could be compared to before I
fell asleep. My eyebrows furrowed, taking a second for his words to really sink in.
Does that mean they just walked this psycho through the lobby? In front of us?

"Where is he now?" I blurted, turning to stare at him wide-eyed.

"A cell I'm assuming?" He asked, lifting a single confused eyebrow. I had no time
to explain, blurting my next question before it had any more time to repeat itself
in my mind.

"So they led him right through here? He saw you?" Tyler's expression changed, my
urgent mood apparently making sense now.

"Troye. He's not going to break out and come after us, calm down." He laughed,
placing a hand on the middle of my back, right between my shoulder blades. I shook
my head, imagining all the horrible scenarios that could happen.

"He could. I shouldn't have dragged you into this, if something happens to you I-"

"Shut-up." He snapped, my mouth hanging open but speechless as I obeyed his order.
After a few seconds, he explained his outburst in more detail. "I wanted to do
this, I wouldn't have done it if I didn't. You didn't drag me into this, okay?"

"I guess, but I'm still going to worry." I mumbled, my reply taking a few seconds
before I could bring myself to agree with him. It was hard, not taking all the
blame for once.

"I wouldn't have expected anything different." He sighed, applying one more
comforting stroke to my upper back before getting to his feet. He flashed me a
smile, holding out his hand in front of me. "Do you want to go home?"

"Not particularly." I muttered, frowning at the idea of spending the rest of the
night by myself.

"I meant like, together." He explained, blushing slightly as he said the words. I
blushed too, nodding eagerly.
"Oh. That sounds a bit better." I agreed, looking up at him and locking eyes. I
took a deep breath, reassuring myself everything would be fine as I grabbed his
hand. He immediately wove his fingers through mine, tugging me toward the door.

The drive to his house wasn't quite as awkward as the one to the station, quiet
music playing in the background and the occasional tidbit of conversation between
us. It wasn't anything deep or relevant, just lighthearted teasing or discussions
that we probably wouldn't remember in a week, much less a year. It was nice though,
even that enough to distract me for a while and concentrate on Tyler instead of
everything else.

He surprised me when we reached his house and he jumped out and ran around to open
my door, grinning cheerily as he helped me out of the vehicle. He threw an arm
around my shoulders, leading me toward the front steps while we remained huddled
together, facing the cold temperature as one.

We walked through the door, both of us kicking our shoes off before continuing into
his house. It was the first time I'd been here in over a week, the last time being
the Friday before the weekend I spent with family. I blushed at the memory,
thinking about how we'd gotten each other off casually while watching a movie. It
was to the point we didn't make a big deal about initating it either, his hand just
landing on my thigh and sliding up had been all it took to imitate that particular
time.

"You can call your parents if you want, let them know you're staying the night."
Tyler explained, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek before nodding toward the
kitchen. I watched him lumber toward the couch before walking into the kitchen and
scouting out his phone. I punched my home number in, tapping my foot impatiently
until Sage picked up. I quickly explained to her where I'd be spending the night,
ignoring her usual reminder about how important condoms are.

After the short sassy conversation came to a close, I raided Tyler's fridge and got
myself some apple juice. I chugged it down before taking a deep breath and walking
back into the living room. I wasn't expecting to find him shirtless, or the ten
blankets he'd piled onto the couch, but I decided not to argue with it. I just
walked across the room, shrugging my pants off before climbing under the blankets
with him. If he got to take an article of clothing off to be more comfortable then
I would too, he had no room to call me out on it. However, that didn't stop his
eyes from wandering, a blush spreading across my body as I settled cuddled up to
his side.

"What'd they say?" He asked quietly, my eyes fluttering shut as I got lost in the
feeling of having him so close. He nudged me when I didn't reply, a grumble leaving
my lips as I opened my eyes again. I didn't regret it though, glad I had as they
met with his at such close-quarters. I bit my lip, trying to recall what he'd even
asked. Oh right, what'd my family say.

"They're okay with it, as long as we don't have unprotected sex." I explained,
using heavy sarcasm throughout the sentence. I didn't want him to think I was
suggesting we should have sex of any kind, protected or unprotected. At the same
time, I didn't want him to think I was opposed to the idea, shifting even closer to
him despite the awkward topic.

"God forbid." He laughed, clearly making fun of my family's passion on the subject.
Neither of us spoke after that, the room oddly silent aside from the clock's hand
as it ticked along. I couldn't even explain my relief when he spoke up first rather
than me. "Do you wanna watch a movie?"
"Sure." I answered, watching him snatch the remote and start channel surfing. None
of the movies currently playing on tv were all that great, but I was secretly
hoping we found a better distraction than whatever was on screen anyway, so it
didn't really matter.

We ended up on some weird adventure movie, the plot confusing for someone who
started fifteen minutes into it. We watched it anyway though, likely because we
both wanted to eye the muscular lead throughout the length of the film.

Neither of us really spoke while watching, the only noise to interrupt the first
hour of it being Tyler's phone going off. It was Jackie, reminding him to put out
the fire before we went to bed, something he seemed to forget a lot while she was
working backshifts. I knew from the past few times I'd been here, having to remind
him myself when he started toward bed without doing it.

After that neither of us paid quite as much attention to the movie, grossed out by
the disgusting gorey scenes that had come out of nowhere. They weren't totally
unwarranted, there was a war going on all of the sudden, but that didn't make me
want to watch them anymore.

That's why, I was hardly disappointed when the screen suddenly went black mid-
conversation. At first I thought the power went out, before realizing the only
thing affected had been the television. That's when I realized Tyler turned it off,
turning to look at him curiously. He seemed to be thinking, his bottom lip pulled
back between his teeth as he stared off into space. He cleared his throat suddenly,
turning to face me with an almost nervous smile on his face.

"I, uh, I didn't get a chance to say yet but I'm really proud of you for going to
the police. I'm not sure why, but I know it was difficult for you and it took a lot
to bring yourself to do it. It was definitely worth it."

"Do you want to know?" I asked quietly, staring down at the covers rather than
looking at him. I'd never been so fascinated by loose threads in a blanket, all of
my concentration dedicated to these ones rather than whatever Tyler replied with. I
was scared to hear it honestly, because I knew the answer would be yes. Of course
he wanted to know.

"Know what?" I groaned, rolling my eyes at his stupid response. I love him, but he
can be extremely dense. I looked back up before replying, locking eyes with his in
hopes of making him take the moment more seriously.

"Why it was difficult, the truth I couldn't tell the police." I elaborated,
watching his answering expression closely. He seemed unsure, emotions flickering
across his face quickly as he looked away from me now.

"That depends. Do you want to tell me the truth?" He asked, his tone quiet and
tentative. I looked up, giving him a confused look. He took a deep breath, as if
explaining himself was going to need it. "I'm fine not knowing if you think we're
better off that way. I love you, nothing could change that."

"I've heard that before." I muttered, regretting it after I said it and saw his
answering expression. He looked heartbroken that I'd doubt him, only making me feel
worse about the fact I did at all. I couldn't help it though, even a mind reader
doesn't know everything.

"Not from me." He said suddenly, bringing me out of my thoughts and back to the
current situation. His tone was gentle but strict, something I'd heard a lot of
today. It clearly wasn't something he wanted me to argue with.
I leaned back into the couch, sighing softly as my head fell to rest on the back. I
stared up at the ceiling, trying to make sense of the mixed emotions swirling
around inside of me. He'd more or less just given me permission to continue hiding
it from him, possibly forever. I wouldn't have to worry about his reaction or
whether he accepted me, we could go on just like we had been. At the same time, I'd
never be able to really be myself with him. I couldn't put all of me into a
relationship if such a huge chunk was hidden away.

"I want you to know. I'm tired of hiding things from you." I sighed out, my heart
racing even faster as I heard myself admit it out loud. To be honest, I hadn't even
planned what I was going to say before speaking, but I guess that was how I felt
because I didn't really regret it. I was terrified, but I didn't wish it wasn't
happening like I expected.

"Okay." Tyler said, nodding his head as if urging me along.

"Can you just promise me something first?" I asked, random memories of that night
with Lily playing on repeat in my mind, as if to taunt me.

This could happen again, Troye, do you really want that?

He's going to hate you, just like her.

I shook my head, clearing the thoughts out before hurriedly pressing on in the
treacherous conversation. "If you want me to leave, just tell me. Don't beat around
the bush or freak out, just say it calmly and be honest."

"Troye, I'm not going to-"

"Promise me." I demanded, cutting him off with a wave of my hand and a stern voice.
He seemed surprised by my insisting, but he obediently nodded in agreement.

"I promise." He replied, his voice just barely a whisper. As much as I'd been
urging him along, I was suddenly unsure of what to do next. Where do I start? Do I
just outright tell him? What do I even call it?

He was patient, sitting next to me but not staring at me expectantly like I thought
he would. He was surprisingly relaxed too, like he didn't realize just how big this
confession was. Maybe I should try to explain to him just how important it is
before I tell him the exact details.

"There's a reason I had no friends before I met you, aside from the whole lameness
thing. Coincidentally, the same reason Lily left me and how I knew about the
kidnapper tonight." He turned to face me now, face still blank as he tilted his
head to the side and continued to stare at me. I expected him to reply, sighing
when only silence filled the room after about a minute. I decided to sum it up in a
way easier to understand, eyes flickering nervously around the room. I couldn't
bear to focus on just one thing right now, it'd drive me insane. "I'm not like
normal people, I'm different."

"Different doesn't necessarily mean bad." He whispered, my lip twitching as if

trying to turn up into a smile over his sweet words but incapable of following
through. I knew what was coming next, my heart racing to the point it was probably
unhealthy as I tried to sort out how to word it in my mind. There was no easy way
to put it, no matter what I said exactly I was still going to be dropping the
bombshell on him. I might as well be upfront, at least that way there won't be any
confusion about what I'm saying.

I jumped when his hand grabbed mine, likely trying to give me support but only
stressing me out more and reminding me of all that was at stake. I could lose all
of this, the first person to make me truly happy in years. The only one that's ever
made it better.

I could just as easily lose him if I didn't tell him though, couldn't I? Maybe
through a slip-up, maybe he'd just meet another person. There was nothing
gaurunteeing we'd stay together even until tomorrow, should I not put my all into
what we have right this second? He deserves that.

"I can read minds." I breathed out, eyes squeezing shut so tight it was almost
painful. I couldn't see his reaction, not until I managed to say everything. Taking
a short panty breath, I continued to elaborate. "Not very well, it's not really
something I can control. Sometimes it happens just by standing by someone, normally
I have to be touching them. It's faulty and never gaurunteed to work, but it does
happen often."

"Read... minds?" He sounded like he was learning how to speak for the first time,
the words rolling off of his tongue unsure and slightly distorted. I nodded my head
into my hand, unsure that my eyelids would be enough to separate my gaze from him
right now.

The silence that followed was unbearable, my anxieties gnawing away at me slowly
the longer he let me consider how things could pan out. I listened carefully,
eventually hearing an ironic laugh, like he was so confused he thought I must be
joking.

"I'm serious. It's not funny." I snapped, tensing as the first of my tears started
to attempt their escape. God, I promised I wouldn't cry. Now if he actually does
kick me out I'm going to look so needy and stupid.

"You read minds. You read minds when you touch people." He said to himself, a

Chapter Sixty-Nine
*Tyler's POV*

Smut warning yet again I'm sure you can guess where it starts after last chapter
but whatever I'll put a warning in there for ya

It was probably selfish to be as anxious as I was during those last few seconds
before he finally blurted his big confession. It was obviously something huge to
him, something that was taking everything in him to admit, he should be the nervous
one, not me. That didn't make my heart stop racing though, or the lump from forming
in my throat, or my palms from sweating. Actually, the only thing that did stop all
of that, was when I snapped my hand forward to grab his, almost as if on instinct.

I wasn't sure if the moment really called for hand-holding, considering it really
depended on what he was about to say, but I couldn't help it. He seemed to take it
as a comforting gesture for him, but really I was just trying to put my own heart
at ease.

He tightened his grip back, both of us breathing heavily and unevenly as we waited
for him to regain his voice. As much as I wanted to be able to say I had no problem
waiting and could last forever if he needed it, that'd be a lie. Every second felt
like an eternity, each one more painful as the last as I continued to stress over
every possible outcome of the situation. It must be something bad, something
horrible, for him to take this long. And the worst part is, I don't know if my
rational mind or my feelings for him would triumph if it actually is.

"I can read minds." He whispered, his voice carrying shakily. I blinked, completely
unresponsive as the sentence repeated itself in my head. He's joking, he has to be.
Why would he make such a big deal over a prank? Is this getting me back for all of
my teasing? "Not very well, it's not really something I can control. Sometimes it
happens just by standing by someone, normally I have to be touching them. It's
faulty and never guaranteed to work, but it does happen often."

"Read... minds?" I questioned, still so confused I could barely get the words out.
They sounded weird and foreign, definitely not how I'd expected this next part of
the conversation to go. He didn't reply to me, leaving me to just sit there
considering his words. Is he actually serious? No, this has to be a joke. People
don't read minds. Maybe he's expecting me to laugh? It shouldn't hurt to try.

I forced a laugh out of me, though it sounded far from entertained. His head was
still buried in his hands, but I could feel his body noticeably tense at the sound.

"I'm serious. It's not funny." He snapped, a physical ache forming in my chest at
the pained way he said the words. Why is he taking this so seriously? It's a joke,
he doesn't have to make me feel so shitty about it. It is a joke, right? He
definitely doesn't look like he's joking. Does he want me to believe this?
Experimentally, I decided to say the words out loud.

"You read minds. You read minds when you touch people." I whispered, picking apart
the sentence and repeating it in my mind. I couldn't tell if I was shocked or
amused, on the fence about whether to believe him or not. I think he wants me to,
even if it's just to rub it in my face when he actually does reveal it's a prank.
Because he has to, it has to be a prank.

However, I decided to put that debate on hold for a bit when I noticed he was
sniffling next to me, my need to comfort him coming before the entire ordeal. Like
I said, I don't think there's a single thing he could have admitted to that oculd
have turned me away from him, as unhealthy as that is.

"Hey, don't cry. I'm sorry, it's just not something you'd ever expect." I
apologized, the ache only intensifying when I watched him flinch away from me at
the sound of my voice. Is he that scared of my reaction or that good of an actor?

"You don't believe me." He whispered, sounding almost defeated as he slipped his
hand out of mine. I had to fight the urge to grab it again, reminding myself he
probably didn't want the embrace if he was the one to end it. Still, I wanted it,
didn't that mean anything?

"I didn't say that. I just might need a bit of proof to-" He bit his lip, lifting
his hand again and making my heart speed up at the thought of touching him again. I
hesitated though, unsure of whether he wanted me to take it or not.

"Think of something really hard and take my hand. Could be a phrase, a word, a
color, an image. It doesn't really matter." My eyebrows shot up, staring at him in
disbelief. Is he serious? About all of this? He can't be. Still, I lifted my hand
toward his when he started to wave it impatiently, hand shaking more and more the
closer it got to his.

I watched curiously as our hands met, looking for some kind of spark or something.
I would have noticed that before though, right? That didn't stop me from watching
inquisitively, eyes flickering between our hands and his eyes. He was blushing and
slowly withdrew his hand, his dark cheeks making me wonder what I'd been thinking.
Shit, I hadn't even thought to think of anything in particular. What if it was
something really embarrassing? Oh great, now I'm actually considering believing he
can read minds. What's next? He's going to make fun of me so bad when he reveals it
was just a joke. "Like I said, faulty. Can we try again?"
"Yeah." I answered without hesitation, deciding to just put my all into it. Either
way, it's too late to stop him from making fun of me now. It's clear I have at
least a shred of belief in his words, that'd be enough to earn the title of
laughingstock. I might as well just go along with it.

I turned my entire body to face him on the couch, reaching toward him. I planned on
kissing him, seeing if that'd help him get his 'mindreading' into gear, but I
chickened out just before my hands settled on the back of his neck. Instead I
busied myself with fixing his hair, breathing heavily as I fixed every single out-
of-place strand. It was a nice distraction, but ultimately that's all it was. His
hair ended up neat and I ended up even more nervous than before when my eyes
flickered down to his.

"Take my hand again then." I didn't hesitate this time considering my decision to
just embrace what he was telling me, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tightly. I
still hadn't decided if I really believed him or not, but I was giving him the
benefit of a doubt for now. It'd be wrong to not even give him the chance to prove
himself first. However, judging by the disappointed expression that found him, it
'didn't work' this time either. "Tyler, I-"

"Is there a certain way to make it work better?" I asked, curiously searching his
expression. Either he really is a good actor or he believes what he's telling me.
There wasn't a trace of entertainment to be found, only anxiety and love.

"Maybe try touching somewhere else." He muttered, my eyebrows shooting up as my

eyes fell on his lap. Is he serious? Why would that make him hear thoughts better?
I laughed awkwardly, trying to tell him I wasn't quite comfortable with that idea.
He blushed, shaking his head fervently. "Not, uh, not like that."

"Like this?" I asked, relieved to know it was a more innocent gesture he was after.
I loved touching him in any way, but this wasn't the best mood to do anything quite
like that. Instead, I just gripped his hand tighter, lifting it and moving forward
to press my lips against it. I stopped just before they actually touched, eyes
flickering up to his for approval. He blushed and shrugged his shoulders, eyes
refusing to meet my gaze.

"Yeah, that might work." I closed the distance, squeezing my eyes shut as I tried
to think up the most reassuring thing to tell him, assuming it's actually true. I'm
acting like I take the situation seriously, despite how unsure and skeptical I
still am. Regardless of whether I believe him or not, the way I feel would still be
the same either way. It'll always be the same.

I still love you, no matter what.

I watched his mouth open and close, my heart speeding up the longer he went without
forming words. Is it even possible to act something like this? Did he actually hear
that?

"Did you- Did you mean that?" He stuttered out, voice meek and shaky, unlike how he
usually sounded. Tears had started to form again too and it was taking everything
in me to keep from wiping them away. I wanted to be able to just tell him yes,
especially when he looked like he was directly depending on my answer, but I
couldn't. I still don't believe him, and as selfish as it is, I need reassurance
just like he does in this situation.

"Mean what?" I prodded, feeling bad when his smile faltered just slightly. I had to
know though, I couldn't just lie and pretend to believe him now. I wasn't sure what
I believed and what I didn't, the entire situation confusing me. I just needed to
hear him say it, to prove he isn't joking around.

My heart was racing as he started to open his mouth, the three seconds it took him
to speak feeling like centuries.

"That you still love me... no matter what." I expected to calm down after hearing
him say it, but I only felt more panicked. My heart was racing more with every
word, realization spreading through me. He's serious. This isn't a joke. He can
really read minds. Well, either that or he's a really good guesser, but considering
the serious situation I'm going to go with the first option.

Wonder spread through me, looking at him in a new light as I took his confession
seriously. I stared at him in disbelief, letting my eyes wander over him as I
thought back to see if there were any moments that could have hinted at this. He
did say things I was thinking a lot, but I thought it was just coincidence. Then
there's the kidnapper- He must have heard his thoughts! That's why he couldn't tell
the police!

I put my thoughts on hold as my eyes met with his, noticing he still had the
smallest bit of hesitance in them, like he still worried I could turn around
completely in a second. I had to reassure him.

"Always." I whispered, completely truthful in my words. I wasn't sure what he was

expecting me to say, but judging by the tears suddenly coating his face, it hadn't
been that. I couldn't help but smile, watching the relief visibly spread across his
features. Did he really think something like this could make me leave him? Did he
really think there was anything that could make me leave him? It hurt me to see him
cry, even if they were happy tears. "What did I say about crying? Stop it."

"Sorry." He replied immediately, making me roll my eyes at how obedient he was. I

reached over to the coffee table and tossed the tissue box at him, watching as he
cleaned himself up. I waited eagerly until he was finished, dropping my head to
rest on his shoulder as soon as he was. I yawned, letting my eyes flutter shut as I
snuggled into his side.

He can read minds. I think I find that cool, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about
it yet. All I know is how I feel about him, and that clearly matters most. Of
course I still had a hundred questions, but I figured we'd been through enough
right now. I had forever to worry about finding out the specifics, right now I just
wanted to hold him close and reassure him.

Then again, I really would like to know what happened with Lily. I wonder what
could have happened with her. He said he hurt her unintentionally. Did he read her
thoughts and blurt something he wasn't supposed to know?

"I read her father's thoughts by accident and found out he was cheating on her
mother. I made the mistake of telling her this and then they, well, they didn't
stay together. She was traumatized and it was all my fault. I took a girl's father
away from her just because I was careless." He spoke up suddenly, my jaw unhinging
slightly when his voice took me by surprise. His words did too, realizing he was
replying to exactly what I was- What I was thinking. Right, he can do that. That's
going to take a lot of getting used to.

How am I supposed to know what he hears and what he doesn't hear? That's going to
be embarrassing, he's going to know way more than he'd ever want to. Then again,
maybe he already does. I'll add that to the list of things to worry about later,
right now I just want to worry about the present.

"You were twelve, do you know any careful twelve year olds? Besides, it's her
father's fault for being such a shitty husband in the first place." I defended,
annoyed the more I thought about what he'd said. How could he blame himself for
something like that? I've seen first-hand how torn-up he is over what happened with
Lily, to know the background story like this, it was infuriating. He had no reason
to hate himself over it like he does, he doesn't deserve to bear her father's
mistakes for him.

I took a deep breath, deciding there was nothing I could do now. He spent years
upset over it, but he won't spend another day like that if I can help it. I looked
back up at him, head still resting on his shoulders. He was looking down at me, the
corner of his lips quirked up into a smile and his eyes in a dazed state.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" I muttered, blushing slightly under
the intensity of his gaze.

"Like what?" He pried, seemingly oblivious to just how he'd been staring. He gave a
genuine smile though, his beautiful teeth showing and making me nuzzle further into
his shoulder as I shrugged mine.

"All lovesick and shit." I muttered, cheeks heating up even further the more I
thought about the lost expression he'd had. As horrendously cheesy as it was, it
really reminded me of the faces grooms make when they first see their bride walk up
the aisle. I'd watched enough wedding shows with Mom to know it off by heart, just
like I remembered her thousand lectures about 'not settling down until I find a man
that looks at me like that'.

"It's because I am." He replied, pursing his lips as if to blow me a kiss. I

groaned in fake annoyance, rolling my eyes and sinking further into the blankets.
He lifted his arm to wrap it around my shoulders, pulling me harshly against his
side. I didn't complain though, just saturating in the feeling of having him so
close after all we'd just overcome.

"Do you read my thoughts a lot?" I blurted the thought as soon as it entered my
mind, almost regretting it when I watched him turn away from me. It was only after
I spotted the blush on his cheeks I realized it was because he was embarrassed, not
because he didn't want to talk about it.

"Not intentionally." He explained, blushing harder and making his words impossible
to believe.

"Liar." I accused, watching him tense in reaction. I squirmed out from under his
arm, looking over at him curiously. This is such a weird experience, one I never
thought I'd get the chance to have. "What do I think about usually?"

"Me." He answered, like it was common knowledge. I blushed, realizing he must have
heard a lot of what I thought about him. Even if his ability is faulty, I think
about him enough to make up for it. How embarrassing is that? What if he's seen my
fantasies about marrying him or my... other fantasies.

Apparently noticing how unnerved I was, he opened his mouth to blurt more. "And
food. And sex."

"How endearing! Now I know why you're so smitten." I spat, obvious sarcasm showing
in my voice. He giggled in reaction, the sound so adorable it took everything in me
to keep my fakely offended expression from disappearing. I held it there though,
even managing to intensify it to the point he took to actually laughing. He was
clutching his stomach by the end of it, breathless and panting as he leaned over
himself.
I rolled my eyes, letting my thoughts drift elsewhere as he rode out the laughter
fit. Inevitably, they ended up back on his mindreading, thinking about how cool of
an ability it really was. I wonder just how faulty it is.

Of course I waited until he finished laughing, but the second he did I was shoving
my hand forward, unknowingly bouncing excitedly like a child.

"What am I thinking about now?" I asked, batting my eyelashes hopefully so he'd

know just how much it meant to me that he went along with it. He sighed softly,
shaking his head ruefully before taking my hand. I hurriedly thought of something,
noticing the watermelon in the background of the movie.

Watermelons.

"Watermelons." Troye spoke up instantly, my eyes going wide with excitement. This
is so cool!

"Now?" He asked eagerly, snatching his hand before he could protest. I got the
feeling this would probably grow tiring, reading minds for me like this, but I was
having too much fun to really care about whether he was enjoying it or not. What's
something he'd never be able to guess... I know!

Orange cats with only three legs.

I repeated the mantra as he let go of my hand and grabbed it again multiple times,
waiting patiently for him to guess.

"Orange cats with only three legs." I squealed, removing my hand from his only to
clap mine together. I leaned over and pecked him on the cheek, keeping my lips by
his ear as I whispered my next reply.

"What about now?" I whispered seductively, deciding to test if he really could see
pictures or if it was just words. I didn't have to think for long before I got the
perfect memory, concentrating on every aspect of it until he grabbed my hand.
Practically immediately he jerked his hand away, groaning and giving me a pointed
glare.

"Your hairdresser from earlier." He practically growled, a giggle making it's way
out of my mouth before I could stop it. After that it was followed by a fit of
laughter, though the whole time I was wracking my brain for what to think of next.
I'd already decided I'd only allow myself one more time, knowing it was probably
getting really boring for me. I might as well go out with a bang, right?

"One more?" I asked once I'd finished, extending my hand ever so slowly. I was
almost nervous about this one, but I tried not to show it. He'd never take my hand
if he knew the things I was about to picture. I wasn't sure if it was more to see
his flustered reaction or see where the thoughts could lead, but I'd be fine with
either. He grabbed my hand gently, his jaw clenching immediately as I pictured some
of my favourite memories and recurring fantasies of us. Of course they were rated R
fantasies, where would be the fun in anything less?

It was difficult to watch his reactions while picturing the fantasies, but I tried
my best not to waver from them too much.

"Tyler." He said, his tone holding a warning. I pulled my hand away with a soft
sigh, watching him pull his bottom lip back between his teeth. It wasn't his usual
distracted gesture though, the movement strained. I watched with a smirk as he
reached a hand under the blanket, satisfied with the level of frustration I'd
thrown at him. Deciding it'd be humorous to mess with him a little bit, I started
to give him weird looks.

"What?" He asked after a few seconds, lifting a single eyebrow.

"How are dolphins worthy of that face?" I scoffed, resisting the urge to giggle as
confusion overcame his features. I decided this was definitely a good idea,
watching how confused he was by the lie.

"You were thinking of dolphins? Because that's not what I got." He muttered, cheeks
flushing as he likely remembered what it was I'd actually been thinking about. I
nodded slowly, the urge to laugh growing stronger and stronger the longer I watched
him try to figure out how his mindreading had gone wrong. Suddenly it was too much,
a smirk finding my lips before I caved and burst out laughing, throwing my head
back as my laughter filled the room. "Asshole."

"You love me." I choked out, giggling next to him.

"Leave it to you to still be thinking about sex at a time like this." He muttered,
a content smile finding my lips when he didn't actually sound offended over the
lying. I was glad he forgave me so easily, and that our casual atmosphere had
returned so quickly after something so huge. It was better this way, to not dwell
on it.

I debated my next move, wondering if him forgiving me was considered approval for
my actions. I wasn't sure if he wanted to dwell on the confession more or take his
mind off of it all, deciding the only way to really find out would be to ask him. I
shifted onto my knees, throwing a leg over his and settling on his lap. He didn't
push me off or object, even humming softly in approval when I grinded down against
his lap.

"Well, we did have a deal. Besides, it could help you take your mind off things..."
I explained, almost sounding like I was trying to reason with him with the way I
worded things. I wasn't actually, I was just trying to subtly figure out where he
stood on the matter. Did he even want to do anything right now? I know it'd been
our original plan earlier, but maybe things have changed after all that happened
today. I don't want him to be too shy to ask, but I don't want him to do something
he doesn't want to either.

"Tyler, you don't have to convince me. I want it just as bad as you. I'm just
classier when it comes to showing it." I grinned at his reassurance, eyes
fluttering shut as he started to lean forward. Our lips met gently, my hands
grabbing his shirt in protest of it. I tried to deepen the kiss, whimpering in
protest when he pulled away instead, doing the exact opposite of what I wanted. He
tilted his head to the side as soon as I let my eyes flutter open, looking at me
expectantly. Does he expect me to have a decent response right now? My head is
preoccupied with more interesting things than conversation.

"Well, stop it." I snapped harshly, half because I was impatient and half because I
genuinely did want him to be more open about things like this. It'd make both of
our lives easier, and probably hotter too. I grabbed the back of his neck and
pulled him forward, urgently bringing my lips back to his. I didn't waste time
before attempting to deepen the kiss again, albeit a little bit more cautiously
this time in fear of a second rejection. That's not how it went though, his tongue
eagerly meeting with mine and dominating both the kiss and my mouth in a matter of
seconds.

*smut warning*

I didn't actually have the intention of grinding on him as we kissed, it was my

hips that jerked forward of their own accord. However, after hearing his answering
deep moan at the added friction, I decided it wasn't such a bad idea after all. I
picked up a steady rhythm, hips moving against his harshly in long deliberate
downward grinds. I could feel him growing harder with each movement, thankful he'd
ditched his pants earlier. One less clothing article to worry about.

I pulled away from the kiss, blushing slightly as I wiped at the stray trail of
saliva ending up on my chin. Troye didn't seem off-put by it, eyes darkening as
they followed the movement. I smirked slightly after seeing how intently he watched
the movement, purposely wetting my bottom lip a little too messily, ending up with
more of a mess on my chin. I planned to wipe it off again, considering how into it
he'd been earlier, but he stopped me by grabbing my wrist. He locked eyes with me,
nodding his head downward. I listened, dropping my hand and letting him wipe off my
chin instead, paying attention to how fixed on me his gaze was rather than the
movement itself.

After he'd finished he ran his thumb over my bottom lip, pulling it out and
watching with a slight smirk as it pinged back into place.

"Bedroom?" He asked suddenly, lifting his eyebrows. I nodded my head, heart racing
at the thought of what was about to happen. It had been way too long, over a week
today. Maybe that was okay before I'd experienced what it was like with Troye, but
now it definitely wasn't. I was proud of myself for lasting a week and not jumping
him at school, if I were to be perfectly honest.

I pouted, realizing he still hadn't replied. Is he expecting me to say something

out loud rather than just nod? I searched his features, sighing when I realized
just how expectant he looked. I sunk closer to him, grinding forward in small
thrusts given our position didn't have room for much else. He didn't seem to be
complaining though, head falling to rest on the front of my shoulder as his hands
spanned my back. They ended up on the lower dip just above where my pants rested,
pulling me against him harsher. Both of us moaned in unison, his head snapping up
so our open-mouths could meet in another kiss.

I pulled away before it got too heated, panting and looking at him through hooded
eyes.

"Bedroom." I replied finally, my voice surprisingly confident despite how flustered

I usually got during moments like this. I was sure of myself though, sure this was
what I wanted. I couldn't go another second without taking this further, rolling
off of him to pant heavily by his side. He got to his feet first, my eyes landing
on the obvious bulge in his briefs, the outline of his hardness visible. I
subconsciously licked my lips, blushing when I heard Troye's answering chuckle.

"Let's go." He stated, holding his hand out to me. I grabbed it, letting him help
in the process of hoisting me to my feet. I ended up standing beside him, our eyes
locking for only a second before he was kissing me again. It was rough and
desperate, almost sloppy in how eager we were to touch each other. In the back of
my mind I wondered if we'd go any further than before tonight, but I decided it'd
be awkward to just ask. I'd let it happen, Troye could call the shots.

We stumbled backward as we kissed, my hands running over his back, nails digging in
every few seconds when I started to feel the need to be grounded again. He broke
the kiss off only to pant open-mouthed against my lips, gripping my hips tightly
and hoisting me up just like the first time we'd kissed. He stumbled forward, my
hands scrambling for purchase in his shirt as I let out a nervous whimper. He
didn't drop me though, instead backing me up against a wall, letting me put some of
my weight onto it until I got adjusted into a sturdy position.
He gripped at my butt, likely a mixture of his own want and actually trying to
support me as he started to move toward my room. I kept my arms around his neck
until he walked into the room, kicking the door closed behind us with his foot. I
thought he'd let me down then, surprised when he carried me the rest of the way and
tossed me onto the bed. I bounced a bit before coming to rest in the middle of it
on my back, looking up at him with eager eyes.

The room wasn't actually that dark considering the only light was provided by the
moon. I could make out everything in the room aside from the back corners,
especially Troye, given how close he was standing to the window over my bed. I
watched contently as he grabbed the hem of his shirt, keeping eye contact with me
as he started to lift it up. Of course my eyes couldn't stay following the fabric
after he'd exposed more skin, eyes flickering to the dark trail just above his
waistband as an appreciative hum left my lips.

"Don't just sit there, take your pants off." He ordered after the shirt was mainly
off, making me sigh as I tore my gaze off of him. I hastily started to work on my
button, frustration finding me with each second I wasted struggling with it.
Eventually I managed to get it open, kicking them down my legs and off the edge of
the bed. I looked back to Troye for his approval then, jaw dropping when I found
him standing completely nude beside the bed. I'd expected him to wait a bit longer
on the briefs, not that I was complaining. No, I was doing the opposite of
complaining.

I let my eyes wander over the length of his body, admiring every toned expanse of
skin. I could stare at him forever, never getting bored of every feature he had. He
was gorgeous, the definition of eye candy in every sense.

"Boxers too, Ty." He chuckled, my eyes looking up to his almost guiltily now that I
knew he'd been watching me drink him in. It's not like I could help it, he
shouldn't be so damn attractive if he doesn't want me to stare.

I listened to him though, wanting to be on his good side for what was about to
happen. I had a feeling things would be a lot more enjoyable if I just went along
with what he said. Despite me being the one with more experience and the porn blog,
he always seemed to know exactly what to do in the bedroom.

He watched intently as sat up and grabbed my boxers, trailing them slowly down my
legs. It was more because of nerves than trying to draw out the movement to be
sexual like he had with his shirt. He didn't call me out on it though, his mind
clearly on other things as his eyes quickly scanned my body. He didn't take his
time like I had though, his determination clear when his eyes found mine again.

"Who first?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. I tried to ignore his smirk as
I started to blush, used to the question but still flustered despite all the times
I'd heard it. Other than when we were giving handjobs, one of us had to get the
blowjob first. The first couple of times we'd been nervous and tried to indirectly
ask the other, but Troye had recently started being more blunt about it. And,
though it was embarrassing, it made things a lot easier in the long-run.

"Me." I answered confidently, the first time I'd managed to give a straightforward
answer. He seemed pleased with that judging by his smile, though it flickered just
slightly as I fell back against the bed and experimentally ground my hips upwards
into nothing. His eyes followed the movement though, darkening before they met with
mine again. I could already see the shift in his mood, eagerness spreading through
me as I recognized the dark dominant look he seemed to wear every time things
started to get heated behind closed doors.

"Eager and selfish aren't a good mix, maybe I should make you wait. You know, to
teach you a lesson." He teased, tone seductive and sending shivers down my spine
with each word. I paused, watching as he trailed a hand down his stomach. Despite
knowing it's destination I couldn't help but moan softly as his fingers wrapped
around his shaft, closed-fist running over it slowly. I bit my lip harshly and
forced my eyes off of him, knowing we'd never get anywhere if I didn't force myself
to look away now. It was amazing how easily my mind could wander while looking at
him, during any time.

It took me a few seconds to remember what he'd last said, eyes going wide when it
fully clicked what he'd been suggesting. I shook my head, despite knowing what he'd
said was true. I was being eager, and definitely selfish, but I couldn't wait any
longer when I was this turned on.

"No, I need you now." I insisted, watching the movements of his hand halt. I was
almost thankful they had, wondering silently if I would have been able to look away
a second time otherwise.

"Do you?" He pried, giving me a dark smirk as I looked back up at him. I'd been
planning on insisting I did, words momentarily abandoning me as I studied his
expression. He looked so cool and collected, nothing like how desperate and needy I
felt. It was oddly alluring, impressed by the amount of control he managed to have
even in situations like this.

"Y-Yes." I stuttered out, rendered even more flustered by seeing how little he was.
He smirked harder then, nodding his head once in what I hoped was agreement before
sinking down onto the bed. I shuffled further up, bracing my upper back against the
pillows and watching contently as he crawled to sit between my legs.

"Stay still." He demanded, my head nodding immediately to reassure him I'd follow
the order. His hands settled on either of my legs, palms flat and fingers splayed
as they slowly slid upward. I clenched my jaw tightly as they reached the top of my
legs, gripping the dip between hip and leg tightly. "Lift your legs up and spread
'em."

"Right." I muttered distractedly, more to myself than him. I lifted my legs and
bent them, letting them settle spread on either side of Troye as he moved even
closer. I curled my toes against the mattress, breathing heavily as he settled
himself down laying between my legs, eyes at the same height as my erection. He
didn't meet my gaze as I watched him, instead concentrating on the task at hand as
he propped himself up on an elbow. He used his other hand to loosely wrap around my
length, running it over the shaft only twice before withdrawing. I was about to
protest before I realized he was only going to spit on his hand, bringing it back
immediately to slick me up in saliva.

Once I was coated he continued his earlier movements, although the pace was a bit
more desperate now as he delivered me with a pattern of hasty tugs. I bucked upward
to meet his hand each time it went back downward, relishing in the deeper thrusts.
I was about to do it again when he abruptly pulled away, giving a loud whine of
disapproval now as I thrusted upward anyway. I wasn't expecting his lips to wrap
around my tip when I did, an obnoxiously loud moan leaving my lips as I ended up
thrusting into his mouth. He didn't protest, which I took as approval as I
continued to buck up into his mouth. He sheathed his lips and let me continue, eyes
remaining open and locked with mine as I used his mouth.

I was still amazed by how insanely hot eye contact made things like this, arousal
pooling in my lower stomach the longer he held my gaze. I felt almost cheated as
his eyes fluttered shut, lashes resting gently in place and giving him a strangely
angelic look despite the circumstances. I groaned softly, reaching down to weave my
fingers through his hair and guide him how I wanted. Even with the added control I
didn't cease my hip movements, fucking up into his mouth as I pushed him back down.
I could feel myself hitting the back of his throat, in awe by how well he took it.
He didn't cough or splutter once, his skills honestly impressive given how
inexperienced he really was.

Deciding to test his limits a bit, I loosened my grip, letting me suck me off how
he wanted for a few seconds before he went back down again. I gripped his hair
tightly, holding him in place as far down on my length as he could go, almost
surprised when he didn't protest. His hands gripped my thighs tightly, actual
surprise finding me when he swallowed around me, the feeling of him tightening
around my head almost too much to bear. I was not ready to cum yet.

So I did the natural thing, removing my hand completely and watching him jerk
upward to inhale a deep breath. I stared at him in disbelief as he caught his
breath, admiring the sheen of sweat and saliva coating his face. I was certain
there were other things too, but I decided there were more important things to
worry about when he started to move again.

He reached a hand up and slipped two fingers into his mouth, sucking on them
harshly and making my muscles clench in anticipation. I was pretty certain of his
intentions, even if it was the first time we'd done this. Up until now he'd avoided
touching me there, keeping his attention solely on my length at all times. I was
almost embarrassed by how eager I was for the new kind of touch, hips lifting from
the bed in an attempt to bear myself to him further rather than gain friction for a
change.

He slipped his fingers out of his mouth as his eyes followed the movement, a soft
hum of approval leaving his lips before he was shifting downward again, lips
stopping as they brushed against my tip.

"I'm serious about staying still this time, okay?" My eyes practically rolled back
hearing his delicious gravelly voice, unbelievably turned on further just by the
sound. I didn't even realize I was nodding in agreement until I forced myself to
stop, taking a deep breath before giving my all into speaking up.

"Yes, sir." I didn't mean for it to sound as formal as it did, blushing slightly at
how seriously I'd started to take my submissive role the more I lost myself in the
moment. He didn't seem to be complaining though, just smirking darkly before
harshly flicking his tongue over my slit. I gasped, his mischievous chuckle a
moment later only turning me on further.

"Good boy." He muttered, sounding almost sarcastic given the soft laughter that
followed. I got the idea he might just be mocking me for my earlier response, but I
didn't dwell on it when the words had already affected me in such a pleasant light.
Instead I just hummed in lieu of a response, eyes squeezing tightly shut when he
took me back into his mouth. I breathed heavily as he suctioned his lips,
unintentional obscene noises filling the room each time they loosened around me. I
felt wrapped up in bliss as he relentlessly pushed me toward my high, not expecting
it at all when his cold finger pressed against my entrance.

I tensed, eyes opening tentatively as my nerves started to intensify. However, my

hesitance disappeared as fast as it had appeared when my eyes met with Troye's
black ones, heart racing as I studied all the lust visible in them. He lifted an
eyebrow, slowly tracing his lips over me as he pulled away.

"Can I?" He asked after a few seconds of studying my features, his eyes still
searching mine for some type of signal. I took a deep breath, nervous despite the
fact I'd done it before. It was only once though, and that was myself not someone
else. What if he moves too fast and it hurts? Is he going to stop at just his
fingers or are we going further tonight? How am I supposed to know?

"Y-Yeah." I stuttered out, shaking nervously as I watched his answering nod. I have
no reason to be this nervous, Troye would never do anything I didn't approve of.
And even better, he wouldn't judge me for not approving of something either. There
wasn't a better person I could think of doing this with. There wasn't another
person in general, it was only Troye I wanted.

He waited a second, still studying me as if making sure I wasn't going to change my

mind. Despite being nervous I began to grow impatient, eager for him to do
something at least. I pushed down against his finger gently, gasping quietly when
he met the movement and pushed forward at the same time. I closed my eyes again,
concentrating on adjusting. It didn't take long considering it was only a single
finger, clenching around him experimentally. I'd only meant to see what it felt
like, blushing at the soft moan he gave in reaction, clearly more into it than I
thought.

He shifted downward again to take me into his mouth, the ecstasy working as a
distraction before he removed his finger to push it back in alongside another. I
froze then, giving a ruined moan at the stretch. He was surprisingly good at multi-
tasking, lips moving over me tightly as he started to push his fingers in and out
of me. He was gentle and slow, giving me plenty of time to object to anything he
did. Not that I wanted to, deciding after only a few seconds of having his fingers
in me that I definitely liked it.

Just the feeling of having something inside of me was amazing, completely

forgetting it could feel any better then that when his fingers suddenly curled up.
I moaned loudly, legs trembling in their spots as the wave of pleasure he'd caused
me died down. I lifted my head that had ended up thrown back into the pillows,
fully expecting his cocky smirk just before he licked a strip up the length of my
arousal.

"Does it feel good?" He asked gruffly, my stomach doing flips at the deep lust-
filled voice. It wasn't necessarily new given how many times I'd heard it already,
but I also knew that I'd never get tired of hearing it.

I was surprised by how into it he seemed to be honestly, apparently getting off on

knowing I was enjoying his touch. If that was the case, I definitely had no trouble
reassuring him. It felt amazing, he deserved to know.

"Yeah-" I answered, eyes fluttering shut as his fingers started to move again. He
kept his mouth off of me though, likely so he could reply. I didn't really
complain, knowing I'd be coming way too soon if he hadn't. I'm not sure where this
is

Chapter Seventy
*Troye's POV*

I woke up hours before Tyler the next morning, stirred by the sound of the door
shutting at around 6am. I was worried before remembering his mother was working
backshift, then I was just overtired and grumpy. I couldn't get back to sleep now
though, of course not, because my lovely boyfriend had stolen every blanket on the
bed and cocooned himself in. And as much as I wanted to be mad at him, I couldn't.
Not when he was all cuddled up like that, practically smiling in his sleep. Even
when I tried to roll away from the cuddling embrace we had going on, his hands
needily reached out for me and he whined quietly in his sleep.

So instead I laid there freezing my ass off for the entire morning, using the time
to think rather than just sit there grumpy over the situation. I started out
thinking about my upcoming trip with the family, then about what Tyler and I would
do today, then just Tyler in general. That wasn't surprising though, that's where
my thoughts always ended up. The surprising thing was that I never got bored,
finding infinite interesting things to think about him.

I wanted to do something special today, like a date but without actually having to
ask him because that'd make it too formal. Figuring out what to do and where to go
was what took the longest, debating everything from a second skating trip to going
to a movie. But who wants to do those things as soon as they wake up in the
morning? We needed something more leisurely. What's something lazy Tyler loves to
do? It took me less than a second to come to a conclusion after wording it that
way, my lips turning up into an eager smile before I could stop them.

After deciding what I wanted to do there was absolutely no waiting around patiently
anymore, squirming eagerly in the bed next to Tyler. I huffed loudly in frustration
after trying and failing to find a comfortable position yet again, deciding my best
option at this point would be to just wake up Tyler. Even if it was just to get him
to hand me a corner of the blanket, it'd be better than being cold and bored.

I wedged myself closer to him, settling my hand on the square of his chest actually
left exposed and not covered by his abundance of blankets. I ran it over his chest
in a comforting gesture, trying to ease him into consciousness rather than rush it.
I craned my neck to place a light kiss to his cheek, watching the way he scrunched
his nose up in his sleep. A toothy smile broke out across my face now, unable to
fight it the longer I looked at him.

He looked so peaceful and adorable while asleep, looking somehow older without his
glasses on. I debated it for only a second before rolling over to straddle his
waist, immediately picking up where I'd left off and peppering his face in feather-
light kisses.

"Mmm." He groaned, shifting underneath me. I couldn't figure out whether he was
trying to push me off or pull me closer, and judging by the amount of time it was
taking him to get his arms out of the blanket cocoon, I might not find out any time
soon. Instead I just continued kissing down his jaw, being gentle when I reached
his neck and noticed all the hickeys littering his pale skin.

I smiled excitedly when he finally got his hands out, the expression dimming when
he reached over his head rather than for me. I figured it was his glasses he was
going for, rolling my eyes when he instead grabbed the pillow I'd used and shoved
it over his face with a grumpy-sounding grunt.

"Wake up!" I whined insistently, bringing my hands down to pound playfully at his
chest. Realizing he still had no intention of joining the world of the living, I
started to tear his blankets away from him. Despite his grumbles of protest, he
didn't actually try to stop me, letting me strip them completely off of him with
only a bit of struggle. I tossed them onto my abandoned side of the bed then,
settled back down on his waist and arching my eyebrows when I felt his morning
hardness pressing against me.

He rolled his hips upward almost lazily, the smirk on his lips just barely peeking
out from below the pillow. I quickly shuffled back to sit on his thighs then, not
wanting to encourage his mindset. "That is not what I had planned."

"Plans can change." He defended, hands sliding out from under his head to land on
my thighs, slowly moving them up and down. I shook my head, settling my hands on
top of them and lacing our fingers together.

"Tyler, not right now." I said calmly, trying not to feel bad when I watched his
lips fall into a pout. He obediently stilled his hands though, nodding once in
acceptance of my words.

"Fine, but if that's the case don't expect me to get up for another hour." While he
chuckled slightly at the words, they didn't necessarily sound sarcastic. I had no
doubt in my mind that he'd fall back asleep immediately even without the blankets
if I didn't pull something quick, my mout moving before my brain as I blurted my
plans I was supposed to keep secret from him.

"What if I offered to take you out for breakfast?" It was supposed to be a

surprise. I was going to get him up and into the car with no idea where I was
taking him, but I guess it wasn't a total loss. He still didn't know where we were
going to eat, and chances are this was the only thing capable of getting him up
anyway.

He hummed thoughtfully as if considering whether it was worth getting up or not, an

impatient huff leaving my lips as I leaned back over him. I settled against him
with my elbows holding my upper half up, kissing at his collarbone now. I kissed
right up his neck to the base of his ear, sucking the lobe between my teeth before
whispering the clincher of my argument. "All you can eat."

"You'll be broke by the time I'm done." He muttered, the beginning of defeat
starting to show in his voice. I grinned cheerily, deciding to risk it as I lifted
the pillow off of his face. He squeezed his eyes shut tighter in response, like the
sun was literally hurting him, but he didn't make any move to grab the pillow
again.

"That's okay, you're worth it." I assured him, letting my hands find his face and
cup both of his cheeks. I ran my thumb over his prominent cheekbone, leaning down
once more to peck our lips together before I rolled off of him onto the empty bed
beside him. He sighed loudly at the loss of contact, the noise trailing off when I
jumped up and threw the curtains shut.

I looked back to him for approval, my stupidly cheerful grin returning when I saw
his eyes were finally open. He yawned loudly as he kept eye contact with me, moving
to stretch himself out immediately afterward. I watched as he lifted his arms high
over his head, lifting his hips and stretching his back out at an awkward angle. I
guess it did the trick though, considering he was finally sitting up seconds later.
He rubbed his eyes wearily, moving his hands away after what felt like ages and
letting his gaze drift over to me.

I watched as he raked his eyes over my frame, blushing slightly as I realized just
how little I was wearing right now. I watched his eyes visibly darken as they
reached my hips, my hand quickly skirting to cover up the bulge in the front of my
briefs. He only seemed to be pressed forward by my flustered state, smirking as he
let his eyes lock with mine.

"What about after breakfast? What are we doing then?" His gruff tone made it quite
clear what he was hoping for us to do, but I decided to tease him a bit. I knew
damn well we'd be doing whatever he wanted to after breakfast, considering I
couldn't say no to him ever and hold my ground, but he didn't have to know that.

"We'll see." I answered instead, walking to his dresser and rummaging for clothes
like I owned the place. I chose my favorites, not even asking for his permission
before shrugging the outfit on. I purposely kept my back turned to him as I did,
embarrassed to be under his gaze like this even after the things we'd been doing
together. This was different, sort of.

I did turn back to him when I was finished though, not at all surprised to find his
eyes already on me. I stuck my tongue out at him, gesturing for him to get off the
bed already as I started out of the room. "I'll wait for you in the kitchen. Hurry
up."

"Fine." He sighed loudly, clearly not very impressed by being left alone. I didn't
care though, knowing I had to get out of here relatively quick. We still had a bit
of a drive to get to my desired location, and knowing Tyler he'd be throwing a fit
over how hungry he was if we waited too long.

I walked down the length of the hallway, only stopping when I slipped into the
porch and pulled both of my shoes on. I walked back into the hall then, standing on
the welcome mat as I looked between the kitchen and the living room for Jackie. I
wasn't at all surprised to find her passed out on the couch snoring softly, knowing
just how crazy her hours had been last night. She actually looked a lot like Tyler
when he was asleep without his glasses, something I'd never really noticed before.
I got so caught up in comparing the two I almost didn't notice when the actual
Tyler walked in, jumping when he squeezed my shoulder in greeting.

I turned to return the gesture, freezing as I watched his eyes fall on his mother's
sleeping form. Concern flooded through them, his hand immediately slipping off of
me before he walked back into a room I'd never been in before. His mother's room, I
figure.

My thoughts were confirmed when he came back with a big blanket, tossing it over
her before taking the time to adjust it and tuck her in. I watched with my lips in
a tight line as he brushed her hair back out of her eyes, an unimpressed sigh
leaving his lips.

"She's always falling asleep here, it's not good for her back." He muttered
distractedly, voice so quiet I had to wonder if he was talking to himself. He
didn't follow-up the statement, and I still wasn't entirely sure he'd been talking
to me, but I decided to reply anyway. More to grab his attention back than because
I was actually invested in the topic.

"She'll be fine, Ty." I said, stepping closer to him and wrapping my arms loosely
around his waist from behind. I rested my chin on his shoulder, taking a deep
breath before continuing. "Come on, we'll leave her a note in the kitchen."

"Fine." He sighed, breaking out of my grip to bound into the kitchen. I followed
after him a bit slower, walking into the other room only to lean against the
counter as he hurriedly scrawled out a note on some paper. I wasn't sure exactly
what he was putting but I figured it didn't matter too much as long as she knew we
were out somewhere and approximate time for how long we'd be.

He dropped the pencil after a few seconds, struggling for a few seconds to pick up
the paper before turning to face me. He flashed me a wide smile before trudging
past me to hang it on the fridge, giving a single nod of completion before turning
to actually give me his attention. The stupid giddy feeling that found me every
time I saw him returned like always, my expression matching the way he made me
feel. His lips quirked up into a smug smile in response, clearly enjoying my
lovesick eyes on him.

"What?" He asked expectantly, like he thought I'd have a reasonable explanation of

why I couldn't tear my eyes off of him. There wasn't any way to explain it, I just
couldn't. Well, I guess if I wanted to get really descriptive and sappy it was
possible I might be able to pull it off, but even that would be with a bit of
struggle and a lot of embarrassment. I preferred the easier route, hence my one-
sentence reply.
"Nothing, you're just cute." He rolled his eyes at this, sticking his tongue out at
me.

"It's the blue hair, isn't it?" He teased, never letting go of how badly I'd wanted
him to dye it that color. I shrugged my shoulders, giving a knowing smirk.

"It definitely gives you bonus cuteness points." I teased, winking at him. He
actually shoved me this time, giving a scowl before marching out of the room ahead
of me. I rushed after him though, throwing an arm over his shoulders in a silent
bid to reconcile. He sighed loudly, but he didn't protest as I pulled him closer
against my side.

I led him the rest of the way out to the car like this, enjoying having him near
almost as much as the extra warmth he was providing me with. It was freaking
freezing today! My hands were practically numb in a matter of seconds, along with
my teeth chattering uncontrollably the longer we spent outside.

Needless to say we rushed to the car, both of us shivering violently for nearly a
minute after sliding into our seats. We didn't speak either, just huddled into
ourselves in our respective seats until our bodies started to thaw out again. After
that I was quick to start the car, knowing it probably would have made warming up
easier had I done it before. I couldn't help it, I was too cold to move then.

The drive started out relatively silent, the only sound being the radio playing
quietly in the background. I started to hum when a familiar song came on, having to
force myself into resisting the urge to sing when the chorus started. I kept my
attention on the road, jumping slightly when Tyler spoke up for the first time as
we stopped at a red light.

"Why don't you sing instead?" He asked, his voice almost tentative like he was
unsure how I'd react to the suggestion. I debated just shrugging it off before
remembering how nice it felt to get things out in the open yesterday, deciding to
just be honest with him on where my 'stage fright' really stemmed from.

"I was always scared I'd read the mind of whoever was listening and see their true
thoughts about how bad I was." I explained, the end trailing off into a mumbled
whisper. I knew exactly how he'd react to that, insisting I wasn't bad and that I
shouldn't be so shy. And as much as I appreciated the sentiment behind it, I
couldn't just brush the anxieties off.

"Will you sing for me? I can promise for a fact I don't think you're bad." He
asked, surprising me when he didn't just lecture me on being more confident in
myself. I still found myself debating my answer though, nibbling nervously on my
bottom lip as I pressed my foot into the gas again. I tensed for only a second when
his hand settled on my thigh, squeezing in a comforting gesture. "I'll sing with
you."

I hope he sings, his voice is addictive.

"Okay." I whispered back, smiling softly before beginning to jokingly sing along
with the song. He started as well, the two of us acting like goofs as we sang to
every single song to come on the radio. It wasn't about being a good singer, it was
about enjoying the act itself. It was insanely comforting knowing I'd found someone
I could do that with.

We didn't actually hold a conversation again until I made the turn off onto the
highway, making it clear we were going out of our immediate town for breakfast.
That caught his attention, eyes wide as he stared out his window.
"Where are we going?" He asked quietly, his curiosity evident in the way he didn't
even try to cover it up.

"You'll see." I replied teasingly, knowing how little he enjoyed surprises he had
to wait for like this.

"You're kidding." He gasped, his shocked and mesmerized voice more than enough to
make up for the long drive I'd just endured with him begging me to tell him the
destination the entire time. I smirked smugly, happy with my decision to take us to
the familiar restaurant. We hadn't been here since that first time we skipped
school together, my heart fluttering in my chest at the memory. It didn't even seem
that long ago until you really looked at how far we'd come.

"Worth waiting an extra half hour to get your breakfast?" I asked, lifting a single
eyebrow as I looked in his direction. He nodded his head, smiling as he looked back
to meet my gaze.

"Definitely." I felt warmth spread through my chest at how genuine his answer
sounded, leaning over the center console to press our lips together in a gentle
kiss. He surprised me when he was the one to pull away, pecking my lips once more
before hurriedly turning and scrambling out of his seatbelt, then the car. I was
just getting out by the time he reached the steps leading up to the door, turning
back to wave me over impatiently. I rolled my eyes despite the fact he couldn't see
it from that far away, jogging over to meet him despite how little I really wanted
the exercise.

He latched onto my side as soon as I made it off the last step, hugging me tightly
and impatiently tugging my body in the direction of the doors. I wrapped an arm
around his shoulders to steer him better, though I did inevitably give in to his
demands and let him pull me into the building.

He immediately headed for the same spot we'd sat last time, my lips quirking up
into a smile as I recalled how he'd described it as the 'couples area'. Back then I
would never have imagined actually coming here together as a couple in a million
years. We fell into the same seats as before too, a stupid grin seemingly
permanently implanted onto my lips as he leaned over the table, kicking my foot
under it.

"So, Troye Sivan, tell me something about yourself." He purred, confusing me for a
second before I remembered the last time he'd said this. I blushed, my eyes moving
to dart around the semi-familiar surroundings as I pondered how to answer his
question.

"I hated this the first time you asked, you know. I had no idea what to say and I
still don't." I explained, sighing in defeat as I looked back to him with no idea
where to start on my reply. He gave an understanding nod, like he'd expected this
answer.

"Do you want me to go first again?" He asked, immediately greeted by my eager nod.
I watched with wide eyes as he reached his hand across the table, taking one of my
hands into both of his as he cleared his throat. "I'm scared of the future, I have
unreasonable high hopes that our relationship will last forever, and I'm a dog
person."

"Interesting. How does being a dog person link in with the rest? I don't understand
your train of thought." I asked quietly, quirking an eyebrow. In truth, everything
he said was intriguing and I'd like to question him further on it, but I decided to
go with the easiest one. Surely he can't have that much reasoning behind announcing
his preference between dogs and cats.

"That's for in the future when we move in together, so you don't even try to
suggest a cat." He replied smoothly, the deep answering blush I felt spreading
across my cheeks clearly what he'd been hoping for. I gave a quiet huff, trying not
to read too much into all the things he'd been saying lately. He'd been mentioning
moving in together a lot, I just couldn't tell if it was intentional or not. "Your
turn."

"I can't cook or clean, I push people away because I'm scared of losing them, and
I'm horribly irresponsible." I managed, pausing between each for a few seconds to
think of something else. He'd given me an idea of the route he wanted the game to
go this time, sort-of themed around our future together. Assuming we had a future
together, which we'd better because I'm going to feel damn cheated if this doesn't
work out after all I've put into it.

"Why are they all so negative?" He asked, frowning slightly. I shrugged my

shoulders, refusing to meet his gaze as I uttered my next words.

"I figured you should know all the downsides to living with me, seeing as you're so
set on it." I was probably blushing like crimson now, embarrassed by my not-so-
subtle move of calling him out on all the 'living together' talk.

"But you are a dog person, right?" He asked quizzically, furrowing his eyebrows and
staring me down judgmentally.

"Yes." I replied confidently, not a doubt in my mind about that response. He gave a
huge grin then, winking at me just as he opened his mouth to reply.

"That evens it out." I started to reply to this before he held up a finger, nudging
his head to the right so my gaze would follow. I realized why a few seconds later
when I spotted the waitress skirting toward our table.

"I am so sorry about the wait! What can I get you?" She asked, looking back and
forth between the two of us as if trying to gauge who would be the first to speak
up. She had her pen and notebook ready for when one of us did, apparently not very
patient judging by the way she was bouncing on her heels.

"Order number one, with milk to drink." I spoke up, just asking for the first thing
I spotted. I didn't want to set her back anymore if she was already in this much of
a rush. I looked to Tyler with her then, both of us waiting to hear what his order
would be. I really hope he doesn't take ages to choose, I wouldn't want to stress
her out. Surprisingly, his head whipped up in a matter of seconds.

"One of everything." He beamed, batting his eyelashes up at her. My jaw dropped as

I realized he was serious, remembering how he'd warned me about spending all of my
money. I didn't think he was serious!

"Do you have more people coming?" The waitress asked cautiously, clearly very
unsure of whether he was serious as well. He shook his head, giving her a familiar
charming smile I'd grown to recognize. "Okay, um, it might be a bit."

"That's okay." He replied instantly, watching her as she turned and took back off
across the room. He look back to me then, inhaling deeply before speaking up again.
"I'm also a total pig, will probably jump you as soon as you walk through the door
on a daily basis, and will definitely force you to watch reality tv with me."

"God, what have I gotten myself into?" I groaned out, trying my hardest to sound
genuinely upset with what he'd said. He saw right through it though, just narrowing
his eyes in a joking challenge before kicking his foot directly into my shin. I
gasped, reaching down to clutch it as he picked up the menu for the first time. I
wonder what all he ordered, maybe he'll let me snatch something if order number one
turns out to be something I don't even like.

I kept my foot on his as he read through the menu, completely oblivious to the
world around him. He missed the lady who tried to bring her dog into the
restaurant, the waitress that spilled chocolate milk on a business man's lap, even
the cursing chef back behind the counter. Normally he'd be all over pointing these
things out, making me worry at just how much I felt the loss of his outspoken
behavior I was so used to it now.

"It's for sale." He spoke up suddenly, my eyes darting back to him. I took a second
to study the page he was holding up and pointing to, reading the headline
explaining how the restaurant was for sale. I could see the excitement in his eyes,
feeling irrationally disappointed knowing he'd never have the money to buy it. I
assumed that was why he was so thrilled about seeing the ad, because he wanted to
buy it.

"You'd never be able to afford it." I said softly, reaching over to grab his hand
again.

I know I wouldn't.

"It'd be nice though, wouldn't it? Mom could have her own restaurant, I could work
there until I figure out what I'm doing with my life. It's closer to the city too,
so if we wanted to get an apartment it wouldn't be far to travel." I felt even
worse as he explained his motives, thinking about how much Jackie would love her
own restaurant almost as much as how he'd mentioned us living together again.

"It'd definitely be nice." I agreed, squeezing his hand gently. He looked up from
the page and caught my gaze, likely noticing my sympathetic expression given the
way his fell.

"Sorry, getting carried away." I shook my head, passionate in how much I disagreed
with this.

"Don't apologize, it's good to dream. It's better than having no aspirations." I
explained, letting how serious I was show through in my voice. He smiled softly,
nodding his head in agreement before turning his eyes back on me. It wasn't casual
like before though, the way they were narrowed making it clear he had an intention
behind it. I couldn't wait to hear what he had to say.

"What do you want to be when you're older? A singer?" He asked, catching me off-
guard with the future career question I'd grown so used to hearing. Usually I just
brushed it off without answering when it was my family, but I didn't feel like
that'd work with Tyler. Besides, he deserves to know where I stand on it.

"Nah, I thought I did, when I was younger. Now that I'm older it just doesn't
appeal to me as much. I love singing, but I wouldn't want to do it as a job."

"Because of your ability?" He asked quietly, a giggle leaving my lips as I watched

the shifty way he looked around the room, like he was afraid someone was purposely
listening in on the conversation. I shook my head though, still strict about my
idea to be honest with him.

"Even without it, I'm not a social person. It'd be torture for me to have fans
everywhere I went." I explained, cringing slightly at just the thought. Not even
being able to leave the house without being swarmed, definitely not something I
ever wanted to happen. I might try singing at a small scale someday, but never as a
serious career.

"I guess." Tyler muttered, looking down at the table with a lost expression as if
imagining what it'd be like. He did look up eventually though, tilting his head to
the side as he studied my features. "So you have no idea either?"

"Not yet, I'm not in a rush though. As annoying as they are, my family have said on
multiple occasions they'd support me until I got on my own feet, no matter how long
it takes."

"That's good." He replied distractedly, his faraway tone making me feel slightly
bad. He didn't really have the option to just sit around waiting to find his
career, did he?

"I don't want to take advantage of them though, you know?" I explained, hoping he'd
see that I didn't have it completely easy either. Of course it was better than his
situation, but I wanted him to realize I wasn't just sitting around relying on them
either.

"Understandable." He laughed, sitting back in his seat and looking longingly toward
the kitchen. I nodded, grinning as a fleeting thought ran through my mind.

"I'll find something. You can be my trophy husband when I'm rich." I teased, trying
to hide how much the use of the word 'husband' actually flustered me. Sure we were
talking about a future together, but it just felt so official to use a term like
that. We weren't just planning on moving in together as friends or for awhile, we
were planning on staying together if that word was in the picture. I was more than
curious to see his reaction to it. Did I take the subtle fantasizing too far with
it?

"I'm pretty sure that was supposed to be an insult so I'm going to pretend to be
opposed to the idea." I couldn't help the goofy grin as his words sunk in,
realizing he'd essentially admitted to liking the idea of marrying me. In the back
of my mind I knew it was way too soon to have this conversation, considering there
was no way of telling whether any of it would ever matter, but I couldn't help it.
I liked talking about it, no matter how unrealistic some of the things we said
actually were.

"Well, it'd be stupid for both of us to work if one of us was making a good income,
right? You could be like a stay-at-home..." I trailed off, trying to think of the
word that usually went with that phrase. It was on the tip of my tongue. Stay-at-
home husband just didn't sound familiar, maybe it was-

"Dad?" He spoke up suddenly, his tone laughing and almost sarcastic. My eyes went
wide as I realized that was what I'd started to say, shaking my head immediately.
That definitely crossed the line into too serious zone. Eighteen-year-olds do not
need to consider kids, even jokingly.

"Not what I meant!" I insisted, blushing like mad the more I thought about the
stupid slip-up. Even worse was the way my mind kept insisting on picturing it now
that the thought had entered my mind. Tyler would be good with kids though,
wouldn't- No, not going there. Not any time in the near future anyway, it would
only be stupid to-

"Thoughts on kids?" I looked up from the floor I'd been staring at, gawking at
Tyler like he'd just uttered complete nonsense. I watched the regret flood his
features, hurrying to answer his question so he wouldn't stress over it too much.
"They're disgusting, annoying, tons of work-" I listed off, subtly hinting at how I
didn't want them any time soon. However, as I watched his expression get gloomier
with each addition to the list, I felt the need to brighten things up a bit. I
sighed and paused, giving a few second break before adding the most important part
of the list. "-and I want ten." I watched the light immediately return to his eyes,
fascinated by the way he tried and failed to hide his answering smile.

"We're way too young to be talking about this." He muttered, the bubbliness to his
voice making me seriously question if he agreed with himself. Then again, maybe
he's picturing us with kids just like I had, that was pretty smile-provoking. I was
tempted to read his mind, deciding in the end that it'd only spur me on further.
No, we shouldn't talk about this in a serious light at all for a few years at
least. I don't want to give him the wrong idea that I'm anywhere near ready for
that.

"I want ten... in like ten years." I clarified, watching his answering nod of
agreement.

"Definitely. I'm not even ready for a dog yet, trust me, the kids are on hold." I
let out a quiet breath of relief, thankful we were on the same page on the matter.
Kids were great, sometimes, but that didn't mean I wanted any right now.

"Agreed. Put all of this on hold." I confirmed, looking away as I tried to

hurriedly think up another topic so there wouldn't be an awkward pause. But when he
settled his hands on mine, I realized he had something to say instead and looked
back to him.

"So, let's continue this conversation in nine years then, huh?" He replied, not a
hint of sarcasm showing in his voice despite the teasing way he wiggled his
eyebrows. I blushed, forcing my eyes off of him again so I could have a second to
rationally think of a response. It was hard to think about anything other than him
when he was in my sight.

"You're very confident we're going to stay together." I muttered eventually,

deciding I simply didn't have a better way to respond than that. He blushed now,
sitting back in his seat again and letting my hands go. He scrunched his eyebrows
together like he was thinking about something, eventually nodding to himself before
speaking up.

"I think it's just because I can't picture any other alternative." I studied his
features, smiling broadly as I realized he was completely serious. Taking advantage
of the rare moment without sarcasm at all, I leaned forward over the table, cupping
his face and pulling it closer to mine.

"Hopefully you'll never have to." I whispered against his lips, just before
pressing them together more insistently and really kissing him. I was aware others
could see us, but I didn't really care right now. He was the only one that ever
mattered anyway.

"I don't think I've told you yet, but my family is forcing me to go along with them
on a trip for a couple weeks." I explained, not looking forward to the shift in the
mood we had going on right now. After dinner we'd been wrapped up in our own
personal cloud nine, oblivious to everything else as we just embraced the bubbly
vibe.

However, I did have to tell him this sooner or later. Preferably sooner because I
was leaving in the middle of the week, meaning my days left before the trip were
seriously numbered. I was still ignoring them and being a shit around the house
since they announced the second trip, trying to convince them to just leave me home
rather than force me along for 'family bonding time'.

At the same time, I wasn't actually opposed to some time in a warmer climate. I
just didn't want to be away from Tyler, especially not now that we were actually
together. I felt like I was missing out on things we could be doing every single
second we spent apart. Then again, we're already mildly experienced in the act of
phonesex. Maybe we could try it out sober.

"To your relatives like last weekend?" Tyler asked, his voice lower and absent of
the cheerfulness it had seconds before. I shook my head, giving him an apologetic
look like he'd somehow be more upset to know I was further away. It's not like it
mattered, either way I'd be away from him.

"Hawaii." I explained, feeling even worse as I watched his smile disappear

completely. Oh what I'd give to bring him with us. I asked actually, my parents
considering it until every other sibling insisted they should get to bring a friend
if I did. That was when things got really costly, and that was when the parents
backed out. "Time will fly by, okay? I'll be back in the very beginning of
February."

"It's going to crawl by at turtle speed, but whatever. I'll be happily waiting when
you get back." He assured me, leaning over the center console to kiss my cheek. I
sighed, nodding my head.

"I'll bring you back souvenirs." I promised, not at all looking forward to when he
got out of the car in a few seconds. However, my parents had probably heard about
the whole kidnapping thing by now and would be worrying sick until they saw me in
person.

That wasn't enough for me to rush through our goodbye though, pulling him back
against my lips harsher when he started to pull away. He smirked into the kiss
before gently massaging my lip with his tongue, slipping it into my mouth the
second my jaw opened. We kissed slowly at first, eventually letting it heat up into
the more desperate goodbye I'd been expecting out of us.

"I'm gonna miss you." Tyler whispered as he pulled away, not going far as he tilted
his head to rest our foreheads against each other. I nodded into the embrace,
pecking his lips once more before explaining my schedule further.

"It's not until Thursday, we have like three full days left together." He nodded,
eyes darkening and making me worry about what he'd say next for a split second.

"Can we skip school every one of those days and roll around in bed instead?" I
groaned quietly, knowing it'd be easy to get me bothered right now. After all the
kissing we'd done after dinner and just now, I'd been sporting a semi for a while
now. And, judging by all the lights on in his house, we didn't really have the
privacy to see anything through right now.

"Don't tempt me." I managed through grit teeth, appreciating it when he backed off
and moved all the way to his seat. I thought he was just going to get out then,
smiling widely when he looked back to me instead of out his window.

"You'll be back for Valentine's day, right?" He asked, the question coming out
surprisingly urgent.

"Yeah, definitely, a week before it." I answered hurriedly, rushing to reassure him
despite not knowing why he cared. He only nodded though, not offering me an
explanation and leaving my imagination to run wild. I'll just ask him, it'll be
easiest. "Do you have something planned?"

"No, I just didn't want to spend it without you." He said meekly, butterflies
swirling in my stomach at his touching words. I debated my next offer before making
it, unsure if I'd be able to pull it off. I've never planned any date before, much
less a Valentine's day date. Yet, the thought of actually having something
solidarity to look forward sounded better than just hoping we'd get to spend it
together.

"Do you want me to plan something?"

"If you want."

a/N: Guess who actually finished a chapter in under 24 hours?? MEEEEEEEEEee. Okay I
know it's short but it's idk whatever. I swear my author's notes get shorted every
single time but it's because by the time I'm finished I'm tired and want nothing to
do with this. Okay look at this cutie fanart, made by @Carmen40819888 on twitter
(woah thats a lot of numbers)

Chapter Seventy-One
*Troye's POV*

When I promised Tyler I'd be home for Valentine's day, that was with the idea that
everything would go according to plan and on schedule. I hadn't added in the delay
of a huge storm hitting the day we were supposed to go home, how was I supposed to
know that? So we were a day late actually getting back to our state, that wasn't
too bad. It still would have given us an entire two days before the date. But of
course when our family members invited us to stay the night to catch up on sleep
rather than driving all the way home from the airport still exhausted, my parents
took them up on the offer.

At this point I really just wanted to steal the van and drive home, stressing out
over whether we'd make it back in time tomorrow for me to catch any of the shops.
The sex shop I planned on going to wasn't open very late and I didn't want to miss
it and have to rush out the day of Valentine's. Sure, I could go essentially
anywhere for what I was getting, but I wanted to make sure I got the best ones. Who
knew condom buying could be so stressful. Well, actually, I think everyone knows
that. I can't imagine it not being awkward when you go to buy things like that, but
maybe it'd be easier at an actual shop made for selling that kind of stuff rather
than a general store. At least, that was my logic.

Worse yet, it's not like I could get them to stop somewhere like that on our way
home tomorrow. I'd have to go home, climb right back into my car without any sleep,
and go to the store. I would never risk them seeing me buying stuff like that, I'd
never hear the end of it.

By the time Thursday morning rolled around I was the first one out of bed for the
first time ever. I was up even before the relatives we were staying with, the ones
with the weirdly put together life that always woke up with the sunrise. I was up
before the sun though, packing all of my stuff back up and even debating if I
should clean up my siblings too. It'd save time, and it's not like I could even
tell them why I was in such a rush. 'Can you please hurry? I need to get home
before the sex shop closes.' isn't exactly something you tell your mother.

I was sitting at the table after paying both my bag and both of my sibling's,
tearing through a bowl of disgusting whole-wheat cereal, when the sound of
footsteps on the stairs finally graced my ears. I sat up more formally, turning to
watch the doorway to see who was up. I doubted it was any of my immediate family
considering it was still 6am, but I could hope.

My aunt walked through the door seconds later, humming softly under her breath.
That was before her eyes fell on me, the sound immediately cutting off and replaced
by a mortified scream. We both jumped backward, her hitting her head against the
door frame and me smacking my hip on the table, only to fall onto the floor off my
chair.

"J-Jesus, Troye! What are you doing up?!" She shouted, still sounded scared and
confused. I groaned, rubbing gently at my sore hip.

"I was eating breakfast, but now I'm trying to sort out how many broken bones I
have." I muttered, trying and failing to keep my tone from sounding too snappy. She
sighed, leaning back against the wall and rolling her eyes. We both sat in silence
for a few seconds trying to catch our breath, the moment shattered by the sound of
rapid footsteps on the stairs.

"Gail? Is everything alright?" A familiar voice called, a smile finding my face as

I recognized it as my father's. I may have gotten a bruised side and cereal all
over me, but I'm still the winner here because look who we woke up. Maybe I can get
home before the shop closes after all.

I watched my uncle and father walk into the room, each gripping a baseball bat with
panic-stricken eyes. I scoffed at how over-the-top they looked, watching as my
uncle helped my aunt to her feet.

"Your son has been possessed, he was awake before me and scared the shit out of
me." She explained, breathing heavily as she threw a hand dramatically over her
chest. Both of their jaws dropped in disbelief, my cheeks heating up when they
turned to stare at me. Is me getting up this early really that unbelievable?

"I'm just homesick." I whispered meekly, embarrassed by all the attention. Their
expressions changed from shock to understanding, my father walking across the room
to help me to my feet too.

"Alright, we probably should head out relatively soon. Go wake up the family." He
said, giving my shoulder a squeeze and my back a push toward the doors. I nodded my
head, eagerly bounding toward the stairs. I was almost looking forward to this,
getting to wake them all up from a peaceful slumber for a change. Now they'd know
how I feel when they wake me up for school.

After an annoying amount of pushing, shoving, slapping, and complaining, we all

found ourselves walking out of the front door in less than an hour. I stumbled
through the snow, almost missing the warm temperatures of our vacation destination.
I didn't miss it enough to want to go back though, at least not without Tyler.

"Thank-you so much for having us!" My mother beamed, her tone oozing sweetness and
a total contrast to how she'd sounded earlier when I tore her from her peaceful
sleep.

"It's always a pleasure!" Gail replied, throwing her arms around Mom. They aren't
even related, Gail is Dad's sister, but she's a lot closer with Mom. As expected,
their goodbyes don't end there, another conversation starting in a matter of
seconds. I decided not to stick around for this one, rolling my eyes and heading
for the van where the rest of my siblings had dispersed to. I stumbled into the
very back seat beside Sage, cursing quietly when I hit my knee squeezing past her
to sit in my usual spot. The far back corner of the van, as far away from everyone
else as possible.

"What's your problem?" She asked, pulling a headphone out and giving me a weird
look. I hadn't realized she could hear my curse, blushing as I shrugged my
shoulders.

"Nothing."

"Miss your boyfriend?" She teased, smirking slightly when I answered her question
with a glare instead of words. "Are you going to dramatically run into his arms?
Kiss him twice for every one you missed?"

"Shut-up."

The drive back home was long and unbearable, most of it spent in a weird half-
asleep state. I never got to fully fall asleep, someone always speaking up a little
too loud just when I was on the brink of peace. Near the end of it I actually
slapped Sage and begged her to shut-up, but that only got me in trouble and her to
talk even louder in spite.

We got home not long after that though, my body protesting greatly when I didn't
immediately head up to my bed like Tyde. Instead I stayed with the rest of my
family members, following them into the kitchen and sitting at the table. They
probably came here because they were more hungry than tired, but I didn't think I
could even stomach anything right now. I was just here to kill time for a bit
before heading out to the store. I couldn't stay too long though, eyes constantly
flickering to check on the time until they closed.

After about half an hour doing nothing and sitting there bored out of my mind, I
decided enough was enough and got to my feet. All of their gazes immediately found
me, confused and curious as they studied the way I dug my keys out of my pocket.

"Troye? Where are you going? What happened to being homesick?" Mom asked, furrowing
her brows as she studied me. I shrugged my shoulders, blushing as I tried to figure
out what to tell them. I shoul have known they'd call me out on it like this.

"Well, you see-"

"He's just boyfriendsick, let him go see Tyler." I looked to Sage with a mixture of
anger and thankfulness, noticing the teasing tone but also knowing her blunt
explanation had got me off the hook. Both of my parents nodded knowingly, like
they'd been expecting that was the case even before she shouted it.

"Tell him we said hi and that we miss having him around!"

"You'll see him in a couple days." I muttered, stuffing my hands in my pockets. I

was slightly embarrassed by how obsessed with my boyfriend they were, practically
acting like we were married. Then again, they'd been doing that since the first
time I brought him over, huh?

"Still! It's been weeks since he's been over!" They weren't wrong, the last time I
had him over was just before the weekend I spent at my grandparent's without Tyler
and before the trip, it was nearing three weeks now.
"You poor things, how are you surviving?" I laughed sarcastically, surprised to be
greeted with all completely serious frowns in response.

"Miserably." My father explained dramatically, a loud sigh leaving my lips at just

how genuine his response was. Why did they care so much about Tyler anyway?
Whatever, they'll get to see him the day after tomorrrow anyway. They promised to
go away for the night and take Tyde and Sage with them, leaving the house to Tyler
and I tomorrow, Friday night. They'd get their chance to see him the morning after,
but seieng as it was Saturday, maybe he could just stay another night altogether. I
doubt he'd complain, especially after how little time we've had together lately.

"I'll see if he wants to stay here another night while you guys are home. Give you
some Tyler-bonding time." I said, making it seem like they were my sole motive
behind it. It had nothing to do with me simply wanting to be around him longer.

"What are you doing the first night that you can't have us around for?" Sage asked,
a smirk twitching her lips upward. I rolled my eyes, shooting her a glare.

"Sage!" My mother snapped, looking to me with a wide grin. "He wants his
Valentine's day date to be romantic, I wouldn't expect him to have us stick
around."

"Yeah, exactly." I confirmed, nodding my head in agreement with her words. Sage
stuck her tongue out at me, leaning harsher against the table.

"Couldn't you be romantic with us in the other room? Unless you're worried about us
overhearing anything?" She said, implying things even more bluntly now as she
wiggled her eyebrows. I watched my mother's jaw drop and my father stiffle a laugh,
groaning in annoyance at the lot of them.

"Sage, you're gonna embarrass him!" My mother snapped, like she thought Sage's
words would really affect me or something. I guess I was going to have to show her
just how wrong she was. Besides, I need to get Sage off my back anyway.

"If you're really that set on it, stay home, but any mental scarring you end up
with is fair game. We're not going to keep things quiet for your sake." I
explained, flashing her a toothy grin and relishing in the shocked expressions they
all sported now. Sage blushed and shook her head, clearly fuming with being
challenged like this.

"I was kidding, I'll just go to the hotel with Mom and Dad."

"That's what I thought." I snapped, shooting her a glare before nodding toward my
parents. They didn't respond to the gesture, just giving shaky smiles like they
were still shook up over my bluntness. I couldn't help but smirk slightly as I
turned and started out of the room, happy to find a way to get them to shut-up for
a change. Maybe if I just embrace their teasing rather than fighting against it
they'd get bored quicker.

I only started to re-think things when I parked the car in front of the building,
surprised I'd managed to last that long before my nerves caught up with me. I wiped
my sweaty palms off on my jeans as I studied the shop's exterior. Even from here it
was quite clear what kind of shop it was, between the neon signs and less-than-
appropriate wares in the display window.

The building itself wasn't actually in very good care, the decrepit state only
making me even more hesitant to enter. What was it going to be like inside? It
better be in good condition or I'm not buying anything from it. I don't want to buy
stuff like this from a place like that.

I guess I wouldn't know until I actually checked it out though, huh? I sighed,
unbuckling my seatbelt and getting out of the car. I made sure to lock it behind
me, taking a deep breath before starting across the pavement toward it. I had my
hands shoved deep in my pockets and my eyes trained on the ground even as I pushed
the door open.

I made a face at the loud bell that sounded, hoping I would have been able to slip
in undetected. I took another step still staring at the ground before the sound of
someone clearly their throat had me reluctantly looking up to greet them. My
nervous expression must have only intensified further when I took in the muscular,
bearded, tattooed man behind the counter. He was tall and intimidating, my
flustered state only increasing the longer he held my gaze.

"What can I help you with?" He asked finally, lifting his pierced eyebrow
curiously. I took another few steps to stand in front of the counter, twiddling my
thumbs nervously.

"Condoms and lube." I said quietly, cursing myself for how close to a whisper my
voice suddenly was. I bet he didn't even hear me and I really don't want to repeat
myself all over again. Though, judging by the smile and laugh he gave me, he
understood me clear enough.

"You don't have to be so bashful, those are literally the tamest things we sell in
this store." He explained, walking around to lead me down one of the aisles. I
watched the back of his feet rather than actually looking at what was for sale on
either side of us, concentrating on taking deep breaths when he abruptly came to a
stop. "Here you go."

"Wow, I didn't realize there were so many different ones." I blurted as soon as I
looked up, staring at the selves in fascination. I'd expected there to be a few
different brands to choose from, but nothing like this. "There are flavors?"

"On some of them, yes." He answered, his tone slightly exasperated like he wasn't
enjoying having to deal with me. I sighed quietly before grabbing a random box,
flipping it around to study the back. My eyes went wide when I saw the words 'extra
small', realization sinking across my features.

"Wait, they're not one-size-fits-all?" I asked incredulously, looking to the other

boxes to find different sizes printed on them all. He sighed heavily beside me now.

"Are all penises the same size?"

"No." I muttered, blushing as I realized how stupid it probably was of me to not

know something like this. Teachers didn't elaborate on all the different styles,
flavors, and sizes of condoms in sex ed, they just said that we should use them.

"I feel sorry for your girlfriend." He muttered under his breath, my arms
immediately crossing angrily over my chest. That was rude.

"Boyfriend." I corrected him, a hint of snootiness to be found in my voice like

boyfriend somehow made his words less of an insult. It didn't change the fact I
knew nothing about condoms.

I watched his eyebrows lift curiously at this, his persona completely changing as
he turned to me and flashed a bright smile. I tried to ignore how yellowed his
teeth were, likely from smoking.

"I'm assuming you don't know what size to look for?" He asked, tilting his head to
the side. There wasn't a hint of judgment in his voice now though, only
helpfulness. That made it a lot easier to reply, nodding my head. "Okay, well, if
you go home and google it I'm sure you can find out how to tell, then just measure
yourself and come back in tomorrow." He started to turn away, my hand darting to
grab his arm before he got too far away.

"I, uh, I need them today." I explained, blushing when he turned around and gave me
a disappointed look. Okay, now I look uneducated and like an idiot that ran to get
them last second. But hey, at least I'm getting them.

"Unless you want to get yourself hard and figure it out in the back room, I think
you'd better wait. If you get the wrong size it could either slip off or tear." He
explained, my blush intensifying to no end when he said the suggestion like he
actually thought I'd take him up on the offer. I'm not doing that in the back room,
who does he think I am? There has to be some other alternative to- Got it! I'll
just use the trial and error method!

"What if I just bought a bunch and tested them out beforehand until I found the
right ones?" I asked, looking back to him curiously. He shrugged his shoulders,
actually laughing at my idea.

"If you've got money to waste, sweetheart, be my guest." He said it sarcastically,

probably not even thinking I was serious. I was though, grinning widely as I turned
back to the shelves.

"Great." I replied distractedly, starting to grab boxes haphazardly and toss them
into my empty basket. I avoided the smaller sizes altogether, knowing at least that
I was bigger than that. By the end of it I had everything from colored, to
flavored, to ribbed, to glow in the dark. It was a mess and I doubted I'd ever use
half of them, but at least I'd be prepared for awhile.

"I've worked here for six years and that's the most condoms I've ever seen anyone
buy." He laughed next to me, reminding me I wasn't standing here alone. I turned to
start toward the counter, freezing when he cleared his throat again. "Forgetting
something?"

"Oh right, lube." I muttered, looking around and immediately deciding against it as
my eyes fell on the cover of a straight porno. I'll just ask him instead. "Where
is-" He cut me off, pointing to a shelf just beside us.

"Just make sure it says water-based if you're using condoms, not oil." I nodded my
head, scanning over the decorative bottles to see which would catch my eye. I
picked one up almost tentatively, immediately discarding it back to the shelf when
I saw the words 'oil-based'. I huffed quietly, picking up the second-most eye-
catching and reading over the back. I found myself blushing all over again just
from reading the descriptions, biting my lip before dropping it into my basket in
what I hoped was a nonchalant style. I doubt we'll need any more than one, at least
right now.

I heard his shoes squeak against the floor as he turned around, likely to lead me
back to the counter. I turned to follow, freezing when my eyes fell on the display
to my left.

"Woah." I exclaimed under my breath, eyebrows raising as I looked at all the boxes
lining the wall. That wasn't what really caught my attention though, it was more
the ones on display in front of each of their respective boxes. I continued to gape
at the displays, my mind going to a completely different place than the dingy shop
I was standing in.

I wonder if Tyler would use a dildo. He might, he seems to be more than fine with
using his fingers. He mentioned something about masturbation not being the same now
that he'd had me get him off, but maybe this is what he needs to spice it up again.
It was hot just to think about, him fucking himself with a toy like that, wishing
it was me. He could use it during phonesex, getting even closer to the real
experience with something like that rather than his fingers.

Okay, I'll buy it. Sure, I might not ever get the guts to give it to him and even
if I do he might not use it, but it's worth a shot. But which one do I choose?
There aren't this many shapes and colors of real penises, why are there for fake
ones?

"Can I help you with anything else, sir?" I jumped at the sudden voice behind me,
not even registering him walking back across the room. I turned to face him with a
bashful expression, blushing like mad as he looked to where my gaze had been
seconds before. A knowing smile found his lips, his eyes surprisingly not
judgmental when he looked back to me. I opened my mouth to reply, snapping it back
shut and re-thinking the way I'd planned on phrasing it. I don't want to seem
completely clueless on it like earlier. He sighed, giving a knowing shake of his
head before looking to me with a serious gaze. "Normal or vibrator?"

"Vibrator." I answered without hesitation, surprised by how smoothly I'd said it

only after the word was out. I didn't even stutter. I guess it was just because I
was sure that was what I wanted, knowing it'd probably give Tyler the most
pleasure.

He nodded his head, stepping forward and grabbing the box closest to us. He held it
out to me, my hands shaking slightly as I took it from his hands and scanned over
the words on the box.

"This one has the best reviews." He explained, my head distractedly nodding in
response. Other than that I gave no sign of even hearing him, waiting until I'd
read everything to look back up. I gave an affirmative nod, slipping it into my
basket with everything else. We started back toward the counter together, pausing
mid-way when he turned to face me. "Is that everything you were after? Nothing
else?"

"Well, what else-" I started to ask, deciding he was probably just trying to help
me along. I was obviously shy, he probably just wanted to make sure I didn't go
home unhappy because I wasn't brave enough to get everything. Well, that, or maybe
he's just trying to get me to buy more so he gets more money.

"Handcuffs, blindfolds, collars, paddles, whips, costumes, edible lingerie-"

"I don't think we're quite to that stage yet." I muttered quietly, cutting him off.
I was thankful he'd stopped talking when I started though, only getting more and
more flustered with every addition to his list. The thought of using things like
that with Tyler was both intimidating and unexpectedly hot.

"What are you gonna do if you reach that stage and you aren't prepared? Make
another hasty unplanned trip to the sex shop?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at me.
I gulped nervously, shrugging my shoulders under his suddenly very judgmental gaze.
Okay, he's definitely just trying to get me to buy more stuff, but whatever.

"I guess I'll take a look around." I said meekly, nervously holding my basket with
two hands as I started to actually look around the shop and take everything it.
There was a lot of leather and uncomfortably bright colors, along with an array of
posters decorating the ceiling I could have gone my whole life without seeing.

I figured he'd be pretty upset if I didn't add anything more to my cart, trying to
scout out the tamest thing around. Other than condoms and lube, there really wasn't
much I could get away with.

I paused in front of one rack, looking at the array fuzzy handcuffs and overwhelmed
by the fact they were the mildest form of bondage in the entire store. I reached
forward and picked a black pair up, reading the small tag on them and rolling my
eyes at how many times they managed to fit 'comfort' into the description. I guess
they're pretty comfortable wrist restraints then, huh? Would Tyler even be into
something like that? Whatever, they can't be that expensive and it'll get that guy
off my back about buying more.

I slipped them in with the rest of my stuff, walking back to the counter and
setting it all out for him to bag. I looked up, watching as his eyes landed on the
new addition to my pile. He looked back up with a lifted eyebrow and the creepiest
wink I'd ever seen, a shiver sent down my spine as I realized a third alternative
as to why he might be trying to keep me in the store longer.

"Nothing else? You really struck me as the lace type." He chuckled, his voice a
strange mix of teasing and flirty that didn't settle well with me.

"W-What's that supposed to mean?" I stuttered out, voice coming out almost
defensive as I tried to figure out what he was implying. He just snickered and
shook his head though, smirking as he started to run my items through. I glared at
his hands as he did, too shy to actually look him in the eye considering what I was
buying.

He cleared his throat once he finished, nudging his head toward the number on the
screen rather than saying it out loud. My jaw dropped as my eyes went wide, staring
at the number in disbelief. He has to be kidding. How expensive can vibrators be?
Then again, he did say it was more or less the best in the store. I really need to
start looking at prices before buying, I'm going to really be broke after this.

"Do you have enough money? Because if not-"

"No, I do. It was just more than I expected." I said strictly, not liking the
persuasive way his voice was going with this 'if not'. Was he going to offer to pay
for it if I did something for him in exchange? Gross. I'm sick just thinking about
it.

I felt almost cocky as I scanned my card, thankful I had enough money and wouldn't
have to make a fool of myself in front of someone like this. He nodded his head in
confirmation as if the beep didn't make it clear enough it had gone through, my
hands immediately snatching the bags off the counter.

"Well, you may be clueless, but at least you have a lot of money to make up for it.
Have fun!" He laughed, waving at me before I got the chance to turn my back on him.
I didn't reply verbally or to the gesture, just stomping off with my back turned to
him and my lips set in a tight line.

I was still slightly unnerved as I shoved everything into my trunk, not at all
looking forward to any possible trips back here in the future. Maybe I'll just go
to the pharmacy next time, I don't think the variety really matters enough for me
to go back there with that guy. Plus the real point of that store was the more
kinky stuff, and I don't we'd be using any of that soon, if not ever.
I slid into the driver's seat and started the car, immediately met with a
complicated question I was way too tired to answer. Do I want to go home or do I
want to go see Tyler? I think he's at work right now so I can't just get there and
pass out either. But I miss him, a lot. Plus I'm three days late getting home, I
bet he misses me too.

With a defeated sigh, I pulled out of the parking lot, knowing exactly where my
destination was.

Unlike my last stop, I didn't hesitate at all before getting out at this familiar
building. I grinned cheerily as I noticed the Valentine's day things painted all
over the window, replacing our horrible attempts at Christmas decorating. I had to
say his was better than my attempt, but it was only hearts and flowers so it's not
like he should have had much difficulty.

I walked through the door without hesitance, listening to the familiar bell ding as
I wiped the snow off onto the mat.

"I'll be right there!" All of the tiredness seemed to seep from my bones upon
hearing the familiar voice, an ear-to-ear grin stretching across my face as I
walked further into the room. I ditched my coat and tossed it onto one of our
chairs, my steps speeding up the closer I got to the door leading into the back
room. I peeked around cautiously, heart thudding in my chest as I finally laid eyes
on him. He had his back turned to me, trying and failing to reach something on the
top shelf in the cursed closet.

I took advantage of his oblivious state, walking closer cautiously and stopping
just behind him. I debated for a second before slipping my arms around him from
behind, hearing his squeak of surprised as I hugged him to my chest.

"Miss me?" I asked immediately, wanting to reassure him who I was before he freaked
out. His body relaxed in my arms, the most peaceful sigh I'd ever heard leaving his
lips as he melted back into me. His head fall against me shoulder, his hands
snaking around behind him to grab my hips and pull us even closer together.

"So much, you have no idea." He whispered, his voice so emotional and genuine I
couldn't help but squeeze him just a little bit tighter. I leaned around to peck a
kiss onto his cheek, deciding then to grab his shoulders and turn him around.
Having him near was amazing, but I really just wanted to kiss him right now.

He looked up at me with a huge smile, eyes sparkling despite the tired bags
underneath them. He lifted a hand to mess up my unstyled hair, cheeks adorably
flushed as his eyes studied my face like he hadn't seen it in years. "Look at how
tan you are."

"Shut-up and kiss me." I ordered, not at all here for the conversation he was
trying to start. Not that I had any problem talking about it, kissing him was just
a lot higher of a priority.

He smiled and nodded, standing higher on his tippy-toes before insistently pushing
our lips together. My eyes fluttered shut as I got used to the feeling of having
his lips on mine again, weaving between his as I sucked gently on his bottom lip. I
gasped when his hands slipped from my back, ending up on my butt and grabbing at it
harder the more intense the kiss got. I knew it was probably innapropriate given
our situation, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him to stop, instead kissing him
back twice as hard and enjoying how handsy he got with me.
I licked into his mouth despite my silent promise to myself I wouldn't let the kiss
get that heated, too into it to resist. I pushed him backward with one hand on his
chest, the other gripping his jaw tightly to control the kiss. He hit the wall
behind him with a quit thud, hips immediately bucking forward when I failed to
close the distance between us completely. I gasped as his bulge grinded against
mine, heart racing as I realized how easily we'd been able to get each other to
this point. I guess we just got thirstier after time apart.

God, I wish my shift was over already. We wouldn't even have to wait, bend me over
the desk in the corner and just follow-through here.

"Ty! Don't be such a slut!" I laughed, my lips still half on his as I hurriedly
pulled away from the kiss. He looked up at me with adorable confusion etched into
his features.

"Huh?"

"The paperwork desk? Bruce uses that." I hissed, giving him a playful tap to the
shoulder. His eyes went wide with realization, cheeks darkening as he flickered his
eyes to the floor.

"Forgot you could do that whenever..." He mumbled bashfully, turning and sliding
out from between the wall and me. He sighed quietly, brushing his shirt out at if
composing himself before re-entering the store section. I followed closely behind
him, forcing myself to keep my hands off of him. It wasn't even in a sexual way, I
just wanted to touch him, to saturate in having him close after so long apart. "Are
you staying for the rest of my shift?"

"Yeah, but if I pass out you can't blame me." I answered immediately, thankful he'd
asked. It was almost like giving me his permission to stay.

"Understandable." He answered as he sat down, followed by me mirroring the movement

with a sleepy yawn. The last things I remembered before falling asleep was Tyler
offering to switch and give me the more comfortable chair, and him softly kissing
my forehead just as I slipped off the edge into unconsciousness.

I woke up with no one in the chair next to me, worrying for a second before
realizing everything around me was packed up. I guess it must be closing time, he's
probably busy cleaning or something. I rubbed my eyes as I got to my feet,
stumbling across the room and looking down each of the aisles. I gave a confused
look to the back of his head when I found him in the health section.

I walked up behind him cautiously, peeking over his shoulder and trying to figure
out what he was looking at.

"Are you ready?" I asked suddenly, surprised when he jumped backward against me and
completely lost his grip on the box in his hands. I was the one to kneel down and
pick it up, hurrying partly so I could see what it was he was looking at. I gave a
lopsided smile as I picked up the box, quirking an eyebrow as I looked back to him.

We hadn't formally planned to carry through with anything on Valentine's, it was

just assumed on either side. It was the next chance we got after my trip to do
anything and it was the best opportunity for 'romantic virginity loss' we were
gonna get. Besides, even if we didn't do it tomorrow we would be soon given how
desperate we were getting with each other.

He blushed fervently under my gaze, clearing his throat before speaking up again.

"...Sh-Should we buy condoms?" I couldn't help but smile knowingly at how nervous
he was, slipping my arms around his waist again and giving him a reassuring hug.

"Way ahead of you." I whispered, setting it back on the shelf for him as I rested
my chin on his shoulder.

"Really?" He asked, my eyes rolling at the obvious surprise in his voice. "Did you
get..."

"Lube?" I asked when he trailed off, deciding not to torture him by forcing him to
say it. He was so shy about stuff like this, I couldn't get over it. He nodded in
front of me, assuring me that was what he was talking about. "Yes, I did."

"Okay." He replied quietly, his voice content but still shy. I grabbed the hem of
his shirt, playing with it distractedly for a few seconds before stepping back from
behind him.

"Let's go." I announced, reaching for his hand. He shook his head though,
explaining he'd bought groceries and needed both his hands to carry them. We walked
out together, both of us holding bags. He paused by the trunk, looking to my with a
wide smile. "Can I put the groceries in the-"

"No!" I practically shouted, blushing when I realized how uncomfortably passionate

my answer had been. I couldn't help it, the thought of Tyler seeing how overboard I
went was just embarrassing. Even worse was if he saw the vibrator and jumped to
conclusions, either that I'd bought it for myself or I'd bought it for him when he
didn't even want it. "Valentine's day stuff, you can't see it."

"Really? You have supplies? What do you have planned?" He laughed, smiling happily
at me as I opened the door to the backseat for him. He piled everything in before
taking a step back and looking back to me curiously, clearly expecting an answer to
his question.

"You'd be surprised." I muttered, blushing as I watched him start around to his

side of the car.

"Stop it, you're making me even more excited for tomorrow." He whined, giving me an
impatient face from over the roof of the car. I pursed my lips as if to blow him a
kiss, my silent way of telling him that was the best explanation he was going to
get.

We didn't speak again until we were both in the car and situated, getting ready to
start the car. That was when Tyler reached over and grabbed my wrist before I
turned it on, giving me a shy smile.

"What are we doing tonight? Are you going home?" There was no denying how
disappointed he sounded over the idea, my face falling as I realized my plans
weren't going to work. To be fair though, I didn't really want to leave him either.
I wouldn't be very good company though, considering I was on the brink of passing
out again. My sleep schedule was in shambles, even worse than usual.

"I'm going to sleep at an old person hour and sleeping until noon tomorrow, you can
do what you want." I explained, giving him a clear idea of what I'd be doing. If he
was still interested in spending time with me then I wouldn't protest.

"Will you come over?" He asked quietly, looking to me curiously, his hand slipping
down and holding mine.

"Don't you have school tomorrow?" I asked, smirking at my own teasing. I knew
already I'd be giving in and going to his house, it was just fun messing with him.
"So do you."

"My parent's called and said I won't be there until Monday so they aren't expecting
me."

"Whatever. I'll just skip." He huffed, sounding slightly frustrated with my

indirect answers.

"I'm too tired to do anything fun, I'm going to be like a brick." I warned him, my
voice making it clear I'd already made up my mind in his favor. Judging by the
content smile and the way he leaned over, hugging my arm to his chest and pecking
his lips against my neck.

"That's okay. I just want to be near you."

A/n: Guess who just got back from getting the best pet everrrrrr, mEEEEEEEE. Groot
the Savannah Monitor is everything. Anyway heRE YOU GO ITS FILLER BUT YOU ASKED TO
SEE HIM BUYING CONDOMS SO HERRE IDK WHAT OKAY HERE. ALSO THE EDIT IS BY
KATERINASIVAN ON TWITTER AGAIN AND ITS OF CHAPTER 69

Chapter Seventy-Two
*Troye's POV*

First of all, smut warning. Second of all, I'm just going to put it out there now
that I went for the believable first time smut rather than just making it really
hot so if you read something that seems kind of awkward that's the point, don't
point it out or be a nimnob about it. Okay, I'll check back in with you at the end
and leave a warning when the smut starts in the chap

"Hi, Jackie." I yawned through my words as I walked into the kitchen, still
slightly groggy from sleep. It wasn't my fault, that should be expected of anyone
up at this hour. Well, anyone but Jackie apparently, judging by how put-together
and cheerful she seems. I'd watched her work at the kitchen counter for nearly a
minute before taking the time to speak up, so I had a pretty good idea of just how
energetic she was.

She looked behind her for the first time when I spoke up, a wide smile invading her
face as she realized who I was. She probably didn't even realize I was here,
considering she'd gotten back way later than Tyler and I went to bed. Though, to be
fair, we passed out as soon as we got back into the house, so it wouldn't have been
difficult to get back after then.

"You're up early." She observed, nodding toward the coffee machine to ask if I
wanted any. I shook my head, settling down at the table across from her as I rubbed
at my eyes yet again. I felt like I'd gotten an hour of sleep, not the twelve I
actually had. What demon possessed my body and forced me to wake up this early?

"My sleep schedule is in shambles after the trip." I groaned, rubbing circles into
my temples as I braced my elbows on the table. She gave a sympathetic sigh, nodding
in understanding as she picked up her coffee mug for another sip.

"I'm just about to leave for work, you don't mind, right?" She asked, flashing me
another smile. I shook my head, watching as she slung her purse over her shoulder.
It was weird how used to her morning routine I was getting. Then again, it was
probably also weird that she didn't even flinch seeing me walking through her house
like I lived there.

"No, of course not." I laughed, surprised she'd even ask something like that. She
nodded again, picking up her mug and finishing it off before discarding it in the
sink. She started toward the door then, the constant click of her heels as she
walked alerting me she was still moving even after she was out of sight. That is,
until the sound suddenly stopped.

I waited for it to continue, shifting uncomfortably in my seat as I resisted the

urge to turn and see what she was doing. I didn't want to intrude or anything.
However, after a matter of seconds she was walking again, back around to stand in
front of the table where I could see her. She didn't seem the same as earlier,
hesitance clear on her features and an almost unsettled air to the way she held
herself. She opened her mouth, pausing for a second of silence, before speaking up.

"Take care of him tonight, alright?" My eyebrows shot up at her words, a blush
spreading across my cheeks. She could have meant it any way, it's not like she
actually knows our intentions. Still, that didn't stop me from getting flustered,
refusing to make eye contact as my eyes flitted around the room. God, this is even
more embarrassing than when my parents tease me.

She cleared her throat, my eyes reluctantly looking back to her despite how flushed
my cheeks likely were. If she didn't know before she probably has a pretty good
idea now. Maybe she doesn't know it's our first time, but that doesn't make it any
less embarrassing. She gave me an awkward smile, making it clear the conversation
was probably just as uncomfortable for her. "He's always taking care of me, I
figure it's about time he lets someone else repay the favor."

"I will." I promised, nodding my head. I wasn't sure if she meant in general or the
direction my thoughts were veering, but I definitely didn't plan on asking. It was
bad enough having it implied. She placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a light
squeeze, clearly content with my answer.

"I really should head out. Have fun." She said sweetly, my lips twitching as I
struggled to cover up how uncomfortable the words really were knowing what we
really intended to do later. 'Have fun' just seemed like the weirdest thing for her
to say, making me wonder if she actually did know what was going on. Whatever, it's
still awkward either way.

After she went to work I was left with very little to do, deciding the television
would probably kill time the fastest. I sprawled myself out on the couch with a
blanket thrown over my frame, debating whether I should scout out how to turn up
the heating in his house, wake him up, or just brave through the cold temperatures
like I usually did. Was there ever a morning his house wasn't freezing?

I got through about three episodes before the first signs of life other than myself
started to show in the house, a loud groan that was probably the side-effect of
Tyler's morning stretch finding my ears. I smiled to myself, purposely rearranging
the blanket in hopes of him walking out and asking to share it with me.

Despite the fact I'd spent the last hour and a half waiting for him to get up, the
wait for him to come out to the living room now felt even longer. I pouted,
squirming around under the blankets and angrily trying to find a more comfortable
position. What's taking him so long? Is he just laying there instead of coming
after me? Is he getting dressed or something? Or maybe he's-

"Troye?" I blinked, perking up immediately as I turned to look where the voice had
come from. I couldn't see him yet, but judging by how loud it had been he wasn't
far away, probably in the hallway just about to walk around the corner to where I
could see him.

He practically stumbled around the corner a few seconds later, eyebrows scrunched
together as he reached his fists up to rub wearily at his eyes. I grinned, raking
my eyes over his body as I leaned further back against the couch. He'd taken the
time to throw on sweats, but I was pleased to find he was still lacking a shirt.

"Morning, sleepyhead." I greeted cheerily, chuckling when his eyes snapped open.
Judging by the shock evident on his features, he didn't even realize I was in the
room before now. Maybe he thought I was in the kitchen.

However, he didn't seem upset in the slightest by the change of plans, eagerly
moving forward and managing to stub his toe in the process. He whined quietly
before collapsing onto the couch, crawling to my side and snuggling into it. He let
out a quiet dramatic whimper, my eyes rolling in response to how upset he was
getting over the small amount of damage.

"Why'd you get out of bed?" He asked, question muffled by where his lips were
pressed into my shoulder. I don't see why he couldn't just lift his head the
slightest bit and speak clearly, but I guess I'd let him off because he was tired.

"Because I woke up, that's generally what people do when they wake up." I replied,
shrugging my shoulders. I watched the way the movement lifted his head as well,
smiling to myself at how completely unresponsive he was. He got even more sleep
than me and isn't the slightest bit jet lagged, yet he's the zombie in this
situation. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better when the bed wasn't cold, empty, and lonely." He complained, running a
finger over my arm just below where his head was resting. It was tough to determine
whether he was serious or sarcastic, his over-the-top pouting could easily be
mistaken for either. He was borderline childish enough to seriously act this way,
but he was also such a tease it wouldn't surprise me if he was just leading me on
either.

"You poor thing." I muttered sarcastically, deciding that was my best bet no matter
where he actually stood. He nodded into my shoulder, pressing his lips to the bare
skin just below where the short-sleeve covered.

"So we're just going to hang-out here until supper time?" He asked quietly, my lips
turning up into a smirk as I considered where he could be going with this question.
Did he happen to have a suggestion on how to waste time until then? I'd be more
than welcome to hear it.

"That's the plan." I responded casually, tipping my head back to rest against the
cushions as he pecked his lips against my skin again. I moaned appreciatively, the
reaction probably a little bit over the top given how little he was actually doing,
but I didn't care. I was just trying to let him know he was on the right track and
that I wouldn't exactly be opposed to more of his mouth.

Apparently understanding what I was getting at, he shifted higher on the couch and
turned his attention to my neck rather than my arm, immediately lapping his tongue
over the sensitive spot just below my ear. His tongue flicked over the shell of my
ear slowly, eventually moving downward to clumsily lick around the lobe before he
took it between his teeth. I let my eyes flutter shut, basking in the attention.

He paused his ministrations suddenly, an intuitive hum leaving his lips. I whined
in protest, hand fumbling over to his thigh in an attempt to regain his touch. I
ran it upward, pouting even harder when his hand grabbed my wrist.
"Did you do all your assigned work over the trip?" He asked, my face falling as I
realized why he was asking. It didn't help that his voice was so damn low and
gravelly, probably from sleep even if I wanted to claim it was from arousal.

"No." I sighed, accepting defeat. It was probably for the best, we had all night to
fool around. I might as well do it now while Tyler is here to help with no
distractions.

"I'll help you with it." He offered, grinning at me in a way that had me suspicious
if he'd ever intended to follow through with his actions. That tease.

"You're too good to me." I scoffed sarcastically, shoving the blanket back so I
could get up. I purposely pushed it too far though, relishing in Tyler's chilled
shiver in reaction. Serves him right.

"I know." He muttered bitterly, shooting me a pointed glare. I giggled, leaning

back down to press my lips to his in an innocent kiss.

He's so much fun to tease.

I pulled back immediately at the sudden thought, not even explaining my actions
before huffing and turning toward the front door. If he wants to be that way then
he can go without kisses. Well, for a couple hours anyway. Well, a couple minutes
might be a bit more realistic, I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep my hands
off him. Though, to be fair, the only reason I'm even expecting minutes is because
my homework is all in the car still and I'll be outside rather than in here in
kissing-distance of him.

*Timeskip to that afternoon at Troye's house*

"Make yourself at home! I just have to grab some spices I bought out of the car." I
exclaimed, almost unnerved by how easily the lie slipped off my tongue. Sure, I'd
spent years lying, but I didn't like doing it to Tyler. Even just something small
like this, it made me feel physically sick to my stomach. Tyler deserved honesty.

Well, except when I'm going to get bags full of stuff from the sex shop out of the
car, then a lie is warranted. He'd find out about it soon enough anyway, and it's
not like it's something that would hurt him if he actually did find out. It was
just easier for the both of us if he didn't just yet.

"You're cooking for me?" He asked, spinning around to look at me wide-eyed. I

assumed this much was implied, considering we'd gone to my house and not a
restaurant, but I guess not. That was alright though, especially if it meant
getting to see his reaction face just like I was now. I've never seen him smile so
wide, the look similar to a child in a candy shop, but it was somehow better
knowing that I was the cause.

"I'm going to try to. If it tastes horrible you have to promise to lie and tell me
it's good, okay?" I chuckled, stepping closer to him and helping ease his coat off
his shoulders. He nodded, standing on his tippy-toes and grabbing a handful of my
shirt when I started to back away. He pulled me back closer to him, hand only
sliding up once he was certain I'd caught my balance. I settled back down off the
heels of my feet, eyes squeezing shut as I saturated in the feeling of Tyler's soft
fingertips running up my collarbone. His hand slipped around to grip the back of my
neck after it reached the top, gently playing with the short hair there between his
fingers.
"Anything for you, babe." He whispered, leaning in with his head tilted to the
right to press his lips to my Adam's apple. I gulped, feeling his lips move against
my neck as it bobbed with the movement. I balled my hands into my fists where they
hung at my sides, taking a deep breath before stepping away from him. He didn't
protest outwardly this time, aside from lifting a curious eyebrow. I took a few
seconds before replying to compose myself, not wanting my flustered state to give
him mixed signals.

"I've got to start on supper or it won't be ready on time." I explained gently,

trying to keep him oblivious to the internal war I had going on trying to keep
myself from just giving in to his advances. We don't really need to eat anyway, do
we? We could just go upstairs and-

"Right." Tyler's meek voice drew me from my thoughts, my heart clenching

uncomfortably in my chest when I saw how upset he looked about being turned down.
Shit, what have I done?

I cupped his face in both of my hands, gently tilting it upward so I wouldn't have
to bend as much to reach his lips. I kissed him thoroughly this time, weaving our
lips together and taking my time rather than a rushed kiss like the other ones we'd
shared today. When I pulled away it was from lack of breath, knowing it'd carried
on a lot longer than most of our kisses.

"Later." I promised, bringing a hand up to playfully mess up his hair. He blushed,

nodding his head as he played with the hem of his shirt between his fingers. "I'll
be right back."

"Okay." He said quietly, smiling as I turned and walked out the door we'd just came
through. I walked across the yard eagerly, checking to make sure he wasn't watching
out the window as I opened the trunk. I doubted he was actually creepy enough to do
that, but after leaving with my family it was almost on instinct to check.

I debated for a second how I was going to get the bags past him and up to my room,
lips quirking up into a smile as my eyes fell on my school backpack. I emptied
everything out of it, instead replacing the contents with everything I'd bought. I
was already regretting just dumping my school stuff out haphazardly in the trunk of
my car, knowing I'd have to clean it up someday in the cold, but I decided to worry
about it later as I slung the backpack over a single shoulder.

I walked into the house while trying to look as casual as possible, slipping into
the kitchen when I realized Tyler's eyes were glued to the screen. I stalled in the
room for a few seconds, trying to make it seem like I actually had brought spices
in from the car. I hadn't, even if I did intend to cook for him, we had every spice
already. I decided a minute was a reasonable amount of time before I walked back
out, clutching my bag tightly. He looked up now, flashing me a wide smile that put
me at ease. He definitely seems happier than when I went outside.

"I'm just gonna run this up to my room." I explained, nudging my head toward the
shoulder holding my backpack. He nodded, turning back to the screen without an
actual reply. I let my eyes linger on the screen for a second, rolling them when I
found some stupid cooking show on the screen. I'm going to make an idiot of myself
trying to cook for someone who actually knows how to cook.

I didn't dwell on it though, hurrying up the stairs so I had more time before he
started to wonder what I was doing. I rushed into my room, abandoning the bag in
the closet. I unzipped it and grabbed the first few boxes of condoms I saw, taking
a deep breath as I opened each and slipped one packet out. I kept them in order
though, so I'd know which box which ones came from. I opened them one by one,
struggling a bit with my hands and ending up using my teeth. I followed up by
unrolling each of them and trying to estimate which was the closest to the size of
my length. It wasn't a foolproof method by any means, but I didn't have much
choice. I was so exhausted last night and so happy to be back with Tyler, that I'd
forgotten about having to try these on altogether. It's not like I could actually
get myself hard and try them on with the risk of him walking in on it. And I
definitely couldn't do it in the heat of the moment, while he was all sprawled out
waiting for me. That'd be such a mood killer.

So instead I went with this, deciding the third of the three I'd taken out would be
the best fit. However, that boxed was ribbed, and I doubted that was the best move
for our first time. So, I read the size on the box, then started the long process
of finding a normal package with the same measurements. Eventually I managed to,
only after leaving Tyler waiting for a good five minutes. He's probably going to
get suspicious soon. I grabbed the unrolled condoms, tossing them all in the trash
and purposely shuffling it so they wouldn't be on top. Imagine where Tyler's mind
would go if he saw condoms in my trash, I doubt it'd end well.

So, with the box of good ones in hand and after grabbing the bottle of lube, I
hurried to go shove them in the bedside table. I started back toward the door then,
scrunching my nose up in distaste as I wiped the excess lube off on the back of my
pants.

I reached the bottom of the stairs a minute later, surprised when Tyler didn't even
turn to face me. To be fair, his show did look pretty intense, there were people
screaming in the kitchen and everyone was moving to prepare their dishes like they
couldn't spare a single second.

I walked up behind the couch and leaned over it, tilting my head to kiss his neck.
He hummed appreciatively, settling back against the cushions and letting me steal
his attention as my mouth went to work on the sensitive skin. I sucked and nipped
until a darker mark formed, satisfied with leaving just one for now. I pecked him
on the cheek before standing back up, sighing contently before speaking up.

"I'm going to go start the food, enjoy your show." I said sweetly, unable to fight
the urge when my hands moved back down to grab at his shoulders, massaging them
thoroughly as he relaxed completely under my touch. He was so responsive, making
little noises or movements of approval every few seconds. I wonder if he's like
that in bed.

"Do you want me to help?" My eyes snapped open, not even realizing I'd shut them
before now as a blush creeped over my cheeks. I need to get a grip on my mind,
before I really mess something up by letting my thoughts wander like that.

"No, I can do it." I insisted, leaning back over to give him one final kiss in his
hair before turning and starting out of the room, not leaving any time for
argument.

"Ty?" I called quietly, hovering nervously in the door between the kitchen and
living room. I'd been standing here for nearly five minutes now, debating what to
say when I finally spoke up. He still seemed pretty engrossed in the television,
but he immediately turned to me when I spoke up.

"Mmhmm?" He hummed intuitively, lifting an eyebrow as his eyes scanned my body,

taking in the ruined state of my shirt. What part of me thought it'd be a good idea
to make the spaghetti sauce myself? I could have just bought the canned kind, I
doubt Tyler would have really cared.
"I can't do it." I sighed out, embarrassment clear on my features as I hung my
head. At least I'm admitting it though, before I serve it to him under the
impression it's really good. He smiled knowingly, getting to his feet and walking
over to me.

"You want my help now?" He asked, smirking slightly when I nodded my head. He took
my hand and led me back out to the kitchen, pausing by the stove and peering into
the pot boiling. He gestured for a spoon, my hand almost reluctant to hand it over
as I picked the silverware up. I did though, watching in horror as he gathered some
on the spoon and took it into his mouth, despite how hot it probably was. He made a
face, coughing slightly as he withdrew the spoon. "It's bad, huh?"

"Nothing that can't be fixed! You just went a bit overboard with the basil." He
explained, flashing me a smile before turning to inspect the ingredients I had out
on the counter. He was quick to grab the garlic, dashing more of it in than I would
of thought reasonable, but I didn't question it. I leaned against the counter and
watched him work, surprised to find myself swooning over how he looked right then.
He had so much concentration knit through his features, my heart pounding wildly at
how mature he looked at he worked.

My eyes immediately flickered to the floor when he turned to me, another blush
invading my features as I wondered silently if he'd caught me staring. He stepped
closer, fingers gently cupping my chin as he tilted it upward, basically forcing me
to look at him. I didn't regret it once I did though, taking in his bubbly smile
and how happy he looked with me. "Okay, want to try it now?"

"Yes!" I beamed eagerly, realizing only after I'd blurted it how childish I
sounded. I couldn't help it, I wanted to see if he could really fix something I'd
messed up that badly. If so he must be a miracle worker.

He held the spoon up to my lips, my blush only intensifying when I realized he

wasn't going to let me feed myself. I opened my mouth, eyes falling shut as my lips
closed around the utensil. I literally moaned around it as I saturated in the
taste, eyes snapping open in embarrassment as I realized what I'd done. I glared at
Tyler's cocky smirk when I found it, rolling my eyes at him before slowly sliding
my lips off the metal. "You're good at that."

"I've picked it up over the years. You know, with Mom working in the restaurant
business and all." He explained, surprisingly looking a bit bashful as he swiped
the hair off his forehead. He turned back to the stove then, biting his lip
thoughtfully before reaching for the overhead cupboards, apparently thinking of
something to add that I hadn't.

"Would you ever consider being a chef?" I asked quietly, hoisting myself up to sit
on the counter, far away enough that I wouldn't get in his way, but also close
enough that I could really watch him as he worked.

He seemed a bit surprised by my question, his hands pausing for the first time as
his eyes flickered up to meet with mine. There was a questioning light in them, but
when I didn't go out of my way to elaborate, he didn't wait for an answer either.
Instead, he just shrugged his shoulders, looking thoughtful as he looked back to
his work.

"Maybe." He said quietly, almost like it was to himself. I wonder if he's ever
considered it before. Surely he has, given the fact his mother is a waitress.

"I mean, there's nothing in this world you're more passionate about than food." I
mumbled, trying to explain my suggestion a bit more. It was more for his benefit
than mine, subtly trying to make him see things from my point of view. The more I
thought about it the more I liked the idea of the possible career choice.
Especially if he owned the restaurant, he could make his own hours, cook for me
when I get home just like he is now. I definitely wouldn't be opposed to nights
like this every night.

"That's not true, I could think of at least one thing I'm more passionate about."
He laughed, looking up at me with eyes sparkling with mischief. I furrowed my
brows, taking a few seconds to realize what he was getting at. I blushed, watching
as he stepped to fill the space between my legs, kissing my lips gently.

"Mmm, Tyler, how did you do this?" I hummed contently, shuffling more of the
spaghetti into my mouth and ending up making a total mess of myself. It was
probably anything but hot, but he still seemed starstruck as he stared over at me.
He wasn't eating yet, which surprised me, instead bracing his elbows on the table
and holding his head in his hands, watching me react intently.

"It was nothing." He chuckled, bringing his lip back between his teeth in an effort
to cover up his smile. It didn't really work though, only making it look bashful
and somehow more adorable.

"Don't discredit yourself so much. You're awesome." I said simply, between bites of
the food. He blushed then, something I could never get tired of seeing. I was
constantly blushing, his were a bit more elusive than mine. But when he did, it was
definitely worth it. You felt like you'd really accomplished something by managing
to provoke it.

"Shh, stop talking and just eat it." He insisted, rolling his eyes at me and
refusing to meet my loving gaze. I debated letting him off easy, but once the pun
walked into my mind there was no ridding myself of it.

"Where have I heard that before?" I muttered, smirking to myself when his head
snapped up to gawk at me.

"Troye!" He scolded, flushing a deeper red as the innuendo sunk in completely. I

leaned over the table, abandoning the delicious food with a bit of struggle as I
mirrored his expectant position.

"You're easily flustered tonight, Ty, any particular reason?" I asked, raising a
single eyebrow before taking the time to rake my eyes over his chest. I didn't hold
back, making the fact I was checking him out obvious and confident.

"I'm going to hit you." He threatened, kicking my shin under the table. It was just
lightly though, only enough to snap me back into good behavior so he wouldn't
repeat the movement.

"Now you know how I feel when you tease me at school." I defended, giving a quiet
huff as I turned my nose up. He shrugged his shoulders, finally grabbing his own
fork.

"I'm still not going to stop." He snickered, twirling the noodles around his fork
distractedly. I gave a devilish grin to match his, winking as he slipped the food
past his lips, his eyes meeting mine as he did so.

"Neither am I."
"What now?" Tyler asked excitedly, coming up to stand behind me as I piled our
dishes into the dishwasher. I turned around in his arms, facing him as I answered.

"Watching a movie. I know we do this every time you come over, but my house lacks
interesting things to do." I explained, trying to resist the urge to smirk over the
movie I had planned. "...Unless you had a suggestion?"

"Nope." He replied innocently, popping the 'p'. I nodded my head, slipping an arm
around his waist and dragging him in the direction of the other room. We walked in
together, though he immediately moved to sit on the couch as I went for the laptop
sitting beside the television. It was easiest to just look it up on my computer and
watch it on the tv. "What kind of movie?"

"Romance, duh." I answered cheekily, looking over my shoulder to watch his reaction
just as the movie started to screen. His eyes went wide before narrowing into a
glare, turning to look at me skeptically.

"Are you serious? Brokeback Mountain?" He groaned, head tilting to rest on the back
of the couch. I laughed obnoxiously before hurrying to sit beside him, deciding
that was the closest to approval I was going to get about watching the movie. He
spoke up again once I was settled next to him, taking my hand in his and squeezing
it gently. "You're the worst."

"You love me." I teased, leaning in to peck his cheek just as the movie showed the
first clip of the first actor. He rolled his eyes, though he didn't push me away,
even cuddling up to my side and resting his head on my shoulder. I wondered if he'd
just fall asleep, hoping that wouldn't happen. So far it didn't really look like an
exciting movie at all, but I would give it the benefit of a doubt.

As the movie progressed I still had mixed feelings on it, on the line of whether I
liked it or not. However, I also wasn't paying that much attention, spending a lot
of my time wondering what Tyler was thinking next to me.

The curiosity only got worse, coming to a complete peak when a sex scene between
the two actors started. I knew these were in the movie before watching it,
obviously, I'd purposely chosen it in order to see Tyler's reaction. It was
supposed to be a joke though, not an awkward tense moment like it felt right now.

Desperate to know his thoughts, I decided to give in to the urge. I lifted my arm
from between us, forcing him to lift his head, before wrapping it tightly around
his shoulders, concentrating deeply.

Get out of my head, you little shit.

I resisted the urge to smile, fighting it with everything I had in me as I kept my

expression blank. I think I liked having him know about my ability, it made
mindreading a lot more interesting.

Did you plan this? Did you really expect this movie to set the mood?

Now it was even more difficult to keep from smirking, realizing that was what he
thought my intentions were with it.

Are you even listening? Blink three times if you are.

I purposely kept my eyes open, not allowing myself to blink even once. He sighed
next to me, slumping back down and laying his head back on my shoulder.

Well, I guess you're not, I must be free to think about whatever I want.
My eyes widened at this, but not enough to be noticeable. I was almost worried for
what was coming, knowing very well what kind of things he was capable of thinking.
I doubted I'd be keeping a straight face through them.

God, Jake Gyllenhaal is sexy. I wouldn't have lasted a single night in the tent
without jumping him. I'd let him pin me down against the floor of the tent, roughly
pulling my clothes off j-

"I hate you." I stated randomly, glaring forward at nothing in particular. I was
trying to keep the green haze in my mind at bay, knowing how unreasonable it was to
be jealous in this situation. I couldn't help it though, the thought of Tyler
wanting to do things like that with anyone other than me made my entire body hot
with anger.

"It's what you get for snooping around in my head!" He defended, crossing his arms
as he lifted his head, glaring up at me. I rolled my eyes, scoffing.

"I just wanted to see what your reaction."

"My reaction to a really unrealistic sex scene with bad lighting? Why didn't you
just suggest watching porn together, it would have been quicker." He jibed, a blush
finding my cheeks at just the thought. We scrolled through Tumblr together often,
but even with the amount of porn gifs on his dash I don't think it's quite the same
as actually watching it together.

"I was trying to make it casual." I muttered, almost angry with how horribly and
embarrassingly it had worked out. He laughed loudly next to me, surprising me when
he managed to pull himself together in a matter of seconds.

"You and casual will never fit in the same sentence, Troye." He teased, an angry
huff leaving my lips as he started to laugh at me again. I turned to him and shoved
him angrily, watching as he fell onto his back on the couch space beside me, not
even pausing in his laughter fit.

I groaned, watching him squirm around giggling with my eyes narrowed into a glare.
It didn't stay that way though, the familiar lovesick expression finding it's way
to my features the longer I watched him. I couldn't help it, even when he's being a
dick he's perfect.

Surprisingly, he settled down not long after I started to stare at him normally
again, eyes wide as he looked up and caught my gaze with his. He seemed confused
for a moment, raking his eyes over my face and making me wonder what he'd found
there. "Stop staring!"

"I can't help it, you're gorgeous." I replied immediately, watching the blush
spread across his cheeks and knowing my face probably looked the exact same. What
is with me and blurting things without thinking? Yes, I think he's gorgeous, but
it's embarrassing to just say things like that.

However, he didn't seem to take it as negatively as me, grinning as he gestured for

me to follow him into the horizontal position I'd shoved him into. I followed,
moving to settle between his legs as he spread them on either side of me. I leaned
over him slowly, studying his face for any hint at what he wanted me to do next. I
grinned as he grabbed the remote and turned off the television, looking back to me
with his full attention. He let his eyes flutter shut, pursing his lips just
slightly and making the last of my restraint snap.

I crashed our lips together eagerly, feeling him buck up against me as our lips
started to move together. I decided there was nothing wrong with his body's natural
reactions, even encouraging him by grinding downward each time he would try to jerk
upward. He made soft noises in the back of his throat as our bodies moved together,
each one only driving me on further.

In the back of my mind I was wondering if this was going where I thought it was,
but I really tried to keep my concentration on the moment. I could feel him growing
harder in his jeans each time I pressed against him, my bulge likely mirroring his.

When I broke the kiss off it wasn't because I wasn't enjoying it or I'd grown tired
of it, I was just too eager for more. I wanted to kiss him, I wanted to hear him
make noises, I wanted more. I wanted all of him.

I kept up the downward movements of my hips as his eyes fluttered open, locking
with mine for only a few seconds before he was speaking up, voice husky and
nervous.

"D-Did you have anything else in particular planned for tonight?" I grinned,
pecking my lips against his again before bracing myself back up on my hands,
looking down at him curiously with nothing but seriousness on my features.

"Do you want to?" I asked sternly, needing his confirmation before we even thought
about going any further. He looked away from me as he nodded his head, hands
tugging at the front of my shirt. I shook my head, sitting back off of him
completely on my haunches. He whined in protest, his lifting upward in search of
friction. He didn't find any, but he did give me something to look at, my eyes dark
and lust-filled as I followed the movement.

I couldn't resist as I reached forward and grabbed his hips, stilling them before
setting to work on his button. He blushed, letting my undo them and drag them down
his legs. It was a bit of a struggle given they were skinny jeans, meaning by the
time I had them off he'd already abandoned his shirt.

"Can we go upstairs now?" He asked, giving me a hopeful look that I simply couldn't
say no to. So I didn't, just nodding my consent as I got to my feet. I wasn't
entirely sure I was capable of words right now, the constant flutter of
anticipation and anxiety whirling around in my stomach and making it quite hard to
think about anything.

I led him to the first step with a hand on his back, gesturing for him to go first
then. I kept my hand on him even as we waked up, despite the struggle to keep it
there when we were both climbing the stairs at different paces.

*smut warning*

I slipped my hand off his lower back as we walked into my room, immediately feeling
the loss of even the simple contact. I just wanted to be near him right now, having
his contact somehow putting the nervous excited butterflies in my stomach at ease.
I couldn't really hold him while getting undressed though, at least not easily. I
almost envied him for getting partially undressed downstairs, before realizing that
meant he had nothing to distract himself now while he waited for me.

I reached down and started to fumble with the button of my pants, rushing despite
my nerves now that I'd taken the time to consider how Tyler probably felt right
now. I managed to get it undone in a matter of seconds, taking a shaky breath
before letting go and watching them pool around my ankles. I blushed at the
noticeable bulge in my underwear, realizing a second later how stupid it was to be
bashful about something like that in this situation. If anything it'd be more
stressful if I had to worry about not getting hard.
With that in mind, I finally mustered the courage to turn and face Tyler, trying
out the best smile I could manage given my state. It immediately faded as soon as
my eyes fell on him though, my eyebrows knitting together in concern as I took in
his features. I didn't think it was possible, but he looked even more nervous than
me. I bit my lip, noticing the way he was intently staring at the pattern on the
blanket and refusing to so much as let his eyes drift in my direction.

I started toward him before I was even fully sure what I planned on doing, just
knowing I had to do something to comfort him. I settled on the edge of the bed
beside him tentatively, heart racing when he still didn't look up. I hope he's
okay. It's alright if he's having second-thoughts, but I don't want him to feel
guilty about it.

"We don't have to do this, Tyler. Just tell me and we won't bring it up again until
you're ready." I spoke up softly, one of my hands settling on his bare thigh and
rubbing in comfortable back and forth motions.

He tensed at the immediate contact, settling after a second with a quiet sigh. I
could feel his muscles relaxing under my touch, hoping I had at least something to
do with managing to calm him down a bit.

"I am ready." He muttered, blushing furiously as he continued to stare at the

blanket corner between his fingers. Now that I was up-close I could see it was
actually covered in fraying strings that he was plucking at, which made a bit more
sense than him sitting there thinking about nothing in particular.

"Then why do you look so nervous?" I laughed, trying to keep my tone as gentle as
possible. I didn't want to fluster him any more than necessary. I loved teasing
him, but there was a time and place.

"I think I have reason to be." He replied, the beginnings of his usual sassy tone
coming back to him. Despite how short with me he sounded I couldn't help but smile,
grateful things were getting a bit more casual and less tense. He may be getting
more sarcastic and snappy, but that was the Tyler I was used to.

"Sorry. I just don't want to pressure you into anything because I'm too eager." I
explained, deciding it'd be best to get all of my thoughts out in the open now. I
nervously fiddled with my hands in my lap as I waited for his response, embarrassed
now that I'd had time to think over my word-choice. 'Too eager', way to seem
casual, Troye.

"I want this, Troye, I promise." His voice was quiet and shy again, but there was
no misinterpreting his words. I tried not to outwardly show how happy I was to hear
it, mentally scolding myself when my lips started to turn up into the start of a
grin. I was supposed to seem neutral, he still might want to back out and I didn't
want him to feel bad about it if that was the case. No matter how eager I get, I
want him to know he matters most.

I turned to face him with a perfectly masked expression, my resolve immediately

cracking when I took in his flustered state again. He was blushing even darker now,
something I hadn't thought possible prior to seeing it. I guess he was more worked
up over saying those words than even his voice had shown.

He looked up after a few seconds, taking a nervous deep breath beforehand. Our eyes
locked, both of us relaxing visibly when we found the other's emotions mirrored our
own. I tentatively reached forward, settling my hand cupping his jaw. He didn't
pull away like I'd feared he would, instead nuzzling into my hand and letting his
eyes fall shut. I started to lean in to kiss him before thinking better of it,
instead bringing both hands up to delicately slide his glasses off the bridge of
his nose.

I watched the way his pursed lips turned down into a frown, clearly not pleased
with the change of plan. I couldn't stifle my giggle at the adorably offended
scowl, his eyes opening slowly after the hearing the noise. He glared at me for a
moment, his features softening as I started to lean tow

Chapter Seventy-Three
*Tyler's POV*

I woke up to the sound of noises downstairs, groaning quietly at both how cold the
bed was and how early it felt. I tried to roll over to check the alarm clock, not
expecting the dull ache in my backside. I decided it wasn't so important to move
after all, assuming the same position I'd been in earlier as I clutched the
blankets tighter. Though the feeling itself was far from desirable, it did help me
realize my situation a bit quicker and break out of the sleep-caused haze my mind
was in.

I remembered where I was now, along with why, a blush finding my cheeks as coherent
thought and memories came back to me all at once, officially abandoning sleep
altogether as the gears of my mind started to turn again. It suddenly made sense
why I hurt the way I did, but it still didn't really make sense why the bed was
cold. Where the hell was Troye? Doesn't he know better than to take a person's
virginity and run off the morning after?

I huffed quietly as I brought the blankets up over my head completely, burying

myself in them in an attempt to conserve heat. My eyes went wide as I realized I
was still naked, wondering if Troye had seen anything when he was getting up. It
wasn't that I really cared if he did, but there was just something different about
him seeing me undressed in full-lighting.

He'll probably be coming back soon actually, maybe I should consider finding some
clothes to slip on before he does. Not only will it save me from embarrassment, but
it'd probably be less awkward for us to initiate cuddling and probably more
comfortable too. I sat up slowly, wincing slightly at the undesirable burning
sensation as I flipped over onto my hands and knees. I scrambled across the bed as
quickly as I could while remaining at least semi-comfortable, taking my time as I
scooted off the edge and got to my feet. I took a step before thinking better of it
and grabbing the blanket, wrapping it around my body and dragging it behind me as I
walked over to his dresser. I grabbed a pair of his underwear instead of retrieving
my own off the floor, pulling them on as smoothly as I could.

I was left with a decision then, chewing my bottom lip as I tried to figure out
whether to bother with pants or not. Yes, it'd be awkward walking around pantless
if his family was home, but it'd also be extremely uncomfortably. I cringed just
thinking about trying to put skinny jeans on right now, deciding they were definite
no. Still, just underwear is hardly an acceptable outfit. I debated grabbing a tee,
deciding against it when I remembered a particularly comfortable blue sweater Troye
owned. That'd double as pants and a shirt, considering it's baggy enough to cover
my butt. That's all that matters when it comes to pants, right?

I stumbled over to his closet, remembering watching him fetch sweaters out of it a
few times before. He kept them on hangers rather than taking the time to fold each
of them and try to shove them into his dresser. They were too bulky for that.

I threw open his closet door, forcing myself into gear as I reminded myself how
awkward it'd be if someone walked in right now. Even Troye, because then I'd have
to go through the awkwardness of actually asking him if I could borrow his
wardrobe.

I immediately spotted the sweater, grabbing it and pulling it out. I hugged it to

my chest with one hand while I moved to close the door with the other, my eyes
falling on the floor of the small space just before it shut tightly. I pushed it
back open then, eyebrows furrowing together in confusion as I looked at the boxes
of condoms strewn all over the place. Why does he have so damn many condoms? Was he
planning on donating to an entire army to promote safe sex? Did his parents
actually get him a condom gift basket for Christmas?

I bent over despite the slight sting at the stretch, picking up his backpack when I
noticed more of the boxes inside of it. I straightened back up into a normal
standing position, grabbing the only thing I not in a box. My eyebrows lifted
skeptically as I pulled out the pair of handcuffs, staring at them incredulously.
They're fuzzy and black, this is definitely not the pair that came with our
Halloween costumes. I grabbed the tag, the explicit photo printed across it making
it very clear what their intended use was. Why does Troye have this stuff?

I peered back in the bag with intentions of just stuffing the cuffs back in and
addressing the topic at a later time, changing my mind when I noticed the box half-
buried with others was a lot bigger. I grabbed it out casually, no idea what I'd
find after whatever that mess was. However, even after that, I wasn't prepared for
what I read on the box.

A vibrator. Troye has a freaking vibrator.

Why does Troye have a vibrator? Where did he even get it?

I was so caught up in the confusion of the moment, I completely missed the sound of
footsteps on the stairs. I even missed Troye's soft content humming, the thing to
finally stir me from my faraway state being his voice speaking up as he pushed the
door open and walked inside.

"Morning, babe! I brought you-" He cut himself off as I turned around, holding the
box in my hands and staring at him wide-eyed. It wasn't really the look of being
caught in the act and feeling guilty though, instead just one of total confusion.
He sighed quietly before sitting on the edge of the bed, lowering the tray to sit
beside him. "-breakfast in bed."

"What's this?" I snapped, surprised by my own ability to completely ignore the food
he'd brought up. I didn't even give it enough attention to distinguish what exactly
it was. Troye shrugged his shoulders, refusing to meet my gaze as he fumbled with
his hands in his lap.

"Condoms, a vibrator, and handcuffs."

"I figured that much out on my own, thank-you. Why do you have them?" I asked, not
putting up with his sarcastic tone at all. I wasn't actually angry at him for
having them in general, glad he'd decided to explore his sexuality more. However, I
wanted reassurance it was self-exploration, not that he'd bought them for someone
else. I wouldn't expect something like that out of him, but people can surprise
you.

"Well, you see, there's no such thing as over-stocking on condoms, so I just went
for broke!" He exclaimed, making hand gestures as if it was possible to describe
what he was saying with them. I sighed, peering back into the bag and grabbing a
couple boxes, reading them with skepticism written across my features. If he
actually bought these for us to use he has another thing coming.
"Glow-in-the-dark? Hummus flavored?" I read aloud, eyes shifting back to him to
gauge his reaction. He bit his lip, the gears in his mind obviously turning as he
tried to piece together a way to respond and explain himself.

"Okay, so I didn't read the packages before I bought them. I figured we should just
try one of everything." I turned my lips into a tight line, considering his words.
Honestly, that did sound like a Troye thing to do, a lot more than cheating did at
least. If that was the case though, I had to make one thing very clear before the
conversation moved forward.

"You are not putting anything hummus flavored anywhere near my asshole." His eyes
lit up again at this, apparently just now realizing that I wasn't actually upset
with him. He gave me a content smile, letting it fade as I lifted my hand to hold
up a single finger, telling him he wasn't off the hook just yet. "-Or my mouth."

"Fine, okay, we'll throw those out." He laughed, the carefree sound adding to the
relaxed atmosphere we'd started to create. It was weird we could be even remotely
casual talking about things like this, but at the same time it just felt right.
It's not like Troye was going to judge me, or vice versa.

"And the vibrator? What happened to being a strict top?" I quizzed, my curiosity
blatant in the way I spoke. I couldn't help it, the thought of him using this on
himself was almost too hot to handle. I'd came to the conclusion now that I'd
probably be comfortable topping or bottoming, so the idea of getting to try both,
and with Troye, was definitely intriguing.

"I never said strict." He said thoughtfully, my lips turning up into an overly
excited smile before I could stop them. Of course he saw it, quirking an eyebrow
and giving a knowing smirk before continuing. "But actually, I did buy it for you."

"Oh." I replied simply, tilting my head to the side as I stared back down at the
package in my hands. It was a lot different looking at it and considering me being
the one to use it, suddenly overwhelmed with the need to try it out. Now wasn't
really the time though, no matter how curious I felt about it. Instead, I shoved it
back in the bag, setting it in his closet and closing the door tightly.

"Handcuffs?" I asked as I turned back around, starting toward the bed. I didn't
really see the need to show him the handcuffs in question, figuring he already knew
plenty about them if he was the one to purchase them.

"The guy working the counter peer-pressured me into those." He said almost
defensively, like buying a vibrator and buying handcuffs was a totally different
thing. I decided to disregard that, just concentrating on the actual excuse he'd
given me.

"You were peer-pressured by a stranger into buying fuzzy handcuffs?" I asked, the
words skeptical and teasing, like I was on the edge of believing him or accusing
him of lying. They were weird to even say or think about, trying to imagine a
scenario where that would make sense.

"Yes. He had tattoos and piercings, he was really intimidating." Troye mumbled,
shifting his knees to rub them together distractedly. I sighed, sitting down in the
exact middle of the bed. It wasn't the most comfortable spot, but it meant not
being too close and upsetting the food, but not so far away that I couldn't reach
it either.

"I don't even know what to say." I sighed, wrapping the blanket from earlier back
around my body in a snug cocoon.
"Then don't say anything, forget about all that and let's pretend to have a normal
loving breakfast together." He responded, clapping his hands on his thighs as he
shifted to sit beside me. I nodded my head, letting him settle the tray on my lap.
He looked up to me expectantly, waiting until I'd shoved a bite into my mouth
finally to relax a bit. I chewed quietly, surprised by how well he'd managed to
cook it. Well, it was only eggs and bacon, surely even Troye can manage that.

A comfortable silence fell over us as I ate, savoring each bite and only pausing
when I was half-finished. I'd been debating what to say to break the silence for a
while now, a niggling teasing idea something I couldn't pass up. Anything that
meant pulling a reaction out of Troye was always the way to go.

"Thanks for the vibrator by the way." I said casually, acting as if it was a simple
compliment. His jaw dropped, turning to stare at me in disbelief.

"You're the worst."

"Not what you said last night." I said quietly, just before taking a sip of the
orange juice he'd supplied me with. He rolled his eyes, leaning his head on my
shoulder and putting a full stop to my eating as I stilled given our close
quarters.

"I see you've made a full-recovery. Shame, I kind of like shy flustered Tyler."

"I wouldn't say full-recovery, it's still uncomfortable to sit in most positions."
I muttered, eyes flickering downward and taking in the awkward way I had my legs
tucked underneath me, something that would have looked horribly uncomfortable to
anyone else. I waited for Troye to reply for only a second before hearing his quiet
laughter. "Oh, fuck off."

"Can't say I didn't warn you." He chuckled, nuzzling his head further up into the
crook of my neck.

"Yeah, well, you could have at least-"

"Troye?" I snapped my mouth shut, turning to the door in shock at the familiar face
I found there. His family's home? Sage was leaning against the frame of the door,
bundled up fabric in her hands and an almost bashful blush covering her cheeks.

"Yeah?" Troye asked, clearing his throat before speaking. He lifted his head too,
breaking off our cuddly embrace in front of her. Not that I could really blame him,
Sage looked so uncomfortable it was hard to believe it was her. Normally she'd say
something teasing and move on, not get worked up like this.

"Mom was cleaning up and she told me to bring these up to you." She explained in a
rush, her words jumbling together with how fast she tried to speak. She tossed the
pile onto Troye's floor then, nodding her head once before turning to leave, even
shutting the door behind her.

That was weird. I tried not to dwell on it though, absentmindedly looking around
the room as I snatched another piece of bacon and started to nibble at it. I was
halfway through it when my eyes fell on the clothes on the floor, going wide as it
sunk in just what they were.

"Those are my pants." I blurted, flickering my eyes to study the shirt and
realizing it was mine as well. We didn't pick them up after he stripped me in the
living room did we?

"I know." Troye answered calmly, tone almost teasing like he could snicker under
his breath at any second. I narrowed my eyes into a glare, turning my head to
actually face him. Did he not realize what this meant?

"My clothes were on the floor downstairs! Troye they're gonna know!" I hissed under
my breath, eyes shifting to the doorway as if they'd be listening in or something.
Surely even they aren't that intrusive.

Troye gave a quiet sigh, his hand settling on my back and rubbing in sure
comforting circles. His movements were tense though, strained in the way he'd stop
and start. When he spoke up again, I realized why.

"They already do." He said quietly, almost under his breath with how breathy his
words came out. I sighed loudly, expecting this but not happy with it either. It
didn't really come as a surprise to me, seeing as they seemed to be more interested
in our sex life than we are, but it was still uncomfortable.

"Should I ask?" I decided I'd best ask this before demanding answers, not sure if
I'd even want to hear the explanation. It could make things worse, much worse.

"I'd rather you didn't." He replied, the lack of finality on the subject unnerving.
Silence found us again, but not a comfortable one. I was too busy stressing over
how they'd found out, while he was too busy stressing over how to tell me. He was
the first to compose himself though, placing a hand innocently on my thigh. "Well,
I think it was kind of implied when I demanded they go out for the night on
Valentine's day. What else would we need the house to ourselves for?"

"True." I said quietly, not even thinking about how obvious we'd made it. Really if
they had any brains at all it was clear why we wanted them out of the house. Maybe
that's all there was behind it, maybe it wasn't so embarrassing after all-

"Also it didn't help they burst into my room before I even woke up, noticing the
failed-attempt condom in the middle of my floor and our serious lack of clothes."
That's when the real embarrassment found me, wondering which of his family members
had been the one to walk in on that. It'd explain Sage's weird behavior, and why
Troye was up so early.

"What did they say?" I asked, looking down at the food remaining on my plate with a
blank face.

"I believe they mentioned buying us a congratulatory cake actually, we might have
to hold them to that." He laughed, settling back leaning on his hands. I rolled my
eyes, just imagining them saying that. It wasn't surprising, it sounded like a very
Mellet thing to say.

"Do you think they'll mention anything when I leave the room?" I asked curiously,
already dreading the idea of being interrogated. No offense to them, but I don't
think they have a very good understanding of what's too far to be comfortable when
it comes to interacting with people.

Troye gave a thoughtful hum, stroking his imaginary beard for a second. He turned
to me then, eyes sparkling with mischief as he threw his arms around me. He hugged
me tightly, somehow managing to even invade my blanket cocoon.

"I think we should stay in bed all day, just to be on the safe side." He said
strictly, like it was a professional opinion. I shook my head, knowing I should
probably at least try to act annoyed with his antics. I wasn't though, and the idea
of not having to move and still staying close to Troye was probably the best option
I was going to get on how to spend the day.
Instead of replying I just shoveled more food into my mouth, making it most the way
through the meal before he exhaled particularly loudly and let me know he was
getting bored with the silence. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at how needy he
was, swallowing the bite I already had before speaking up again.

"This is good." I said, nodding toward the near-empty plate. He laughed where his
head was resting on my shoulder.

"Mom made it." Ah, that makes sense. "That should have been the first sign they
were home, you know I can't cook."

"I guess they might be worth keeping around, if they keep making me breakfast and
buying us congratulatory cakes every time we have sex." I said thoughtfully,
smiling at his answering laugh. He snuggled closer to my side, pecking his lips to
my shoulder before cautiously reaching over and snatching the last piece of bacon
off my plate. He withdrew his hand just as slowly, like he was making sure I
wouldn't yell at him. I just shook my head, biting my lip in an attempt to ward off
a smile. "If you were anyone else I'd be strangling you and shoving you off the bed
right now. You're lucky to be so privileged."

"Love you too, Ty." He muttered through the mouthful of food, only scrunching up
his nose when I gave a disgusted face for his actions. I turned to grab the tray,
setting it down on the floor beside the bed with a quiet huff. I sat back up then,
immediately noticing the change of position. Troye had settled behind me know,
sliding forward now that I was sitting back up and spreading his legs on either
side of me.

"Troye." I said, a warning in my tone of voice as he tentatively grinded his hips

forward, making the bulge in his pajama pants evident. He dipped his head, sloppily
kissing at my neck as he continued to move his hips in lazy rolls against my lower
back.

"I'm just kissing." He said innocently, placing another kiss to the spot at the
base of my jaw like that'd enforce his words enough for me to believe them. I
sighed, reaching around to grab his wrists, pulling them away from my hips where
they'd settled. He took the hint, nodding his head against my back before just
innocently wrapping his arms around my body. The hug only lasted a few seconds
before he was speaking up again, right next to my ear this time. "We can do it
again soon though, right? Like next weekend?"

"And you say I'm the desperate one." I scoffed, leaning back against his chest. He
gave another quiet sigh at my lack of a straightforward answer, his lips noticeably
pouted when he presses them back to my neck. I was looking forward to staying in
bed with him like this for an entire day.

***

"Supper!" I was nearly asleep the first time Laurelle called, but in the three
seconds between it and her second shout, I managed to completely untangle my limbs
from Troye's. I sat up, earning a disgruntled grunt of protest from Troye's
direction. I turned to stare at him, smiling despite myself at the messy state he
was currently in. It was hard to believe we'd the movie sitting upright against the
headboard now, both of us sinking down until we were at an angle it was hard to
even see the screen from. Neither of us really minded though, we weren't paying all
that much attention to it anyway.

We'd spent the last six hours 'watching movies', which was more or less code for
making out and cuddling for unreasonable lengths of time. Sometime along the way
we'd both started to drift off to sleep, snuggled together. While my eyes had just
started to droop, it would seem he'd completely passed out. I would have just
disregarded it, had the smell of food not been making my stomach growl and my mouth
water.

"Troye? Babe, wake up." I pleaded, poking at his stomach. He grumbled tiredly,
rolling onto his front and waving his hand in dismissal. I pouted, squirming in
next to his side and purposely slipping my chilly hands under his shirt. He gasped
as they immediately wedged under his front, rolling his nipples between my cold
fingertips.

"J-Jesus Christ, Tyler! I'm up, I'm up!" He practically shouted, rolling over to
the opposite side of the bed. I couldn't help snickering under my breath, pleased
with the reaction I'd pulled from him. He yawned loudly then, stretching his body
out in a way that made me envious. He has it so easy, he doesn't have to put up
with anything uncomfortable the morning after. He looked over at me with hooded
eyes once he'd finished, pursing his lips into a kissy face.

"What is it?" He asked, eyeing me curiously. I hurriedly opened my mouth to

explain, pausing when Laurelle hollered again and did it for me. She sounded a bit
more urgent now, alerting us that our food would be gone if we didn't hurry up.

"Do you want to go down? I can bring it up to you if you want." Troye asked,
flashing me an understanding smile. I blushed, debating whether I really wanted to
walk all the way downstairs and sit on the uncomfortable wooden kitchen chairs.
Plus, it could lead to some major embarrassment, depending how appropriate the
Mellets were feeling today. But I did miss them, no matter how irritating and
uncomfortable they could be. They probably missed me too, after hearing some of the
things they'd said from Troye.

"No, let's go see them." I said, making my decision aloud. There was no backing out
then, even when I started to get off the bed and really wanted to just fall back
onto it and sleep. I made it halfway to the door before remembering the fact I
wasn't wearing pants, giving an exasperated sigh as I started to turn around. I
only got halfway though, before Troye was handing me a bundled-up clothing article.
I grinned cheerily, immediately moving to slip them on despite the familiar ache
when I bent over. If it's like this every time I'm going to be a lot more apt to
test out his 'not a strict top' statement.

I'd barely stood back up before he was grabbing my hand, eagerly leading me forward
and making me roll my eyes. Just a few minutes ago he'd been passed out and I was
the eager one. We walked downstairs with our fingers still intertwined, surprising
myself when I naturally shifted closer to him as we entered the kitchen. It's not
that I was nervous so much as just wanting to be near him. Which wasn't actually
that surprising, it was always like that, it just felt like a stronger urge after
what we did last night.

Shaun was the first one to notice our entrance, looking over the brim of his cup at
us curiously. I blushed under his gaze, trying to silently remind myself to act
natural. So what if they know I banged their son last night, it won't be awkward
unless I make it awkward. Hopefully. Probably.

"Tyler! I haven't seen you since before our trip! How is everything?" I looked up
from the floor just in time before Laurelle threw her arms around me, giving a hug
worthy of suffocation side effects.

"Great actually, thanks for asking." I chuckled, politely unwrapping her arms from
my torso. She gave me an apologetic smile, making it clear she knew her actions
were a bit overboard as well. Oh well, it was nice feeling that wanted. "How was
the trip? Troye didn't tell me much."
"Troye didn't do much, he was in the hotel room talking to you the entire time. At
this rate we should just take you with us on our family trips, if it gets him to
interact." She scoffed, shooting Troye a glare that said the issue was far from
resolved yet. I'm guessing he got in trouble over it while they were gone, just
judging by the looks their exchanging. I was actually quite proud of myself,
getting to the point where I could understand entire silent conversations between
the Mellets.

"I wouldn't be opposed to it." I muttered distractedly. It was supposed to be an

attempt at soothing the suddenly tense atmosphere, but they didn't even address me
as they held their challenging stare-off.

"Good! What are you up to during March break?" My eyebrows shot up, along with
Troye and Laurelle's. Well, leave it to Shaun to cause the distraction.

"Shaun! I was teasing him, he probably doesn't actually want to go and especially
not to something like that!" She hissed, giving Shaun the most stern look I'd ever
seen her use. My curiosity was piqued then, turning to look at Troye for answers. I
was surprised to find him glaring at Shaun right along with his mother, the
angriest he'd looked for weeks now. Well, now I want to know what he's talking
about even more.

I took a few steps forward, sliding into the uncomfortable chair across the table
from him. I tried to ignore the discomfort I felt, instead keeping my attention
completely on Shaun.

"Like what?" I prodded, wiggling my eyebrows just once. I had to stop after that,
knowing Troye and Laurelle were moving around from behind me to observe the
exchange. Shaun seemed happy with the interest I was showing, completely ignoring
Laurelle's warning glare before leaning over the table.

"A family reunion, we have them every year. Each family gets their own cabin in the
woods. There's sports, games, outdoor activities, fire-pits, food potlucks, just
general getting to know each other." I blinked, thinking over what he'd just told
me. He wanted me to come along to a family reunion? I wonder what the rest of
Troye's family are like. Are they all rich? Does he have hot cousins? I wonder if
any of them are from foreign places and have accents. Imagine Troye with an accent-
No, that wouldn't be fair, no one human should be allowed to be that perfect. He's
angelic enough as it is.

Apparently taking my silent thinking as confusion or disinterest, Shaun cleared his

throat before adding more. "I mean, you're practically a member of the family now,
it's not that far-off to invite you."

"It sounds like fun." I said honestly, almost feeling Troye's seething glare in the
back of my head. He's not happy with me, I can tell already without even looking.

"It's not." He spat suddenly, pulling the chair next to me out before falling onto
it. He immediately crossed his arms, staring down at the plate in front of him and
reminding me we'd originally came down here for food. I bit my lip, looking at him
almost guiltily. What's his problem? Does he really not want me to go? I thought
he'd like having me around.

"Troye hasn't gone since he was twelve, got too cool for it I guess." I looked back
to Shaun, relaxing when I saw his sympathetic smile. I guess he noticed how upset I
was with Troye's enthusiasm-lacking reaction.

"Well, good thing I gave up on being cool then, huh?" I chuckled, running a hand
through my hair and giving an awkward shrug. Troye still didn't look up, somehow
managing to look even more interested in the cold food.

"So you'll go?" Shaun asked, voice gruff in what was probably his attempt at hiding
how excited he was. It didn't really work though, not when his eyes flickered in
Laurelle's direction, alight with both mischief and the aforementioned excitement.
At least they want me to go.

"Sure! I'd love to get to know the in-laws." I beamed, giving my most charming
smile and winking in Troye's direction, thankful to find my bold words had gotten
him to look up again.

"Tyler." He growled lowly, the word lost in the sound of Laurelle's excited squeal,
reacting to my words in a total contrast to how he had.

"Aww!" She cooed, looking back and forth between us. Her gaze settled on me, the
slightest bit of disbelief still in her eyes. "You really want to? Honestly?" I
brought my bottom lip back between my teeth, taking a nervous breath and risking
another glance in Troye's direction. He was looking up again now, giving a
believable mask of indifference. However, the fact he was paying attention at all
made it quite clear he actually did care, even just the slightest bit.

"Yeah." I breathed out quietly, trying to convince myself it was the right decision
as her face lit up. Troye wouldn't be that mad, right?

"What about you, Troye? Will you come?" She asked, turning to face him. He sighed
loudly, his body language making it clear he didn't want to answer the question. I
knew why already. He wasn't going to be giving the answer she wanted to hear, was
he?

"No. I said I wouldn't ever again." He said levelly, not looking up from the table.
I noticed the way his hands were clenched around the edge of the table cloth
though, concern flooding through me.

"Come on, Troye, everyone would love to see you all-grown-up." Laurelle pleaded,
playing with the hem of her shirt and looking almost nervous as she tried to pull
the answer she wanted out of him. He shook his head slowly, speaking up under his
breath.

"I don't even remember any of them." He explained, his muscles noticeably tensing
at Laurelle's answering frustrated sigh.

"What is your problem? Why can't you just be normal and get along with your
family?" My jaw clenched, looking back and forth between the two of them almost
nervously. I knew she was oblivious to it, but the fact she could say something
like that to him made me feel horrible. He's trying hard enough as it is to be
normal, give him a break.

At least, those were my initial sympathetic thoughts, before I noticed the pure
rage in Troye's eyes. He turned to give her a death glare, voice laced with
bitterness as he spoke up, speaking directly to her.

"I don't want to spend half a week in the middle of nowhere, crammed into some
shack, with a bunch of people that get on my nerves even when we have an entire
house to share. Also, if you don't remember, nobody was excited to see me the last
year I went. I was the geeky weird cousin nobody wanted to be around. Why would I
willingly go see a bunch of people I don't even like?" Laurelle looked like she was
about to cry by the end of it, blinking rapidly as she looked down at her feet.
"Troye! Don't talk to your mother like that!" Shaun boomed, making me jump with how
deep and harsh his voice was. I didn't even know he was capable of getting truly
angry or actually being intimidating, but I guess there were certain things that
set him off. I know that if anyone tried to talk to Troye like that I'd be livid, I
can't really blame him for getting upset when somebody does it to Laurelle.

I was in the process of trying to figure out some way to console the both of them,
when the missing puzzle piece clicked into place and it made sense why he was so
passionate about not going. She said he was about twelve when it happened, what if
it was the March break following the Christmas all of the Lily drama had gone down?
It'd make sense. They probably forced him along despite how shut-out he was all of
the sudden, the ridicule and teasing of his cousins probably making everything
worse. No wonder he 'hates' his relatives.

"I'm sorry I asked." Laurelle snapped, a mixture of anger and sadness in her voice
as their gazes locked again. I could see the tension between them, hurriedly
grabbing Troye's hand in both a comforting and warning gesture, digging my nails
into his palm as I verbally tried to comfort Laurelle.

"Hey, he doesn't have to, we'll just go without him. I'm more fun anyway." I
laughed, watching Troye's answering eye-roll. Laurelle nodded, sighing softly
before turning around and walking back over to the stove. I took a deep breath, not
really happy with how things turned out but knowing that it could have gone worse.

Silence fell over us as we ate, nobody speaking at all until our entire plates were
cleaned. Even then it was only Laurelle asking us to take our dishes to the sink.
We did, Troye grabbing my hand as soon as I let go of them, attempting to tug me
out of the room with the vice-like grip. I didn't fight it, letting him pull me all
the way to the door before Shaun clearing his throat had us both freezing.

We looked to him curiously, studying the serious expression he had on. Is he about
to scold Troye again? I really hope not. I think everyone could use a break right
now. Shaun took a deep breath before speaking, my nerves only growing at the way he
hesitated. He looked down at the table when he finally did, stress coursing through
me.

"What if..." He trailed off, giving us enough time to look at each other and back
to him, equally confused. "-you two got your own cabin?!" He practically shouted,
throwing his hands out and widening his eyes. He looked expectant, like he wanted
some form of praise for his grand idea.

"You can do that?" Troye asked, leaning against the door and letting me cuddle into
his side.

"There's an extra this year since your great uncle passed away. It's a bit far away
from everyone and everything else, up on the mountain, but it's the same as every
other cabin." He explained, giving me a few less-than-appropriate reasons to be
thankful for the cabin option. Far away from everyone else, free to make as much
noise as we please without worrying about interruptions. Alone. Together. For half
a week. Come on, Troye, what's not to love? "We were going to give it to Steele and
Amy, but I'm sure your brother would give it up for you."

Silence fell over the room again as Troye thought over the offer, eyes shifting
from the table to me and back again. He didn't look at his parents at all, though
they had all eyes on him as they eagerly awaited the outcome. You could tell how
much his answer meant to them just by their expressions. Please, Troye, don't be an
ass if you say no.

"I might consider." He said finally, matching smiles finding all of our faces
simultaneously. It only took a second before Laurelle's squeal added to the
celebration, her arms thrown around Troye's shoulders from behind his chair. He
groaned loudly, squirming out of the embrace while somehow managing to keep my hand
in his. "Don't get so excited! I didn't say yes!"

"That's the closest we're going to get out of you though." She beamed back,
standing up to smile down at him. He blushed, clearly not expecting such a huge
reaction. I could actually see his restraint slipping in the way his features
relaxed, the way his final decision was settling. And, with a final quiet sigh, he
spoke up again in the drained tone that let us now we'd won.

"I swear, if you try and force me to play sports with all of the boys again, I'm
going to drive home right that second." I smiled while Laurelle rolled her eyes,
shaking her head ruefully like he was talking utter nonsense. He threw his hands up
in defense, rushing to defend himself. "I got trampled last time!"

"You're bigger now though."

"So are they!" He shouted, his cheerful voice music to my ears after how
uncomfortable things had been for the last few minutes. He slowly sunk his hands
back down to the table when nobody replied with equal enthusiasm, looking around at
the three of us before shaking his head. He was clearly trying to look annoyed now,
though the way his lips were threatening to quirk up into a smile said otherwise.
"Stop smiling at me like that."

"Like what?" The three of us asked in unison, earning a ludicrous look from Troye.
We laughed it off while he looked slightly more unnerved by our uncanny
coincidence, but he did get around to answering after a few more seconds of gaping.

"Like you're about to burst out in song and fly out the window!"

"I'm just so excited! The whole family will be there again!" Laurelle practically
sang, spinning around on the spot and looking unbelievably young for her age in the
movement. She just looked so purely happy, childish almost. If Troye had any doubts
about his decision, I really hoped seeing her so ecstatic helped solidify it. "I
have to tell your grandmother! Oh, and my sister!" She shouted, eyes wide as she
rushed out of the room. Troye sighed heavily, slumping down over the table. He only
tightened his grip when I tried to pull my hand away though, hoping to make things
more comfortable for him in the new position. I guess holding my hand came before
having a good place to rest his head though.

"Look what you've done, she's going to be in Disney princess mode for the next
three weeks." He muttered against the table, nudging his head toward the doorway. I
could hear Laurelle singing in the other room, her cheerfulness radiating right
through the walls and finding me as well. I felt giddy now with how well things had
worked out, not even thinking twice before scooting my chair closer to Troye's and
peppering the back of his neck with kisses. It was the only place I could reach
with his head down like this.

"I didn't do anything, it was all you."

A/n: tHE NEW WATTPAD UPDATE IS SO CONFUSING IS THIS THING ON? IS IT EVEN WORKING?
IM SO LOST OKAY HI HAVE THIS FILLER CHAPTER WITH A TONNNNNNNNNN OF DIALOGUE YOU'RE
WELCOME LOVE YA LONG TIME. BUT WAAAAAIT, THERE'S MORE! IF YOU BUY JUST ONE YOU GET
TWO MORE FoR tHe SaMe PrIcE!~!!!@!!! Sorry, I meant to just say that there was more
to the author's note. Okay so I've discovered the best fanfic and wanted to give it
some love and snoogles so here go. It's called 'Whisper' by @Madisona036 aND ITS SO
SMUTTY OMG ITS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE AND SO KINKY TOO. DADDY KINK REIGNS SUPREME BUT
IT LITERALLY HAS EVERYTHING YOUR SLUTTY LITTLE HEARTS COULD EVER DESIRE SO GO QUICK
I'LL DEDICATE THE CHAPTER TO HER

Chapter Seventy-Four
*Tyler's POV*

Hello my chicken mcnuggets this is a formal smut warning, you're welcome. This is
the fastest I've ever written smut so it may be a mess edit by @KaterinaSivan on
twitter bye

"This is an hour after I wanted to leave! It's like this every single year!"
Laurelle hissed under her breath, practically throwing each rejected tupperware
dish across the room behind her. She'd been looking for one in particular for ages
now, completely ignoring everyone else as she invested herself in the hunt. I was
seriously beginning to wonder if she'd ever find it.

"Stop worrying, you'll just be fashionably late." I said casually, dismissing her
concerns with a wave of my hand. I'd never describe Laurelle as a 'chill' person,
but she was noticeably stressed out today. She was cursing under her breath,
constantly snapping at people, and just not like herself. She may not be chill
usually, but she is a sweetheart. She's never like this.

"No! If we don't leave soon we're not going to make it there before we pass out
behind the wheel!" She shouted, looking over her shoulder to glare at me. My eyes
went wide, my hands coming up in front of me in defense. She shook her head before
turning back to the cupboard she was kneeling in front of, taking back up the
familiar rummaging pattern.

I sighed quietly, sinking back in my chair and looking longingly over at the clock.
I'd forced myself to get up unbearably early so I wouldn't have to delay them,
figuring it was better to be too early than too late. Given our current situation,
I realized how stupid that was. Troye was getting out of bed when I got here,
giving me a quick peck on the cheek before excusing himself to the shower. That was
nearly half an hour ago now. Half an hour of sitting down here in the hectic mess
that was his family. I loved them and all, but that was more than enough time
around them.

"Honey, have you seen my hat? The one with the straws and the places to keep cans?"
I looked up from the table slowly, biting my lip as I prepared myself for the
snarky reply Laurelle would give to Shaun's question. You'd think after this long
living with her he'd be able to tell when it is a good time to approach her and
when it isn't.

"Are you seriously worrying about that right now!? Go load the car!" She screeched,
grabbing the nearest tupperware container and actually chucking it at him. He
ducked out of the way just in time, muttering grumpily under his breath as he
turned out of the door.

"She's like this every single year." I managed to distinguish, chuckling under my
breath at how his words matched up with her earlier ones. I looked away, eyes
lingering on the tray of squares on the table. They'd been there since I walked
into the room, meaning I'd been forced to resist the urge to eat any for half an
hour. Naturally, of course I failed. I lasted about two minutes before snatching
one and hoping for the best. Now I was fighting the urge to take a second. I guess
I should see how she reacts to the first one first though, right?

"Tyler, can you hand me that tray of squares?" And here's my chance! I took a deep
breath, getting to my feet and cautiously picking up the tray. I walked over,
settling it on the counter beside where she was kneeling. She stood up immediately
then, eyes wide and eager. They narrowed into a squint when she saw the space
lacking a square, my heart beating faster as I debated how this would go. God,
you'd think I'd know better than to steal a crabby person's squares. On the upside,
it was pretty good, probably even worth whatever the consequence will be. "Did you
eat one!?"

"I- Well, they were right there and..." I trailed off, sighing softly as I realized
there was no reasonable way to explain my actions. They looked good so I ate them,
consequences be damned. I doubted she'd appreciate that honest answer though.

I was still struggling to come up with a reply, watching her anger visibly grow
through her features, when a quiet laugh sounded from behind us. I spun around
eagerly, giving a wide smile when I found Troye leaning against the door frame. He
was only wearing a towel, which was totally rude of him to do. Does he not realize
where my mind travels seeing him wearing that little? I don't want to think about
that stuff with his family in the room.

"Come on, Ty, I need your opinion on my outfit." He said casually, shooting
Laurelle a quick glare when she opened her mouth to protest. She lowered her head
in defeat, letting me walk through the landmine-like layout of the tupperware
containers to get to the door. I hurriedly ducked out, scrambling after Troye when
I saw he was already at the base of the stairs.

"Thanks, she looked like she was about to make squares out of me." I sighed out as
I caught up with him, walking on the step just behind him on the stairs. He
chuckled under his breath, tightening his grip on his towel as he hiked it up a bit
further.

"You're welcome. She gets stressed like this every year. She cares way too much
about impressing her family." He explained, turning back to face me as I took the
last step onto the second floor. I could hear music playing in the direction of
Sage's room and could visibly see Tyde in his room, rushing around to complete his
very last-minute packing. Troye cleared his throat next to me, my attention
snapping back to him.

"Yeah, I noticed." I mumbled, following him into his room. He closed the door
behind us, gesturing for me to sit on his bed. I listened, sitting on the edge and
swinging my feet off the edge. I looked at his unzipped suitcase, surprised by how
neatly he'd shoved everything in it. Just looking at it now, it was hard to believe
he'd fit anything in there other than the neatly-folded shirts on top. "Hey, did
you pack-" I turned to look at him as I spoke, eyes going wide as they flitted over
his body. He had his back turned to me, the towel laying abandoned by his feet as
he dug through his dresser looking for clothes.

"Did I pack what?" He asked casually, like he wasn't standing completely naked a
few feet from me. I wonder if he even realizes I'm looking. Should I be looking?
It's not like it's anything I haven't seen before, and he was the one that stripped
down in the same room as me.

He turned around to look at me then, confusion showing on his features for only a
second before he actually took me in, the expression then replaced with a wicked
smirk. He gasped, bringing his hands around as if to try and cover his ass from my
sight. "You pervert!" I rolled my eyes, shaking my head at his dramatic act. He
gave a genuine smile then, grabbing some briefs out of the drawer before facing
away again as he pulled them on.

"Did you pack condoms?" I asked, realizing I still hadn't gotten my answer. He
turned back around with a shirt in his hands, his entire body facing me now as he
stared at me incredulously.

"Who do you think I am? Of course I did." He laughed, walking over slowly and
dropping onto the bed next to me. He left the shirt at the foot of the bed where
he'd fell, stalking toward me instead. He sat back on his haunches behind me,
wrapping his arms over my shoulders from behind. He kissed the top of my back
exposed over the collar of my t-shirt, giving it a series of soft pecks as he
unwrapped a single hand and let his hand wander. I shivered under his touch as it
trailed down the center of my chest, pausing at my abdomen to outline the subtle
indents of my muscles through my t-shirt. "Wanna make-out?"

"You have stuff to do." I muttered, eyeing him curiously. I was almost hoping he'd
object, telling me he had nothing planned for the next few hours and we could roll
around in bed to our heart's content. I knew that wasn't gonna happen though. We're
supposed to be leaving right now. Well, technically, we were supposed to have left
already. At the same time, I wasn't entirely sure my own self-control would be
enough to get me to turn down his offer. I couldn't see myself ever outright
rejecting him, hoping he'd just admit he was busy and back off himself, before we
put ourselves even further off track.

"When did you start referring to yourself as a 'stuff'? That's new." I furrowed my
brows, mouth hanging slightly agape as I tried to figure out what he was getting
at. When it finally clicked what the horrible pun was, I almost wished I hadn't
spent that many seconds of my life figuring it out.

"I hate you." I muttered, bitter over how long it took me to figure out more-so
than actually upset with his horrible pun skills. He just laughed, kissing the back
of my neck again before grabbing my jaw and gently turning it until I was looking
over my shoulder at an angle I could see him. He was up on his knees now, purposely
taller than me to make our position easier. His eyes were wide and hopeful, making
it clear he wouldn't be granting my wish for him to back down. Well, if you can't
beat them, you might as well join them.

I turned my body further, ending up bracing my feet on the floor so I wouldn't fall
off. I fell back onto the bed as soon as I could without risking a fall, shuffling
further up the bed and watching Troye's eyes follow me. I settled on my back, my
upper half lifted just slightly by my elbows.

"Well?" I urged expectantly, watching Troye's gaze immediately snap to mine. His
lips quirked up into a smirk, letting me know it probably hadn't been the best idea
to rush him. He bit his lip before shifting onto his hands and knees, crawling over
me and settling on my lap. He grinned down at me before settling his hands on my
chest, skimming them upward to my collarbone. One stayed there as the other moved
up to cup my jaw, gripping it as he leaned forward and captured my lips in a
surprisingly soft kiss. It wasn't what I'd been expecting, not after how set he'd
been on getting here.

He even kept it slow as he eased his tongue into my mouth, completely disregarding
how eagerly I met it with mine. I lifted my hands to his back, letting them skim
the bare skin and ocassionally digging my nails into it in protest. He didn't budge
on it though, keeping the kiss slow and only really frustrating me in the end. I
think I would have been more content not kissing at all.

I lifted my legs to wrap them around the back of his thighs, pulling them toward me
and moaning softly at the friction. He smiled against my lips, making me seriously
wonder if this was what he wanted, to see me this desperate. It must have been,
considering he finally started to pick up the pace, moving his tongue harshly
against mine while starting a steady rythym of his hips. I knew we were probably
getting carried away given our circumstances, but I was nowhere near the point I
could push him away.

His hand not holding my jaw found the hem of my shirt, snaking under it despite how
tightly it hugged my body. He ran it even further upward, his soft touch
mesmerizing against my smooth skin. I was so caught up in it I didn't even register
the sound of the door creaking as it opened, Sage's voice speaking up and Troye
pulling away from the kiss at the same time.

"Troye, Mom wants you to go grab the-" She cut off suddenly, actually peeking into
the door at us. Her eyes went wide with a mixture of surprise and anger, a huff
leaving her lips as she placed her hands on either hip. "Guys! Now is not the time
for naked wrestling! Get some clothes on!"

"Killjoy." Troye snapped, her answering eye-roll immediate. She was closing the
door then, not giving another glance in our direction. Not that I could really
blame her, I wouldn't want to watch my sibling roll around on the bed with somebody
half-dressed either.

He shrugged his shoulders to show his indifference, looking back to me with the
familiar hooded dark eyes from earlier. His hands started to shift under my shirt
again, further up rather than pulling them out like I'd expected.

"You're insatiable." I groaned, feeling his hands skim over my nipples. They
weren't nearly as sensitive as his were, but it was probably the only place on my
chest that could pull any sort of reaction out of me.

"I don't hear you complaining." He whispered, ducking his head again to lap at one
of the many hickeys adorning my neck. I was constantly covered in them now, not
that I really minded. I enjoyed being marked as his, it was almost bragging
material to be able to sport his mark around.

However, when the sound of Laurelle's shouting downstairs started again, I was
reminded that now really wasn't the time to be concentrating on neck kissing. I
gently put a hand on his chest, pushing him away.

"Troye, now really isn't the time." He sighed, nodding his head before making the
rest of the movement himself, sitting back on his haunches before moving out o the
space between my legs altogether. I smiled up at him, the grin only widening when
he offered his hand to help me up. I took it, letting him tug me up into a sitting
position and giggling the entire time. I took a minute to calm down and catch my
breath then, only looking back up from the bedspread when his hand settled on my
leg, tracing light patterns.

"When we get there though?" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at how perpetually
thirsty he was, taking a few seconds before replying. I didn't want to seem too
eager. But before I actually spoke up, his hand traveled further on my thigh, his
voice deeper when it added more. "We can break the bed in."

"As long as we don't actually break the bed." I muttered, looking away as I tried
to avoid actually answering his question. He should know by now that my answer to
sex is always yes. It had been just under a month since Valentine's day and I
hadn't rejected his advances once, granted they were reasonable. And, trust me,
there'd been a lot of them.

"No promises." He chuckled, leaning in to peck his lips to mine. I expected it to

stay a chaste kiss, sighing when he tried to deepen it after only a second. I
pulled away immediately though, glaring at him with narrowed eyes.
"I'm leaving because otherwise you'll never get dressed." I said strictly, making a
face at him before turning and hopping off the bed. He fell back onto his bed,
sighing loudly.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." I clenched my jaw, refusing to look back at
him as I walked the rest of the way out of his room. I knew if I looked back and
saw his pout I'd cave in a second. It's not like you could blame me though,
especially knowing that his smile when he got his way was even cuter than his pout.

I started down the stairs slowly, not particularly excited to be seeing his family
again. In fact, I had to seriously debate if it was worth leaving him at all. Who
cares if we're a bit late, it was worth it to spend more time with him.

I walked into the living room with the same amount of enthusiasm, even that
dissipating when I took in the state of the living room. Shaun, Tyde, and Sage were
all sitting around looking at me intently, knowing smirks on each of their faces.

"What?" I asked, continuing to look around at each of them. It wasn't until I paid
attention to Sage for longer than a few seconds that I really noticed how devious
she looked, everything clicking into place so well I wished it hadn't. "You told
them?"

"Revenge for me having to carry the heavy suitcase in that Troye was supposed to."
She said casually, like she wasn't talking about telling everyone what we did
behind closed doors. I guess she could have walked in on worse things, and it's not
like they don't realize we do that stuff, but still.

"It wasn't what it looked like. He had no clothes on before any of that." I tried
to explain, eyes going wide as I realized I was only making matters worse. I gave a
pathetic sigh at my own failure, watching them all erupt into fits of laughter in
response to my idiocy. "Don't laugh!" None of them stopped, but a sudden addition
had me turning my head, recognizing the familiar chuckle even over everyone else's.
I sighed quietly, turning to look at Troye. He was at the bottom of the stairs,
leaning against the end of the railing with quiet laughter spilling from his lips.
It was hard for me to remain mad or embarrassed looking at him. Actually, it was
quite difficult for me to keep one concentrated emotion when looking at him. He
made me feel too much, too strongly. I couldn't distinguish the way he made me feel
into just one category of emotion.

He shook his head as he finished, still giggling under his breath. It was only then
that I realized he was the last one laughing and that everyone else had long since
quieted down, my cheeks flushing as it sunk in that I'd zoned out staring at him
again. I really need to get a handle on that.

"Come on, loser. If you hurry I'll let you drive." Troye laughed, walking over and
snaking an arm around my waist. He gave what I presumed to be a goodbye nod in his
father's direction before steering the both of us toward the entryway.

I immediately bent over to slip my shoes on, a quiet shocked gasp leaving my lips
as Troye pressed his front to my backside, grinding against it and sending my mind
to places it really didn't need to be while in the middle of tying my shoes.

"God, I want you so bad." He whispered, my heart racing as I finished and stood
back up. I turned to face him, my breath catching in my throat as I took in his
lust-filled appearance again. What has gotten into this boy today?

He leaned forward, cupping my jaw but not making any move to kiss me. Instead he
just locked our gaze, both of us staring longingly into the other's eyes. "I can't
wait until we get there. The second we walk through the door, I'm going to turn you
around and pin you against it."

"Yeah?" I asked meekly, far from objecting to his plans. In fact, I could
practically feel my legs shaking in anticipation. He nodded his head, licking his
lips slowly. I expected him to just close the distance between us and kiss me
again, seeing as he usually took no heed of my warnings not to get carried away,
but he surprised me by taking a step back instead. For a fleeting moment I was
worried I'd done something wrong, before he turned to look expectantly at the
archway leading into the living room. His mother appeared in it seconds later,
making me realize I'd zoned out again, not even noticing her approach.

"Troye?" She asked, looking between us like she was worried she might have
interrupted something. Sage probably told her about the whole making-out-in-bed
thing too.

"Yes?" He asked, astounding me with how composed he managed to sound.

"Are you leaving now?" She asked, watching intently as Troye immediately nodded his
head. "Okay, drive safe. Text us updates every so often- But not while you're
driving!"

"I will, promise." He said softly, jumping when she suddenly threw her arms around
his body, hugging him tightly. When she spoke again it was barely more than a
whisper, making me wonder if I was supposed to be overhearing it.

"I'm still so glad you decided to come with us this year." She replied, a genuine
smile finding my lips at how happy she seemed. Troye was blushing beet red now,
only making me find more amusement in the exchange.

"Blame him." He muttered coldly, eyes flitting toward me. She backed out of the
embrace before turning to face me, a knowing smile on her lips that told me she
already knew I was the one behind it. Trust me, I'd heard her thanks enough times
over the past month, every single time I came over to his house.

"Thank-you, Tyler... Even if you ate my squares." She muttered the last sentence so
bitterly I could literally feel a chill run down my spine. I had to seriously
debate whether she'd thanked me just to add that on.

"I think that's my cue to leave." I said awkwardly, turning and starting toward the
door. Troye chuckled behind me, grabbing my hand and letting me lead him out too.
He called a final goodbye to his family before we were closing the door, taking
deep breaths of the fresh air.

***

"Let's stop for food." I shouted, sitting up straight immediately after drifting
back into a state of consciousness. I didn't even remember falling asleep, but that
didn't matter, what mattered is that I was up now and could actually smell the
delicious food as we drove down the stretch of restaurants.

Troye actually took his eyes off the road to gawk at me, disbelief written across
all of his features.

"When did you wake up? You were out cold a second ago!" I shrugged my shoulders,
immediately looking away from him to scan the buildings we were driving past. They
were almost all restaurants and food chains of some sort, my mouth-watering at just
the thought of the food they'd be serving.

"When I sensed we came into a strip of fast food restaurants. Look at them all!" I
shouted eagerly, hands gripping at the car door in excitement. I heard Troye's
defeated sigh, a smirk finding my lips as I realized I was getting my way.

"Which one?" He said quietly, clearly not thrilled with having to stop his driving
marathon. I turned back to him with the widest smile I could manage, hoping it'd
make him feel a bit more confident in his decision.

"You can choose." I offered, purposely making my voice sound as sweet as possible.
He smirked, eyes flickering away from the road again to take in the buildings we
were passing. He looked back promptly though, likely finding his choice in that
short matter of seconds.

"Let's go to 'Salad Heaven'." My jaw dropped, a disgusted noise leaving my mouth

before I could stop it. I was not eating lettuce right now, what do I look like? A
rabbit?

"I change my mind, I'm taking away your choosing privilege." I said sternly,
shooting him a quick glare before pointing out a different restaurant a few ahead.
I'd never heard of it before, but judging by the burger on the sign, it was a
promising choice. "There."

"Alright, fine." He chuckled, turning into the parking lot without another word on
the matter. I scooted over to the middle seat as soon as the car was parked,
gratefully pecking his cheek and squeezing his hand. He just rolled his eyes,
waving me off and mumbling something about hurrying up.

I let him lead the way into the building, though I insisted on being the one to pay
once we'd ordered. He was a bit hesitant, but when I refused to back down and the
line behind us was starting to complain, he let me shove my money at the person
behind the counter. I was content to get my way, prancing toward a table in the
back corner and ignoring the way he was sulking beside me.

I sat down, happily shifting into the corner and turning to look out the window.
There wasn't really anything exciting out there, the highlight being the two
pigeons fighting over some abandoned fries, but I quickly found a more interesting
thing to look at, watching Troye's reflection in the glass. He was watching me with
a lovesick smile on his face, looking like he was completely saturating in the
feeling of being near me. I doubted he could tell I was watching though, or that I
could see even if I wanted to. I certainly wasn't going to be the one to tell him.

I saw the waiter approaching with our food in the reflection before he was anywhere
near, turning to greet him with an eager smile. I grabbed my food off the tray as
soon as it slid to a stop across the table, halting directly in front of me. Most
of it was mine though, so I doubted Troye would be complaining.

We ate quickly, knowing our time was limited if we wanted to stay on track. I was
just finishing up when his hand settled on my leg, my eyebrows shooting up at the
unexpected touch. He grinned at my reaction, shifting closer in an obvious attempt
at being discreet as his hand ran further up. It settled at the top of my thigh,
fingertips brushing against the crotch of my pants not quite harsh enough for me to
feel it through the thick fabric. Still, I knew it was only a matter of a bit of
pressure and I definitely would be, that was not okay in a family restaurant like
this.

"Get your hand off my thigh, Troye Sivan." I said under my breath, my voice coming
out practically a hiss with how frustrated I was with him. It's not that I didn't
want it, because I did, but he wasn't achieving anything with this but getting me
even further worked up when he couldn't follow through.
Not surprisingly, he didn't listen, only trailing his hand up further until the
entire thing sat lightly on the crotch of my jeans. I sunk my teeth into my bottom
lip when he pressed down harshly, rubbing the heel of his hand against me. "You're
nearly as bad as that night at the dance, and you're not even drunk."

"I'm drunk off love." He purred in my ear, tilting his head at an awkward angle
just so he could take my ear lobe into his mouth. He sucked harshly, my eyes
becoming hooded as the pleasure washed over me. They weren't closed though, so I
didn't miss the man who'd served us earlier looking in our direction with a
mortified look.

"Troye, stop right now or I'll hit you." He let out an actual whimper of
disapproval, though he did back off. He turned in his seat, crossing his arms
tightly over his chest and staring off into nothing. I sighed, turning back to my
meal and finishing it up. I was just swallowing the very last bite when my phone
suddenly went off in my pocket. I checked the screen quickly, not intending to
reply unless it was important. My eyes widened slightly seeing Troye's name
lighting up the screen, curiosity forcing me to withdraw the phone and check what
the text said.

"Not relevant to anything, just a general question. Would you consider yourself too
classy to participate in sexual activities in a restaurant bathroom?" I groaned out
loud before shoving the phone back into my pocket, turning to glare at him. He
didn't even blush under my scrutiny, only winking in what he probably thought was a
seductive manner.

"Yes, I do consider myself that classy. Finish your drink and leave me alone." I
said harshly, knowing he wouldn't take it seriously. He didn't seem to be taking
anything seriously right now, given how he was practically throwing himself at me
in public.

"But it's not very thirst-quenching." He muttered quietly, grabbing the straw and
lifting it in and out of the cap, the horrendous sound of plastic-on-plastic
following.

"Clearly."

***

"Troye!" I shouted, watching his eyes immediately flutter open upon hearing the
call. He tightened his grip on the wheel, swerving slightly to regain his rightful
position on the road. He waited until he had a grip on things before risking a
glance in my direction, giving a fakely-innocent smile when he saw my harsh glare.

"What?" He asked, clearly trying to seem oblivious so we wouldn't have to have the
talk looming over us. I shook my head though, looking out at the nearest sign and
figuring out how long until the nearest exit. It was coming right up soon.

"You just fell asleep at the wheel, we're calling it a night." I said, trying to
seem as strict as possible on the matter. I already knew he was going to disagree,
he'd been saying all day how he couldn't possibly run so late he didn't make it
there tonight. It was technically tomorrow already though, considering it was after
midnight. I just wasn't sure he'd share that outlook.

"We still have like half an hour to drive. I can last that long." He argued,
staring even harder at the road in front of us. I shook my head, my voice strict
and leaving no room for argument.

"No, you can't."

"What do we do then?" He sounded unreasonably sour with me, but I couldn't really
blame him. We were up early and he's clearly exhausted, I'm surprised he isn't
biting my head off.

"Let's go off that exit into the nearest town, maybe they'll have a cheap hotel." I
suggested quietly, unbuckling my seat belt and hurriedly sliding into the middle
seat. I buckled myself back in before the car's annoying beeps could continue for
too long, sighing contently as I leaned my head back against the seat. The change
of seats was half to be closer to Troye and get back on his good side, but mostly
to watch in case he fell back asleep.

The town we pulled off into was insanely small, only really a single stretch of
paved road surrounded by an abundance of dirt ones. It didn't take long to spot a
hotel, though I was pretty certain it was the only one around. I couldn't think of
any other place they'd have one with this little space. Troye was the one to go in,
insisting I stay in the car and make sure nothing happened to our stuff. I guess
he's watched one too many movies about people having their luggage stolen and
having to live with minimal rations, who knows. Or maybe it was all for his car
that he loved so much, wanting to make sure nothing happened to it in the few
minutes he'd be gone.

I sat up further in my seat when I saw him walking across the parking lot again,
eager to hear what he had to say. Judging by the scowl evident on his face, it
probably wasn't something I would want to hear. He opened the door and slipped into
the driver's side without a word, exhaling loudly and staring forward out the
window.

"Well?" I prodded, getting the idea that he wasn't going to speak up unless I
practically forced him to. He shook his head slowly, not even looking over at me
when he finally did reply.

"It's the only one in town and there's currently a car show going on, so they have
no vacancy."

"Ugh." I groaned out, sinking back in my seat all over again. Really I was just
trying to sympathize with him, because his tone was still a bit upset. Whether it
was upset in general or upset with me, I really wish I knew.

"Let's just keep going." He suggested, turning to my with hopeful eyes. I sighed,
realizing he still hadn't given up on that idea. I couldn't risk anything happening
to us, not when everything in my life was going so well all the sudden. The thought
of losing even a second spent with Troye over a car accident was horrific.

"No, it's not worth the risk." I stated firmly, watching his answering eye roll and
the way he gripped the steering wheel tighter. Clearly that wasn't the answer he'd
been hoping for.

"Well, what are we gonna do then?" He asked, sounding even snarlier now. It was
like he was blaming me for our lack of options. I shrugged my shoulders, sinking as
far away from him as possible while in the middle seat. I figured it'd look too
deliberate if I actually unbuckled and moved back to the seat farther away.

"Sleep in the car I guess." I said weakly, eyes fleeting as I tried my hardest not
to look back in his direction. I hated seeing him upset, I hated being the reason
even more.

"Wow, how comfortable!" He said sarcastically, scoffing under his breath as he

grabbed the key and turned the car on. We didn't speak again as we started to
drive, just watching the scenery fly by. It was a relatively bright night, the moon
full and casting off a lot of light.

"We're in the middle of nowhere." Troye spoke up suddenly, my eyes reluctantly

flickering over to watch him as he spoke. He still looked far from happy, but I
could tell the actual anger was dissipating from his body. He was just tired and
cranky now. "A chainsaw murderer is going to break into our car while we sleep."

"Shut-up." I snapped, probably a bit too harshly. I couldn't help it, his words
sparked a fear I hadn't had prior in my mind. I mean, of course I'm afraid of
chainsaw murderers, but I hadn't even considered it as a possibility. He snickered
under his breath, a sound I probably would have found relieving after his fit had
it not been at my pain. I was about to snap at him again about laughing, when the
headlights illuminated a large sign in front of us. "Look! There!"

"A picnic park?" Troye asked skeptically, earning nothing but a nod in response. He
didn't argue, just sighing quietly under his breath before pulling into the drive.
I kept my eyes open for any signs saying overnight parking wasn't allowed, thankful
when there were none. This place was perfect. It was secluded, but well-tracked
enough that we probably wouldn't have to worry about any dangerous animals.

"What do you think?" I asked as he turned the car off, looking through the windows
eagerly and trying to take everything in. I turned to him when he didn't reply,
wondering why.

"It'll do." I watched in silence as he shifted onto his side, curling up facing
away from me with his hands tucked neatly under his head. I bit my lip, waiting for
any further interaction. Nearly a minute had passed before I spoke up, getting
impatient for his attention.

"You're just gonna go right to sleep?"

"I'm tired, Ty." He mumbled awkwardly, a pout finding my lips as I sunk back
against my chair. I knew he was still a bit upset with me for forcing him to pull
over for the night, but I wasn't expecting the total cold shoulder. He'd been so
intent on fooling around all day, I figured he might see this as the perfect
opportunity. We were alone, for the first time today, and it was the one time he
didn't try anything.

"Okay. Sweet dreams." I said quietly, exhaling softly as I turned to look out the
window. The majority of the snow had melted now, the only remainder being the
occasional drift where snowplows had piled it so high it took longer to melt. The
air was still cold though, similar to that off autumn temperatures before the snow
falls.

"Love you." I blinked, drawn from my relatively boring thoughts from Troye's gruff
voice. I'd thought he was asleep already, a smile finding my face when I realized
he was still up and had waited to say that before drifting off to sleep. He's
obviously a bit ticked off, but I'm sure he realizes I did what I had to for the
greater good.

"Love you too." I said in a singsong voice, debating whether to shift closer to him
and attempt cuddling. Now was really my only chance, considering I wouldn't want to
risk waking him up after he'd finally fallen asleep. I wasn't quite ready for sleep
myself though, buzzing with unexpected energy. I had slept in the car earlier and
had barely gotten out of my seat at all the entire day, I guess it wasn't entirely
unreasonable to be energetic now.

Maybe I could put it to good use, or at least some form of use so I wasn't sitting
here buzzing in my seat while he tried to fall asleep. I could go outside. I'd
probably be fine, it wasn't even a park people would go to. There was no
playground, only a pond, picnic tables, and outhouses from what I could see. None
of it was out of view from the car though, so if anything happened Troye would
probably be able to hear me. That's it then, it's decided, I'll go for a quick walk
before trying to fall asleep. Troye seems like he could use some space right now
anyway.

I grabbed the door handle, trying to open it quietly in case Troye actually had
managed to fall asleep in the last minute. I barely had it ajar enough to fit my
hand through when his gravelly voice spoke up again.

"Where are you going?" He asked, not even lifting his head to address me. He's
tired though, I've got to respect that.

"Just to stretch my legs, I'll be right back." I said, forcing my most cheerful
voice I had to show through. I didn't want him to worry or misinterpret my
reasoning behind the exploration. He took a few seconds to reply, humming
intuitively before nodding his head against the seat where it rested.

"Be careful." He said quietly, voice so shy I could barely hear it. I did though, a
smile finding my lips as I leaned over to tentatively peck his cheek. It was the
only part of his face exposed, and I wasn't quite sure of where I stood with him
enough to go for a full-on kiss. He didn't complain, humming again as he nuzzled
his face further into the soft fabric. I smiled contently, brushing a strand of
hair out of his eyes before sliding back over and getting out of the car.

I was pleasantly surprised by the temperature, realizing I made the right choice by
not wearing a winter coat, only a sweater. It was still chilly, but not enough to
be actually uncomfortable. I kicked at the still half-frozen dirt as I walked
toward the pond, clearly most interested in that.

I approached quietly, finding a particularly large tree by the water's edge and
leaning against it. I yawned quietly, looking around the area excitedly. I froze
when I saw movement across the pond, flattening myself against the tree and
debating what my best move would be if it was some sort of predator. Run back to
the car? Or would that make me seem like prey to a wolf? I could probably reach the
car before whatever it was got around the pond, then I'd-

A deer.

It's a deer.

I let out a breathless chuckle as I watched it tentatively walk out of the bushes,
head high and looking around for any sort of threat. Apparently not noticing me, it
took another few steps to the water's edge. I thought it was just going to duck
it's head and take a drink, eyes widening when a baby stumbled out behind it. A
smile found my lips, watching as the two of them started to drink. I almost wished
there was better lighting so I could take a picture. Even on a bright night like
this, I doubted my phone camera was capable of catching anything.

I guess it couldn't hurt to try, I looked down as I grabbed my phone out, freezing
when I noticed the pair of shoes beside me. I screamed, jumping backward and
listening to the sound of the deer taking off across the pond. I threw my hands up
in front of me, squeezing my eyes tightly shut. Troye probably heard that, right?
He'll come and rescue me and- Wait. Those were Troye's shoes, weren't they?

I opened my eyes slowly, glaring at the disheveled boy in front of me.

"J-Jesus Christ, Troye! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" I gasped out, hand
clutching at my chest as the other sank back down to my side, realizing there
wasn't actually a threat. Troye just yawned, apparently completely indifferent on
the topic of nearly causing me a heart attack.

"I couldn't sleep." He mumbled, stumbling forward to wrap his arms around my torso,
hugging me tightly as we both leaned back against the tree. I could feel the bark
digging into my back through the layers of clothing I had on, but I didn't
complain. I was too ecstatic to see Troye still awake, to know I'd still get more
time to interact with him tonight, possibly even the chance to fall asleep cuddling
that I'd thought I'd missed out on.

*Smut warning*

"You poor thing." I laughed, feeling him squirm even closer to me, pressing the
length of his body to me. My jaw went slack as I realized the movement hadn't been
as innocent as I thought, the bulge in his pants noticeable when he pushed it
against me like that. "Troye."

"Tyler." He replied cheekily, completely ignoring the warning tone in my voice. I

knew I mentioned wanting to fool around a bit, but not outside. I didn't reply any
further, which he must have taken as approval given the way he started to grind his
hips forward against my side. One of his hands landed on my stomach, skirting under
my sweater with ease. It went to work on the button of my pants, making quick work
of undoing it. He slipped two fingers under the waistband of my pants then, a gasp
leaving my lips as I shivered noticeably under his touch.

"Your hand's cold." I said meekly when he lifted an eyebrow, curious about my
actions. He chuckled quietly, the sound still gravelly from the bit of sleep he'd
managed to get. He slipped his hand completely into my pants then, immediately
cupping the growing bulge in the front of my briefs. I could feel my heart racing,
eyes flitting around us like I expected someone to approach out of nowhere. "We
shouldn't be doing this. Someone could see us."

"Good, let's put on a show worth watching." He muttered into my shoulder, speeding
up the pace of his hand. I bit my lip, hips bucking forward against his hand on
their own accord. I couldn't regret it though, not when it caused me to feel that
good and moan that loudly. I hadn't even realized how much his persistence had
gotten to me today until

Chapter Seventy-Five
*Troye's POV*

(smut warning but it's like later on way later at the end of the chapter okay ill
tell ya then man mans)

"Morning." I purred the moment I saw Tyler's eyes flutter, not even attempting to
keep my excitement at bay. I hadn't actually been waiting for him to wake up for
that long, maybe fifteen minutes at most, but it was still excruciatingly boring. I
couldn't even sit up to look around with him sprawled out across me like this.

He didn't seem nearly as cheerful as me about slipping back into the conscious
world, his eyes squeezing even further shut as his hands curled into tighter fists
between our chests. He let out a disgruntled grumble, shifting and burying his face
further into the material of my shirt. I bit my lip, debating the options for my
next move. How could I get him to perk up a bit? Oh, right, duh. "Would you be
happier if I offerred to stop somewhere for breakfast?"

"Yes." He replied immediately, a smile finding my lips at hearing his voice for the
first time today. It was strange how I could come to miss it after only a few
hours, despite the fact I had it completely memorized. It just wasn't the same as
actually hearing him speaking.

"Then get off me." I laughed, gently pushing his shoulders. He forced his eyes open
finally, a swelling sensation in my chest when our eyes locked. He didn't seem
quite as sentimental as me this morning, just pulling an unimpressed face before
lifting himself up and over me. I slipped my legs off his seat, watching as he
immediately fell back onto it.

After he got settled and turned to look at me expectantly I decided I'd better sit
up as well, sighing softly before pushing up to sit in my seat. I glanced in the
mirror, taking a few seconds to fix my hair and looking back to him afterward.
"What do you want to eat?"

"Breakfast bagels!" He beamed excitedly, his mood a complete contrast to what it

was just a few seconds ago. How long had I spent fixing my hair for his mood to
totally turn around like that? Or maybe he'd just enjoyed watching me, who knows.

"Let's wash up when we stop too, maybe change clothes." I laughed, seriously
feeling the after-effects of wearing clothes during sex last night. He nodded his
head, blushing slightly before turning to look out his window. Thankfully, we were
still the only ones in the park. It would have been quite awkward to find someone
else here when we'd been asleep in the car just minutes ago.

***

"How long now?" He asked, the question not surprising me at all. After all, it had
only been a few minutes since he'd last asked me, using the exact same wording. It
might have been considered irritating, had he not sounded so damn cute asking. I
could tell without even looking away from the road just how nervous he actually
was, something that surprised me given how confident and naturally lovable he was.
Did he really expect any of my relatives to have a problem with him? Well, any of
my reasonable relatives.

"Five minutes." I answered, smiling softly at his answering shaky breath. You could
actually feel how uncomfortable he was in the air. "Are you nervous?"

"Little bit, yeah." He chuckled, the sarcasm in his voice making it quite clear it
was a lot more than a 'little bit'.

"Why?" I quizzed, unsure of how he could be so worried. Had he ever met a person in
his life that didn't instantly adore him? I really doubted it.

"I'm meeting people that are important to you and I haven't showered in over
twenty-four hours." I grinned to myself, resisting the urge to giggle as my eyes
flickered over to read the sign just as we passed it. He was right, despite
changing clothes and freshening up the best we could in the restroom at a truck
stop, he really hadn't showered. Neither of us looked to be in good condition, but
it didn't really matter. It was just family, we don't have to try and impress them
anyway.

"So?"

"I have sex hair." He hissed, emphasizing his words like this sentence was supposed
to change everything. I chuckled, turning my head just barely to look over at him.
It was true, his hair was obviously standing up in all directions despite hgis
attempts to smooth it down with water. You could practically see where I'd been
gripping it, but I didn't really see the problem with it. As if the hickeys weren't
enough, it was one more reminder that he was taken. He was mine.

"I don't know, I think it's a good look." I said quietly, trying not to seem too
passionate about my words. He'd probably think I was weird if he knew how much I
actually loved it.

"How do you still look so good?" He huffed, sounding almost spiteful. I smirked,
keeping my eyes glued to the road despite how badly I wanted to see his reaction to
my next words.

"I had you bent over, you couldn't have touched my hair even if you wanted to."
Other than the muffled scoff, I didn't really get a reply to that. I hadn't really
been expecting one though, hence why I'd wanted to visibly see his reaction. Safe
driving came first though, the turns on the upward trails to the mountain were
filled with sharp turns and unexpected animal obstacles to watch out for.

Despite how badly I wanted to talk to him, I didn't reject the silence that fell
over us. Instead I embraced it, taking it as time to really concentrate on the
roads. I actually started to grow excited the closer we got, remembering the fun
times I'd had here as a kid. It wasn't actually all that bad, aside from my cousins
being way more sporty than me and leaving me out sometimes. I still had good
memories, I just couldn't bother being near anyone after the entire ordeal with
Lily, including family.

I couldn't even hide my smile as the final turn came into my sight, seeing the
rustic sign hanging over the entrance to the familiar 'camp ground'. It wasn't
really a fitting title for it, considering it was barely ever used by anyone and
was just a bunch of cabins scattered over a large plot of land, but who was I to
argue?

Tyler was still quiet in the seat next to me, slumped against the window and
looking rather uninterested in everything we passed by. That is, until I turned
onto the road and his eyes flickered to that overhead sign.

"This is it?" He asked, sitting up and craning his neck in able to read the sign
even as we drove past. I nodded next to him, feeling oddly bubbly the closer we got
to the familiar opening in the trees. It was a pretty narrow boring road there,
trees on either side of us, but then it'd open up into the field surrounded by the
majority of the cabins. These ones were mostly occupied by our older relatives or
the really talkative ones, the cabins scattered further out perfect for the more
detached members of society, including me. "Can we just go straight to the cabin
first?"

"I mean, we can try." I chuckled, watching the sun shine directly through our
windshield now that the trees weren't there to protect us. I knew very well we'd
never get through the field and up to our cabin before being noticed, considering
we were practically surrounded on all sides.

Tyler looked around, his interested piqued as he stared at all the small buildings.
It could almost be mistaken for a very small village, especially considering it
would seem everyone in my family under eighteen had decided to gather outside. Now
I really know we aren't going to make it to the cabin in time. Tyler seemed to too,
just sighing quietly when the first person turned their head and noticed my
vehicle, throwing their arms up and shouting to the others. I barely recognized the
kid, realizing only after a few seconds that she was probably a baby or toddler the
last time I'd been here.

"Troye!" Even with our windows all rolled up, there was no pretending I couldn't
hear their shouts of greeting as they ran across the flat ground toward us. I
watched Tyler's shoulders slump slightly as I pulled the car over, watching the
people mob it and coax us to get out. I know it's been a while, but this level of
greeting probably isn't necessary.

"We tried." I laughed, almost amused by the idea of getting past this mob without
being noticed now that I was looking back. Tyler gave a half-hearted chuckle beside
me, completely lacking his usual giddiness. I gave him a soft smile, settling my
hand on his thigh and squeezing it gently. "They'll love you, you're more like them
than I am."

"You think so?"

"I know so." I said firmly, resisting the urge to peck his cheek with this many
people staring at us expectantly through the windows. Instead I opened the door and
climbed out, tensing as they all lurched forward into a group hug on me. I didn't
expect them to remember me, much less miss me.

He's so much taller!

Why is he wearing women's shoes?

Who's that guy in the car with him? Why's is hair blue?

I shook off all the thoughts I was hearing, prying the lingering arms from my torso
and taking a safe step backward. I glanced around the group, taking time to make
sure I recognized each one. Most of them were my younger cousins, which made sense.
All the cousins my age and older had rejected me as the 'wimpy boy' who didn't like
sports, so instead I'd grown closer to the ones younger than me. Not only had they
accepted me, they even looked up to me. It was strange seeing them all so much
older.

Aside from my cousins, all three of my siblings were there, standing back a few
steps rather than taking part in the group-mobbing. I guess they weren't quite as
excited to see me, seeing as it had only been a few days rather than a few years.

"Come on, you made it just in time for the barbeque!" Laura urged, grabbing my hand
and trying to forcefully drag me toward the main building. It was mostly used by
the adults to just sit around inside, but we also ate our meals there. However, it
felt almost like defeating the purpose to cook food outside on the barbeque then
take it inside to eat. Who was I to question it though? Besides, the skies were
particularly dark today, it might have started to rain anyway.

"Okay, one second." I said, excusing myself as I slipped my hand from hers and
dodged the crowd back to my car. Tyler was still sitting inside, staring out at us
curiously with the same nervous light to his eyes. I didn't give it time to develop
any longer though, throwing his door open and insisting he got out right now unless
he wanted to miss dinner. That got him moving, and fast too.

It was only a minute or two later that we'd crossed the entire field back to the
largest of the buildings, all of us walking inside in a single-file line. Well, all
of us aside from Tyler and I. He wasn't quite as clingy as usual, not taking the
plunge and grabbing my hand or hugging my arm, but he still stayed as close as
comfortably possible.

After walking inside the group from earlier split up, each of them walking off to
join their individual families and catch up. Without them all blocking the way,
there was nothing hiding me from my father's gaze when he walked back inside with a
tray of hot dogs. His eyes went wide, an excited squeal leaving his lips seconds
before he was setting the tray on the counter and bounding over to us. Everyone in
the room had their eyes on me now, excitement on all of their features and
curiosity when they noticed the boy standing half beside me and half behind me.

"There's my boy!" Dad greeted lamely, throwing an arm around my shoulders and
tugging me even further into the center of attention. Poor Tyler was left alone
behind us, a quick glance over my shoulder calming my worries when I saw he was
already headed for the food. I looked back then, blushing under the welcoming and
intent gazes of all my relatives. "Bigger than when you last saw him, huh?"

"Not by much though, he's still on the scrawny side. Good thing he got here just in
time for the barbeque, huh?" My aunt chuckled, rising to her feet and walking over.
She ran her eyes over me almost sympathetically, as if sizing me up. I shrugged my
shoulders indifferently, suddenly wondering if I should have been more worried
about myself for separating with Tyler. I know I'd feel a lot better with him right
here with me.

"Guess so." I muttered, casting a final look around before letting her drag me off
toward the food. I might have been less obedient, had I not known that was where
Tyler was. I had no problem being led to him.

We walked into the small kitchen together, the room only separated from the other
with a short half-wall. I grinned even wider when I noticed my mother by the food
talking with Tyler, realizing there was more people here that I was close to than
not. My aunt's grip loosened and eventually left completely, my eyes watching as
she walked out in front of me to sit down at the small table in the corner. I
hadn't even noticed the piece of furniture with my attention so set on Tyler, much
less the woman sitting at it. I smiled even wider upon recognizing my grandmother,
immediately moving to sit at one of the two remaining chairs.

"Hi, Gram." I greeted, not even attempting to hide the sudden return of the
bubbliness from earlier. She looked up from her crossword puzzle curiously, a smile
finding her lips as her eyes fell on me.

"Troye! You're finally here!" She beamed, the corners of her eyes crinkling
adorably as she pulled me in for an awkward hug around the corner of the table. As
much as I'd resisted, I knew there was no way I could say I wasn't thankful for
Tyler forcing me to go now. I might not have ever came back without his persuasion,
the thought heartbreaking now that I was seeing these relatives again. I hadn't
even realized how much I missed them until now.

I pulled away, turning away to check on Tyler and jumping in the spot when I saw
he'd sat down at the remaining chair. My mother had left somewhere, but he seemed
perfectly content to spend his time with us instead, munching absentmindedly on the
hotdog as he looked around the room. The signature smile I always wore around him
found my lips, my hand instinctively reaching out under the table to take his free
one. Both of our hands settled wound-together on his thigh, my heart pounding
happily in my chest at having his embrace again.

"Who's this? Shaun only told us you were bringing someone else along, I expected a
lady friend." My grandmother asked suddenly, our eye contact breaking as both of us
looked over at her. She didn't seem judgmental, just like I knew she wouldn't be,
and I was seriously debating telling her. I'd specifically told my family not to
specify Tyler and I's relationship, not sure how well I'd fit back in with the
family or how they'd all be toward the announcement. I didn't want to spend the
whole weekend being ridiculed as the 'gay boy'.

Still, it didn't feel right not telling my grandmother. Not just that, but I really
wanted to. I wanted to see their reactions and for them to be happy for me. I'd
never had anything huge or important to announce before. Not sports, not academic,
not relationship-wise, nothing before now. I wanted this moment.

"This is Tyler, he's-" I managed to get that much out, my voice practically
overflowing with excitement, when a deeper one sounded from behind me in
interruption.

"Hey! If it isn't the runt of the pack! Long time no see!" I slumped into my seat
slightly at the familiar voice, albeit quite a bit deeper than the last time I'd
heard it. Brent was my cousin, the son of the aunt currently sitting at the table
with us. Technically, he's two months younger than me, but he would deny it if you
ever asked. He was one of the many people that'd reject me when I was younger for
being 'too skinny' or 'too wimpy'. Not that I really minded even then, he wasn't
much for company anyway. Every second I did end up stuck with him was far from a
pleasant memory.

"Hi, Brent." I said through clenched teeth, getting no reply other than the
impatient clang of metal on metal. My aunt immediately rose from her seat, walking
across the room toward him. I risked looking over my shoulder, trying not to make a
face when I saw the situation. He was wearing a muscle shirt and his hat backwards,
leaning against the counter and expectantly glaring at his mother like he couldn't
possibly get his own food up. He's just as childish as he was six years ago, no
surprise here.

"How many can you eat, honey?" His mother coaxed, smiling widely like it was
completely normal to be serving her adult son. He scrunched his face up in what was
probably supposed to be a thoughtful manner, replying after a few seconds with a
confident tone.

"Seven." My eyes went wide, but I knew better than to question it. However, Tyler
didn't.

"Seven." He scoffed, giving a low incredulous whistle that had my heartbeat

increasing with every second it lasted. I know he's just trying to be friendly and
express his shock, but he should really learn that 'friendly' isn't in Brent's
vocabulary.

Sure enough, Brent immediately tore his gaze from the food, instead setting his
plate on the counter and leaving the job for his mother to finish as he walked over
toward us. He came to a stop looming over Tyler, staring down with eyes narrowed
into slits of a heavy glare.

"Yeah, problem?" He asked, spite rolling off of him in waves. Tyler seemed
surprisingly unphased, just sitting back in his seat and smiling up at him.

"No, it's just impressive, even I couldn't eat that much." He beamed, beaming his
widest smile. Realization seeped into me that he was completely oblivious to how
annoyed Brent actually was, my eyes rolling despite myself. How he didn't realize
was beyond me, considering Brent looked ready to skin him alive. He wasn't exactly
the most mild-mannered in the family.

"Who are you?" He asked gruffly, staring Tyler down in a way that made me anything
but comfortable. You could practically see the dislike forming in his eyes, my mind
racing as I wondered how to fix this.

"Tyler, I'm Troye's-"

"Friend." I blurted, cutting Tyler off before he could tell the truth. Seconds ago
I'd been ecstatic over the thought of telling everyone, now I wasn't so sure. Of
course I was still so proud to be able to call Tyler mine, nothing would ever
change that, I just wasn't so sure about how they would react. Clearly Tyler was
gay, he wasn't exactly subtle about it, but what if that's part of the reason Brent
is already so cold toward him? I knew he was an asshole, I just wasn't sure if he
was quite to that level of asshole.

Tyler didn't seem to understand my train of thought at all, turning to gape at me

in obvious offense. Well, obvious to anyone but Brent, who seemed about as
oblivious as they came.

"I'm Brent." He introduced, shoving a hand toward Tyler and staring expectantly
until he shook himself out of his stupor and gave it a firm shake. He still didn't
seem completely himself though, his body turned just a little bit away from me. It
wasn't much, but it was enough to make me worry. Please tell me he isn't going to
take that label personally, he knows what he is to me.

"So I've gathered." Tyler said, his irritated tone apparently flying over Brent's
head given the way he completely moved on with a different topic.

"Well, me and the other guys are gonna have a game of football later, are you two
interested?" He offered, looking between us with his eyes narrowed. I could
practically feel him judging us already, before we even answered.

"No." I sighed out, at the exact same time Tyler eagerly blurted his answer.

"I am!" We both turned to focus all of our attention on him then, for both similar
and completely different reasons. Brent was shocked because he probably didn't
think Tyler was the sporty type, I was just shocked Tyler would do it without me.
He really is upset, isn't he? Shit. "I'm quarterback at our school." Tyler asked,
obviously trying to prove himself under Brent's scrutinizing gaze.

"Really?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as his eyes went wide with
curiosity. Tyler nodded, a cocky smirk finding his lips that almost reminded me of
the Tyler he used to pretend to be before we met. Brent grinned harder, turning to
look at me. "Well, Troye, I guess you can make up for your lameness with cool
friends, huh?"

"I guess so." I muttered, shrugging my shoulders. Brent didn't seem to even realize
my disinterest in his sense of humor, just laughing obnoxiously before clapping a
hand against Tyler's shoulder.

"Let's head out there now, we can eat on the way." I wasn't entirely sure how he
planned on juggling that many hot dogs while walking, but I decided I didn't really
care enough to question it. I cared more about Tyler's answer, holding my breath as
I waited to see if he'd really leave me here so easily over something so small.

"Alright, let's go." Well, that certainly answers my question. I watched in a glare
as he got to his feet, starting up another conversation with my cousin as the two
of them started to walk out of the room. He didn't even look back at me as he left,
leaving me completely alone with my grandmother. Not that I minded her company, but
I did mind the cold shoulder he was suddenly giving me.

"He's not quite what I expected." I quirked an eyebrow, looking over at my

grandmother curiously.

"Tyler?" She nodded her head, her lips remaining in a tight line until she was
speaking up again.

"I figured you'd want a more doting boyfriend." My eyes went wide, a blush creeping
across my cheeks at how casually she'd dropped the label. How did she know anyway?
I thought I told my family to keep it secret.

"Did Mom tell you?" I asked, letting my annoyance show in my voice. I decided not
to acknowledge her observations on the relationship just yet, instead trying to
figure out how she knew at all.

"I think anyone who has half a brain can tell on their own, you're not exactly
subtle." She chuckled, only causing my blush to deepen further. Well, she doesn't
seem like she has a problem with it. Then again, she doesn't exactly seem excited
for me either, like I'd hoped she would. "I'm happy for you, even if your
relationship is a little rocky right this second, you can tell how much you care
about each other." I looked up, blinking in surprise at how she'd managed to reply
to essentially exactly what I was thinking. You don't think... No, it couldn't be.

"It's my fault." I sighed out instead of questioning the uncanny coincidence

further, knowing I was probably just reading into things too far. Then again, it
couldn't hurt to check, I just need a way to read her mind.

"Well, you're not wrong." She laughed, looking back down to her crossword puzzle.
She didn't look up for a few seconds, or even when she spoke up asking a favor of
me. "Can you hand me that pen?"

"Yeah, sure." I said eagerly, knowing this was my chance. Even if we just brushed
hands. I hope it doesn't choose now to short out.

I grabbed the pen, holding it loosely as I extended my arm out to her. I watched
the way she took it, how she almost purposely brushed her hand against mine so I
didn't even have to. It didn't feel any different than touching anyone else, but
her thoughts were different. They were just blank, like she was putting too much
concentration into reading mine to think her own. Or at least, that's what I'm
assuming, because-

Can you hear me?

My eyes fluttered open, staring at her closed ones incredulously. Is this some sort
of joke? Did I hear things right?

Can you hear me?

I asked back, staring at her intently. I didn't dare look away for a second in fear
of missing something important. Our hands weren't even gripped together, just
awkwardly touching on either side of the pen. It'd probably look quite weird to
anyone else that walked in right now.

I asked first.

I gulped, unable to find excuses in what other situations this might be. She'd
directly replied to my thoughts, that could only really mean one thing. But how?
Has she always been able to? Am I really not alone?

She offered me a knowing smile, the wrinkles by the corners of her eyes becoming
more prominent with the expression. She took the pen from my hand completely then,
setting it down without even glimpsing at the puzzle she was planning on working on
before. Instead she just looked back up at me, her gaze serious and surprisingly
curious. I thought she knew everything by now, but I guess that wasn't a very
realistic assumption anyway. Maybe I'm the only other mindreader she's ever met.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" She asked, the question innocent and casual, almost
like we hadn't just had that short mental conversation. I bit my lip, debating if I
was really ready to discuss this with another person. I doubted I'd ever be, but I
did trust her, and she may be able to help me.

"Not particularly." I said honestly, watching her smile falter just slightly before
I added more. "-But I will."

"Let's go." She said, her tone bubbly and warm again, almost like she was trying to
comfort me. She got to her feet, leading the way out of the kitchen. We didn't get
questioned on where we were going and I didn't tell anyone, not really wanting
anyone to know. I doubted it'd be a conversation I'd want people walking in on.

***

The walk didn't actually last that long, just five minutes down a less-traveled
trail in the woods. We both ended up sitting on a worn bench, as far away from each
other as the seat allowed. It was oddly silent though, not even the sound of our
breaths distinguishable. It was like we were just waiting for the other to snap and
say something.

"So?" I asked finally, not able to stand another second in the tense atmosphere. I
looked to her expectantly, shivering as the damp air got to me again. It was going
to rain any minute now, I was almost hoping we wouldn't be out here to see it
happen.

"Have you always been able to?" She asked quietly, a lump forming in my throat at
how blunt she was approaching the topic. She wanted me to just say it? Like it was
nothing? Like it would be easy?

"Able to what?" I chuckled nervously, running a hand through my hair in a clumsy

manner. She turned to face me now, her features knit together in a warm sympathetic
expression. At the same time it was clear she wasn't going to just go along with my
beating-around-the-bush methods. I sighed softly, nodding my head slowly. "Yes, I
have."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She sounded almost hurt, making me feel a bit guilty
about how secret I'd kept it. How was I supposed to know that she wouldn't just
label me as crazy too, though? There was no way I could have.

"It's not exactly something you go around shouting from the rooftops."

"True." She agreed, clasping her hands together in her lap.

"Have you? Always been able to?" I questioned, still not completely to terms with
the fact I wasn't the only mindreader out there. It was comforting in a way, but
also scary. I wonder how many mindreaders there actually are?

"Yes, since I was a little girl." She replied, the gears of my mind turning as I
came to different conclusions with the new knowledge.

"So it's hereditary then?" I asked, watching the way she shrugged her shoulders in
answer. She didn't seem to know much more than me really. "Can Mom?"

"No. I've checked, multiple times. If she can she really doesn't want me to know
and does a damn good job hiding it." I nodded my head, thinking about what she was
saying. So it wasn't impossible, but then I think she would have paid more
attention to all the times I'd confessed to being able to read minds rather than
just dismissing it as an 'over-active imagination'.

"Does it skip a generation?" I knew before I even got an answer that it was a
stupid question to ask, I knew as I was saying it that it was pointless. She didn't
seem to know much more than me. Still, I couldn't completely rid myself of the
childish hope she would have some new information, something that could make things
easier on me.

"I don't know." She sighed out, looking down at the ground between her feet as she
started to kick at it absentmindedly. "You're the only other one I know of, older
or younger than me." My smile dropped at this, despite how many times I tried to
mentally tell myself to keep in good spirits. I wasn't completely alone, but I was
still far from normal. She's lived for nearly seventy years and she hasn't met
anyone else.

"I hate it." I blurted out, wrapping my arms around my chest and practically
curling in on myself. It was so frustrating and unfair, I just wanted to be normal.

"Why?" She questioned, sounding genuinely surprised by my confession.

"Don't you?"

"Not really." She said, leaning back against the back of the bench. I followed her
lead, switching to a more casual sitting position as well.

"Doesn't it affect you? All those random thoughts?" I asked, unable to keep from
staring at her curiously. How could she be so cool about it? Does she like being
able to hear them? Do you just get used to it? Can you turn it off?

"I've got a pretty good grip on it by now, I only hear what I want to hear." I
tilted my head to the side, thinking about what she'd said. She made it sound so
easy, like you really could turn it off and just use it whenever. If that was the
case I'd probably still never use it. I wanted nothing to do with the stupid
ability, all it did was hurt people.

"You can do that?"

"God yes, I've been controlling it since I was a pre-teen!"

"Oh." I mumbled awkwardly, feeling incredibly incompetent after that statement. I'm
nearing nineteen and have about as much control as I did when I was twelve.

"You can't?" I shook my head. "Does it happen often?"

"It used to more. Now it's only really with Tyler." I explained, my lips quirking
up into an unwarranted smile at the thought of him. I wonder how he's enjoying
spending time with all the brute cousins.

"Because Tyler's are the only thoughts you want to hear?" She laughed, like it was
completely obvious. Before now though, it hadn't been. She was right, lately I
hadn't been hearing nearly as many thoughts from other people. It was mostly just
Tyler and even then it was usually just when I wanted to hear them. Is it possible
I might already have control over it? Without even realizing it was happening? "I
never liked that Lily girl, she was a total snob."

"W-What? I wasn't even thinking about her!" I blurted, staring at her in confusion.
She just gave a wistful laugh though, shaking her head.

"You don't have to be." I bit my lip, realizing she hadn't even been touching me.
Can you really get that good at it? Do I want to be that good at it? I doubt I'd
even be able to, seeing as I seem to be a failure compared to her. "Hey, don't feel
so bad, how were you supposed to learn to control it when you were fighting it with
every part of yourself?"

"I don't know." I muttered, taking a moment to actually consider her words. She was
right, if I spent that much time fighting it I never got the chance to play around
with it and learn to control it. Is she saying she's always embraced it? Does she
like it?

"That's why you're not hearing as many thoughts from other people now, you know.
Because you're embracing it enough now to get a handle on it." I nodded my head,
thinking about all the times I'd purposely used it on Tyler. There were definitely
a lot. "Does anyone other than Lily know?"

"Only Tyler." I answered immediately, becoming tense at the idea of anyone else
finding out. What if she went and told my mother? That'd be horrible! Even worse,
what if she didn't believe her? What if she sent us both to a crazy home?

"You've really had a hard time, haven't you? So unsure of yourself." I took a deep
breath, willing my emotions and thoughts to calm down enough for me to reply.

"For a while there, yeah." I nodded, thinking about how different things had been
lately.

"Before Tyler?" I blushed, nodding my head eagerly despite how embarrassed I was to
admit it. I relied way too much on him, even if he doesn't understand it
completely. I have no idea where I'd be if we'd never grown so close. I didn't like
to think about it, honestly. "Why'd you call him your friend earlier? That really
offended him, you know." I frowned, knowing that was the case even before she
confirmed it. She probably read his mind. Now I just feel worse about it.

"Brent would have made fun of me otherwise. The last time I came here his favorite
thing to do was call everything gay and everyone a fag. I purposely told everyone
to keep Tyler and I's relations under wraps just so he wouldn't find out." I said,
almost ashamed by how much I was still letting my bully of a cousin rule my life.
What was so special about him anyway? Why do I even care what he says? I'm sure
Tyler wouldn't.

"He was a twelve year old boy." She defended, reminding me he was her grandchild
too. Still, that didn't mean she could be completely blind to what an asshole he
was.

"So was I and I wasn't acting like that." I argued, getting unreasonably heated
over the discussion. He just made me angry, after all the times he'd hurt me as a
kid and how he still managed to hurt me and ruin things for me today.

"You're smarter than him, even before tragedy forced you to grow up too fast." I
frowned, thinking about what she'd said. Did it really force me to grow up too
fast? Yes. I've been thinking way too seriously for a teenager. I have more stress
than most adults and it's not really my abilities fault, it's Lily's. "Like I said,
I never liked that Lily girl."

"You're good at it, huh?" I laughed, half embarrassed by how she was managing to
read so many of my thoughts. She just smiled like I'd given her a huge compliment,
making me wonder just how much she'd practiced to reach this point.

"You will be too, if you'd give yourself the chance to experiment." She said
softly, looking like she was about to leave the conversation at that and get to her
feet. I wasn't ready for that, still overwhelmed with questions I needed answers
to. I knew she wouldn't be able to answer most, but that didn't make my need to ask
them lessen any.
"Why? How can you be so happy about a curse? I just want it to go away completely."
I complained, feeling the sharp prick of tears in my eyes. Why am I crying? I'm not
sad. Maybe I am, maybe it's the bottled up emotions I still have, the ones I stored
away along with all these stupid questions I never thought I'd get the chance to
ask.

"No you don't. Would you ever be satisfied again now that you know what it's like
to be able to read minds? The curiosity would kill you."

"Maybe." I muttered, my tone bitter and full of disbelief. She shook her head,
sighing loudly like she was frustrated with me.

"What about when you propose? Or when you adopt your first kid? Don't you want to
be able to know exactly what's going through your partner's mind at the time?" I
bit my lip, trying to fight the thoughts that came along with her suggestion. It
didn't work though, images of Tyler and kids and rings floating through my mind.
Damn it, she's right. This is what I get for trying to argue with a wise old lady.

"I guess."

"It doesn't have to be a curse unless you make it out to be one, Troye." She said,
settling her hand on my shoulder and giving it a squeeze as she got to her feet.
"Come on, enough wise old lady talk for now, let's go fix things with your
boyfriend."

***

I was surprised to find most of our family had moved outside to watch the football
game despite the damp weather, all sitting and standing on the sidelines of the
makeshift field and 'observing'. A lot of them were talking or eating, but I think
they were still using the pretense they were watching the game. When we reached the
others my grandmother excused herself to go talk to some other late arrivals,
telling me to check back in later once I'd fixed things and properly introduce
Tyler to her.

I agreed to her terms, bidding her farewell and quickly moving to shove my way
through the crowd. I never would have dreamed of being so forward before, but now I
didn't really care as I rushed to the front, wanting a good view of Tyler playing.

I stumbled out into the front of the crowd after about a minute of struggle,
immediately knowing it was worth it when I spotted him. He looked so hot jogging,
and falling, and tackling. He always looked hot. I've got to give myself credit for
not actually jumping him in the locker rooms like in that one dream.

Brent was a total contrast to Tyler's hot jock persona, looking more similar to an
angry tank as he charged clumsily at players. Most of them were smart enough to
jump out of the way, however one was facing the other direction and had no idea it
was coming. I couldn't even tell who it was, only that it probably hurt like a
bitch when Brent finally reached him and tackled him to the ground. I realized
seconds later, thanks to the high-pitch squeal in my ear, that it was my brother.

"Steele!" Amy screamed, rushing out onto the field. Thankfully, everyone else was
pretty quick to catch on and pause the game, seeing as it could have ended even
worse if they continued playing with a very short very pregnant woman on the field.

I watched the other people rush over, deciding to just join them. I doubted it was
anything serious, but who was I to argue with anything that meant getting closer to
Tyler?
"I'm fine, it's just a sprain." That was the first thing I heard as I approached,
noticing the slightly pained aspect to Steele's voice. I stood a few steps back,
not in a rush to get to the front of the crowd this time. Not at all because Tyler
was lingering on the other side of the field, closer to the outskirts of the crowd.

He started to jog over when he saw me though, our eye contact only lasting a second
before I was looking to the ground and he was headed over. I tensed as he stopped
at my side, breathing heavily. He didn't say anything and neither did I, but it did
feel nice to have him near again.

The crowd started to slowly pan out back to where they'd been before, aside from
Amy and my father, who stayed close to help baby my eldest brother. They both let
him throw an arm around their shoulders, making me resist the urge to roll my eyes.
After all, it was just a sprain.

"You'll just have to play with uneven teams now." Steele sighed out, giving an
apologetic smile to Tyler. I got the idea they'd been on the same team, judging by
the manly bond they seemed to have going on. They took another few steps after
Tyler's nod of agreement, but Steele told them to stop as he looked back at the two
of us and grinned mischieviously. "Or Troye could play."

"Steele, I don't think that's such a-"

"That's a great idea!" Tyler beamed, actually looking at me now. His eyes were wide
and hopeful, his hands reaching forward to take mine only to immediately let go and
return to his sides. He looked almost guilty over his reaction, like he thought I'd
be upset with him for holding my hands were people could see. Shit, I've really
messed things up. That doesn't mean I'm about to play football to get back on his
good side though.

"Tyler, you know I suck at sports." I said softly, not wanting to crush his dreams
too harshly. Everyone else had left us standing alone on that half of the field,
likely talking over game plans giving the circles they'd gathered in on the
opposite side.

"Troye, buddy, best friend, my platonic pal, come on." He cooed, lifting a hand to
rub a line of mud across my cheek with his dirty hands. I groaned, wiping it off
with the back of my hand and sighing heavily over his passive aggressive mood.

"Okay, I get it." I muttered, turning away from him and cupping my hands around my
mouth to shout loud enough for everyone to hear. "Everyone, Tyler is my boyfriend,
not my friend. If you couldn't already tell." I turned back to him with cheeks
aflame, trying to ignore the cheers and shouts everyone was giving me over the
confession. This is so not how I pictured telling them all to go. Tyler seemed
almost as embarrassed as me, though also entertained giving his quiet giggling.
"Happy?"

Chapter Seventy-Six
*Tyler's POV*

*Timeskip a few days, it's the last day of the trip*

"I'm exhausted." I groaned, dragging my feet behind me as we continued down the

trail. While everyone else was leaving perfect footprints in the mud, I was leaving
giant slug patterns and ruining my shoes, not even energetic enough to lift my
legs.
"Stop whining!" Edna snapped, lifting her walking cane to jab it at my kneecap. I
whimpered, jumping closer to the exhausted-looking Troye and curling into his side.

"Ouch." I whined, hugging his arm tightly to my chest. He looked up from the ground
in front of us for the first time in at least half an hour, giving me a
disinterested once-over. "Your grandmother's abusing me."

"You poor thing." He said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and shoving his hands in
his pockets. This made it even harder for me to continue hanging on to his arm, but
I didn't complain vocally, aside from a dramatic sigh. I stayed silent for a few
more steps, before we walked out of the forest into the clearing and I saw just how
much longer we had left to walk. I whined aloud, jumping around to his other side
when I noticed her start to lift the walking cane again. I liked her, but she
wasn't one to put up with any of my more lazy traits. Troye, however, he was
wrapped around my finger.

"You should carry me." I suggested, resting my head on his shoulder. He ignored me
at first, taking a few more steps until I was forced to take more serious action. I
clung tightly to his arm, dragging my feet completely and forcing him to hold up my
weight. He sighed loudly, stopping his walk to glare down at me.

"No I shouldn't. I'm tired too, you know." I pouted, feeling slightly guilty for
being so inconsiderate. I couldn't help it though, I really didn't know if I could
walk another step. I was still worn out from the game and last night, my legs
aching with each step I took. Besides, he was the one that suggested we should even
go on this stupid hike. If it was up to me we'd still be at home in bed. My eyes
lit up with a new idea at that train of thought, standing up again to lean in and
whisper in his ear.

"I'll make it up to you later if you carry me now." He tensed, eyes wide as I
lingered a few seconds later and let my breath wash over his sensitive skin. I
pulled away after a few seconds, giggling at his dazed expression. He blinked,
coming back to reality quickly to shove me.

"Tyler!" He hissed, eyes flickering ahead to where everyone else was still walking.
They didn't seem to care at all that we'd fallen behind. He sighed, looking back to
me with unimpressed features. "I hate you." He said quietly, kneeling downward and
patting his back. I grinned, clambering onto him and wrapping my legs tightly
around his waist. I settled my chin on his shoulder, hugging him tightly as he got
back to his feet.

"You love me." I whispered, kissing his neck as he started to jog to catch up with
the others. I noticed the subtle reactions everyone gave, clearly aware of how I'd
been trying to get this outcome all along. Laurelle gave a knowing smile, Brent
gave us a quick glare, and Troye's grandmother just shook her head, clicking her
tongue.

"You spoil him." She laughed, though the light in her eyes made it very clear she
wasn't actually upset with him for giving in. You could tell she was happy for us,
even if she had backwards ways of showing it sometimes.

Troye sighed, shrugging his shoulders slightly against me.

"I owe a lot to him, I figure it's only fair." I blushed, watching her look up to
me. She didn't vocally reply, but you could almost see the thankfulness in her
eyes. It was still a bit weird to me not being the only one that knew about Troye's
mindreading, but I'd get used to it eventually. I was just glad he'd found someone
to talk to, even if she couldn't give him all the answers.
I snuggled down against him, burying my face in his neck so I didn't have to worry
about meeting anyone's gaze. I didn't want to worry about any of them right now, I
just wanted to saturate in the feel of having him so close.

I probably would have fallen asleep on him had he not started up a conversation
with one of his relatives, laughing and talking about memories that made no sense
to me. I didn't care though, just smiling into his shoulder and happily listening
to the sound of his voice rather than the words he was saying.

He'd really opened up over the course of the last few days, even going out of his
way to interact with everyone else like how he'd suggested joining this hike. Aside
from being forced into all the unwanted physical activity, I was really happy for
him. He'd even left my side a few times to do things on his own, which was
progress. If that meant I had to stay behind and play board games with Tyde I guess
I could deal with that.

"Babe, we're going through a door, make yourself more compact." I grinned at the
pet name, wrapping my legs back around him tightly rather than having them hang
loosely at his sides. I lifted my head just slightly too, only enough to peek above
his shoulder and see ahead of us.

We walked into the main hall with no trouble, making me extremely thankful for the
large door considering I really didn't want to get off of him right now. I never
wanted to walk again. I just wanted to sleep and eat.

"Welcome back!" Shaun beamed enthusiastically, earning nothing in response but an

embarrassingly loud groan from me. I expected the others to reply too, not for me
to be the only one. He just laughed though, stepping aside and letting us continue
across the room. Troye dropped me off on one of the couches, forcing me to fall
back onto it rather than continue clinging to him. Thankfully he followed by
sitting next to me, a grin finding my face as I immediately rested my head on his
shoulder.

Now that I was comfortable again and in a position where I could actually see
everything in the room, I noticed the long tables set up across it and lifted an
eyebrow. Those weren't there this morning when we left.

"What's this?" I whispered, settling my hand on Troye's thigh and distractedly

running it up and down. His hand grabbed mine though, squeezing it lightly before
entwining our fingers.

"The annual pie-eating contest." He replied, my eyes going wide as my entire body
sat up straighter.

"Why didn't you tell me!?" I blurted, staring at him incredulously. Thank god he'd
made me go on that walk, I'd be able to eat an entire house full of pies right now.
I'm going to put Brent to shame.

"Because I figured you'd do something weird like try to train for the contest the
entire week." He laughed, smiling at me fondly, clearly amused by my reaction. I
blushed, realizing just how eager I was being. I probably looked like a five year-
old. I couldn't help it though.

"What do you get for winning?" I asked, trying to keep my voice level and not show
just how excited I actually was by the entire situation. I could see a few people
around the room glancing over at us with curious eyes, likely hearing my earlier
outburst.
"A year's supply of ice cream coupons." Troye chuckled, probably knowing exactly
how I'd react to that before he even said it. I squealed excitedly, clutching his
hand with both of mine now.

"Can I enter if I'm not blood-related?" I asked, realizing suddenly that I might be
intruding on a family-only tradition. He shook his head though, leaning in and
pecking his lips to mine.

"Yes. It starts in half an hour, think you can last that much longer without eating
anything?"

"Yep!" I said confidently, knowing already that it'd be a bit of a struggle to hold
true to my words. I would though, I'd do it for the ice cream.

***

Nearly an hour later, I was seriously doubting all of my earlier statements. Then
again, I was doubting everything. I felt like I was about to explode or pass out,
either an acceptable option at this point. I'd embrace anything rather than this.

Brent and I were the only two still playing, Shaun being recently eliminated for
getting caught feeding his to a dog under the table. And, as much as I wanted to
just give up and throw all of the food out of my sight for a week, I couldn't let
Brent win. He couldn't have something over me.

I shoved more pie into my mouth, swallowing it with a bit of a struggle. I'd long
ago given up any hope of looking graceful or even mildly attractive during the
contest, now just a complete mess as I tried to come out the winner. I knew Troye
was watching and I was extremely embarrassed by it, but I was willing to bet there
was very little I could do that'd actually scare him away at this point.

"This may be the first year ever that we run out of pies before we get a winner!"
Laurelle laughed, making me feel oddly relieved at the thought of getting out of
the contest even in a tie. That way we could both have six months of ice cream,
that'd be good enough. I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to eat again anyway.

"Are you okay, Brent? You're going to give yourself a heart attack, come on. Second
place is good enough."

"I win every year!" He slurred, his words disgustingly distorted by the amount of
food still in his mouth. I made a face, more sickened by him than the amount of
food I was currently inhaling.

"Well, you've never had any reasonable competition before now." His mother replied,
rubbing his shoulders in a comforting manner. He really is such a man-child. "Come
on, let's throw in the towel."

"Fine." He sighed out, my eyes going wide as I realized I'd actually won. I spat
out the pie that was left in my mouth, not swallowing anything I didn't have to.
The crowd around us erupted into cheering while Brent stumbled to his feet,
grumbling under his breath.

"And the last man standing is Tyler!" Troye's uncle announced proudly, walking over
and clapping me harshly on the back. I groaned, feeling like I was going to be sick
just from the simple gesture. He gave an apologetic smile, looking around the room
at all the relatives staring at me excitedly. "Can we ask for a victory speech?"

"This sucked and I hate everything." I stated firmly, everyone around bursting into
a fit of laughter as I sunk down lower in my seat, tucking my chin in against my
chest and concentrating on taking deep breaths.

"You heard it here first!" The uncle laughed, throwing his hands up in the air and
announcing them all to start clapping. They did, but it only sounded like
background noise as I continued to melt down into a puddle against the chair. I
stilled when I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders though, immediately relaxing
into the touch and sighing contently.

"You're disgusting." Troye laughed, undoing the bib they'd forced me to wear. I
probably looked like an idiot, considering it was technically one made for kids and
shaped like an animal.

"I feel disgusting." I replied, way past the point of denying his words at this
point. I really was disgusting and this was so not worth it. He sighed, grabbing a
napkin and wiping my face off for me. He chuckled under his breath, fixing my hair
after he'd finished with my face.

"You've got pie in your hair." He said distractedly, words only half registering as
my eyes started to droop.

"We should go take a nap." I muttered quietly, my stomach beginning to seriously

ache. He tapped me on the chest, silently alerting me not to fall asleep just yet.
I let him help me to my feet, despite how much worse it made me feel to stand.

"We'll be back later for the bonfire, everyone." He announced, slipping an arm
under mine to help keep me upright.

"Alright!" They all laughed, clearly expecting this. I let him lead me out,
thankful he'd parked his car so close to the building today. I wonder if he did it
with me in mind. I sat in the middle seat rather than the passengers, clinging to
him despite how gross I felt.

"You're a mess." He chuckled, turning his head to kiss me on the corner of my

forehead. I had to wonder if it was the only spot without pie on it.

"I can't wait to pass out."

"But hey, look at the bright side. No matter how broke we are in the future, we'll
be able to live off ice cream."

***

"Hey guys! How's Tyler feeling?" Laurelle beamed, looking up at the two of us with
a sympathetic smile. I shook it off though, bouncing past Troye to settle on the
nearest open seat, which happened to be a log.

"Ready for some s'mores!" I shouted, grabbing the marshmallow bag off the ground
and grinning as I fished some out. Troye laughed at everyone's shocked expressions,
sitting down next to me and wrapping an arm around my waist.

"How does he do that?" Asked one of his younger cousins, staring at me like I was
some sort of superhuman. I winked at her, chuckling at her confused features.

"It's beyond me." Troye replied, smiling to himself as he looked back at me,
leaning in to peck me on the cheek. After a couple hours rest and a shower, I felt
like a new person. I definitely had no doubts about being able to eat my ice cream
prize now. I was quickly recovered and ready to reconcile my relationship with
food.
After eating my share and cleaning off my hands, I curled up next to Troye. He was
in the middle of a conversation so I decided to strike up one of my own, chatting
quietly with Shaun as I secretly just waited for Troye to finish and give his
attention back to me. What I didn't expected, however, was for someone else
entirely to speak up and catch everyone's attention.

"So, when are you two getting married?" I blinked, looking over at the person who'd
spoken up. I didn't even know her name right off, but it was clear she was talking
about us as her gaze flickered between the two of us. She had a soft smile on her
features, looking serious like she genuinely expected an answer.

"Married?" Troye laughed, as if testing the word out. I smiled into his shoulder,
thankful he couldn't see the stupid reaction I got over one word. His family could,
however, and they made it very clear as they exchanged knowing looks and smirks.
"It's a bit soon for that, don't you think?" My grin faltered just slightly, taking
a deep breath. He's right, we're so young and we haven't been together that long.
I'm getting ahead of myself.

"No, I like him. I don't know if I'd be able to accept you with anyone else after
seeing how good you two are together." I looked over toward his grandmother as she
spoke, another stupid smile finding my face for different reasons. For some reason
her approval meant as much to me as his immediate family. Maybe just because she's
the relative that Troye is closest with.

I realized Troye hadn't replied a few seconds later, looking up at him to see what
the problem was. My eyes went wide like a deer caught in headlights when I saw him
already staring at me, an unreadable expression on his face. Shit, did he see my
smile? What if he thinks I'm super into the marriage thing and he's just worried
about hurting my feelings?

"We're only eighteen." I said suddenly, looking back over at her with a shaky
smile. She narrowed her eyes into a glare, reminding me her mindreading was eons
ahead of Troye's. She probably hears all of my inner debates. What am I going to do
when Troye gets that good? There'll be no keeping anything from him. Not that I'd
want to, it's just, weird to think of someone hearing everything you ever think
about. Embarrassing might be the word I'm looking for.

After an awkward standstill in the conversation, the same uncle that announced the
pie eating contest was the one to change the subject. He suggested story telling,
all of us on board with the idea as he hinted at some type of ghost story he had in
mind. Troye just sighed quietly next to me, making it clear he'd heard it before,
likely multiple times. I didn't care though, it was still new to me. I wasn't sure
I believed in ghosts entirely, but it was interesting hearing other people's takes
on it.

After the first story everyone started to share, each one more interesting and
intriguing than the last. I got so caught up in all of them I didn't realize how
late it was getting to be until I spotted the girl from earlier completely passed
out against her father. I looked around the campfire then, noticing our numbers
were seriously starting to dwindle. Troye was still awake next to me, but he did
look like he was about to nod off too.

"Well, I guess it's time we called it a night, huh?" Edna spoke up suddenly,
looking directly at me as she spoke. I blushed, realizing she was probably in my
head again. How rude of her. One of these days she's going to see something she
really doesn't want to, maybe that'll get her to leave me alone.

"Yeah, it's getting late even for us." Troye spoke up suddenly, his voice gruff
enough to make me jump when I wasn't expecting it. Maybe he's been drifting in and
out of consciousness for a while now.

Everyone around the fire nodded, getting to our feet and watching everyone slowly
dissipate. Troye turned, grabbing my hand to lead me away with him, but his
grandmother's voice caused us to still before we got anywhere.

"You promise to come back next year?" She asked, sounding almost tentative like she
was worried what answer she'd get in reply. I looked over my shoulder while Troye
completely turned around, not wanting to intrude on their moment. He stepped closer
to her, spreading his arms in an offer for a hug.

"Yeah, of course." He said, nodding his head so she'd take the hint and accept the
embrace. She lifted an eyebrow, shaking her head.

"I know you will, I wasn't talking to you." His jaw dropped as my eyes went wide, a
blush invading my cheeks as she stepped past him to stand beside me. She tilted her
head to the side, giving me a hopeful smile.

"I, uh..." I trailed off, trying to see over her and back to Troye. I couldn't just
announce I'd be returning, could I? I needed Troye's permission, whether I wanted
to or not. And even then, what if we weren't together this time next year? I didn't
like thinking about it, but life can surprise you.

However, I couldn't see him, and I couldn't just leave her without an answer when
she was staring so intent and hopeful. I took a deep breath, deciding to just
answer with what I hoped to happen. "Yeah, I promise."

A/n: Just a really short little filler chapter to wrap things up with the march
break plotline. I know it could have been longer but whatever, be happy with what
you get. Anyway here bye

Chapter Seventy-Seven
*Troye's POV*

*Timeskip to April*

"Why did you have to choose something so active? We could have just gone to dinner
or something." I complained, sinking further down in the passengers seat and
wondering what possessed me to let him drive today. We'd planned the double date a
couple weeks ago and it wasn't until today that I started to have second thoughts
about it. Not just the location, but the entire situation. I loved Shane and
Marcus, but there was something about being around them as a couple that just made
me feel inferior. They just seemed to have it all together. Sure, they've been
together longer than we have, but it's different.

"You're just upset because you know you'll suck at it." Tyler beamed back, going
right back to singing along to the familiar song playing from the radio. He didn't
seem to share my outlook at all. He was a ball of joy, as usual. He seemed thrilled
at the idea of going bowling, for whatever reason. I bet he's just excited to show
me up at it and make fun of me because he's been before.

"Will not. Once I get the hang of it I will slay you." I replied, deciding to just
go along with the lighthearted mood he was setting for us.

"Wanna bet?" He jibed back, my competitive streak causing a confident smirk to find
my face. Deep down I knew how stupid I'd be to believe I could beat someone with
experience, but I didn't care.

"Winner pays for the other?" I suggested, wiggling my eyebrows at him despite the
fact he still had his eyes glued to the road ahead of us. We were less than five
minutes away from the bowling alley now, a weird mix of nerves and excitement
settling in my stomach.

"Deal." He replied firmly, smiling to himself as he pulled onto the road. I looked
out my window at the houses as they passed by, taking extra time to study one of
the apartment buildings even after we'd zoomed past.

I'd been thinking about moving out a lot lately, mostly just because I thought it'd
help set the whole 'I'm an adult' thing into my brain. I didn't want to do it alone
though, and I had no idea where Tyler stood on it. For all I know he might want to
stay living with his mother forever to make sure she's okay. Sure, she has no
serious health issues, but he's pretty concerned about her never-ending work
schedule.

I snapped out of my thoughts when he sat his hand on my thigh, slowly tracing it
higher in a teasing manner. I looked down and narrowed my eyes at the touch,
clamping my hand over his and forcing it to stay still. I knew it was just teasing,
there was no way we'd get a chance to follow through with anything today.

"Stop it. Are you ready to go inside?" I asked, reaching up to fix a piece of his
quiff that had fallen forward. He made a face, scrunching his nose up and shrugging
his shoulders.

"I mean, I'd rather you go inside but-"

"That wasn't even a good pun." I sighed out before he'd finished, shaking my head
at his desperation to turn everything dirty. He rolled his eyes before sticking his
tongue out at me, withdrawing his hand from under mine.

"Yes it was." He defended, crossing his arms over his chest. I shook my head,
laughing slightly at the fact he could even think that.

"No it wasn't." I said firmly, watching as he just shook his head in disagreement
and slid back over to the driver's seat.

"Whatever, let's go." He mumbled, opening the door and getting out. I followed his
lead, jogging around the car afterward. Instead of embracing the awkward atmosphere
like him I just threw my arm around his shoulders, forcing him to put up with me as
I squeezed him to my side.

We made it halfway across the parking lot before noticing the two people standing
waiting by the doors, exchanging a look as we realized we weren't the first ones
here. Of course they got here early! Remember? They have their life together. I
feel like they're quickly growing into that obnoxiously perfect couple everyone is
both envious and annoyed by.

"Hey guys!" They shouted, spotting us for the two of us back, waving their hands
above their heads like we couldn't see them there standing in clear sight. I
flashed them a smile while Tyler ran ahead, throwing his arms around Marcus's neck.
I reached them just as he settled back down with his feet on the ground, coming to
a stop standing right beside him. Marcus gave us both a once over now that we were
all there, smirking to himself and worrying me until he spoke up. "Nice hickeys."

"Fuck off." I said immediately, earning laughter from both of them and an
embarrassed blush from Tyler. Of course they don't have hickeys, they're way too
classy for that. I shrugged my hands into the pockets of my jacket as I walked
through the doors ahead of the rest of them, not taking part in the conversation
they'd started.

We grabbed our shoes, Tyler explaining to me that we paid afterward for however
long we stayed at this particular bowling alley. I tightened the laces of my shoes
and wandered off to look around, knowing they were still a ways behind me.

Tyler bounced over before the other two, grinning up at me and gesturing to the
gutter where the bowling balls were.

"I'll give you five minutes to 'get the hang of it' before we start an actual
match, okay?" He offered, a smile finding my lips at how considerate he was being.
I expected him to just do everything he could to embarrass me and make sure he won
the bet. I nodded my head, leaning in to peck his cheek before he was walking back
over to the others, explaining the plans to them. They all moved to sit down at one
of the tables in the corner, leaving me to get the hang of it by myself.

I lasted about five minutes before I was walking over to join them, shoulders
slumped and feet dragging behind me. I slid onto the seat beside Tyler, sighing so
loudly it interrupted him in the middle of what he was saying. Shane shot me a
glare like he was angry at me for cutting him off, but Tyler just seemed happy to
see me as he turned and smiled widely.

"How's it going?" He asked, a knowing smirk on his lips. I scoffed, knowing he

probably knew just how well it was going by the fact I'd walked over here at all. I
slumped further against his side though, past the point of embarrassed now.

"I suck." I whined, placing a chaste kiss to his exposed shoulder, thankful he'd
decided to wear a muscle shirt under his sweater today. Not that he didn't look
good in everything else, I just relished in seeing so much of his skin exposed.

"Not to say I told you so, but I really did tell y-"

"Shut-up. You're supposed to comfort me and romantically teach me how to do it." I

cut him off, pouting as I lifted my head to lock eyes with him in a challenging
glare. He just smiled back though, lifting his hand to cup my jaw before leaning in
to rub noses with me.

"I was waiting for you to ask." He explained as he did, making me look away with a
blush dusting my cheeks. I regretted it immediately, my eyes finding Shane's. I
wouldn't say he looked uncomfortable with our show of affection, he just didn't
look impressed either.

"Come on." I whispered, grabbing Tyler's hand and leading him away from them and
the table. I tugged on his arm insistently when he started to turn back to them,
likely to excuse himself. He didn't fight me though, following my lead and letting
me lead him over to the same aisle I'd been in before.

Tyler moved to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around me from behind. He
surprised me though, when he hugged me instead of reaching for one of the bowling
balls.

"Shane got accepted into some fancy college a few states away." He whispered, my
eyebrows shooting up at the new information. I wasn't sure how he expected me to
react or his motives for telling me, deciding just to ask my own question back.

"Is Marcus going with him?" I asked, biting my lower lip. I hope they aren't
breaking up. Even if they get on my nerves as a couple, they really do seem happy
together and I'm happy for them over it. Tyler relieved me by shaking his head
against my shoulder before replying.

"He wants to stay here and go straight into the working community. They're going to
try long distance." I nodded my head, biting my lip as I registered the
information. I felt bad for them, the idea of being separated from Tyler at all
made me feel physically ill. If he decides to go to college I'm just going to
change all of my plans to go along with him. It's probably stupid to get this
invested in a relationship, but I can't help it. I've never cared about anything as
much as I care about him.

"They've got it all figured out." I muttered, deciding I couldn't really come up
with any response better than that. He nodded his head, sighing loudly.

"We haven't even talked about it." I gulped, not expecting him to say something
like that. I mean, sure it's along the lines of how my thoughts were going, but I
didn't think he'd take it so seriously. Maybe we should be looking at things more
maturely, we can't just go on like we are forever.

"Well, you never mentioned college or university, I just assumed you weren't
interested. Are you?" I asked, completely giving up on the entire bowling act and
instead turning around to face him. He shrugged his shoulders, pulling a face.

"Not really, are you?"

"I don't know." I answered honestly, feeling bad for not having a more
straightforward answer. I couldn't help it though, I really didn't know. I'd been
thinking about it a bit more lately. I'd come to the conclusion that I wanted a job
that helped people, maybe something I could use my mindreading for. I might as well
make the best of it, seeing as it's not going away. Not that I'm even entirely sure
I want it to go away now. I'm mixed up on the whole situation, but I do now it's
more help to me and less trouble if I continue to practice and embrace it.

"Well, you don't have to figure it out just yet anyway. We have jobs." He replied,
looking up at me with another huge smile. I shrugged my shoulders, getting ready to
drop even more realistic negativity.

"Part time jobs, not enough to really pay for a living." His smile faltered, slowly
sinking down into a frown. I was about to backtrack and try and comfort him, not
even managing to get a single word out before Shane suddenly jumped over and threw
an arm around Tyler.

"Are you guys ready yet?" We both nodded despite how big of a lie it was, just
eager to move on from the tense conversation. Shane flew off into a speech about
how he was the town's greatest bowler but I ignored it, leaning in to whisper in
Tyler's ear.

"We'll talk later, please don't stress. Enjoy the date." He sighed, nodding and
squeezing my hand that hung between us.

***

"You two suck at this." Marcus laughed, doubling over to clutch at his chest after
another glance up at the scoreboard. I crossed my arms over my chest to pout while
Tyler went for a more extreme approach, shoving him and giving an angry huff.

"Hey!" He shouted, a little too loudly considering it earned him a glare from the
man working the counter. I just laughed it off while he snapped his mouth shut,
instinctively stepping closer to me like I'd help him out.
"Okay, Troye sucks at this." Shane corrected, winking at me.

"Hey!" I shouted now, defending myself. Another glare was sent in our direction,
but I brushed it off completely.

"Don't worry buddy, we still love you, even when you suck." Marcus chuckled,
throwing an arm over my shoulders. I sighed loudly, jumping when Shane sidestepped
closer and threw his arm around the other side.

"Tyler loves him especially when he sucks." I gasped, Tyler's eyes going wide as
they locked with mine. We both turned to stare at one of them with jaws slack.

"Hey!" We shouted in unison this time, the worker actually clearing his throat this
time as he stepped out from behind the counter. Their arms dropped from my
shoulders as Tyler stepped closer, cuddling into my side and burying his face in my
shoulder.

"I'm going to have to ask you guys to leave if you can't keep it down, you're
ruining the experience for everyone else." He said, looking between the four of us.
Well, the four of us that could actually see him, so three. I nodded in time with
the other boys, looking down at the floor nervously until he walked away. How Tyler
managed to hang in with such a bad crowd for so long when he can't even look people
in the eye while being scolded, that's a mystery to mankind.

"We should go." Shane suggested as Tyler lifted his head, all of us looking around
and nodding in time with each other. I grabbed Tyler's hand and we all started to
walk toward the area set aside for putting on and taking off shoes. We all sat down
and scrambled out of them to slip back into our normal ones, occasionally casting
nervous glances over at the worker.

We managed to get everything paid for and outside without another warning, Shane
surprising us by offering to pay for all four. Neither of us objected, though I'd
be lying if I said I didn't feel a bit inferior just accepting his help like that.
I can pay for myself, and Tyler too. That's what a boyfriend does. Still, I'd be an
idiot to reject his offer. I'll just buy Tyler something else with the money,
something he'd appreciate more like food.

We paused in the parking lot, standing out of the way in an awkward circle of
people. We looked between each other and the ground before Shane was the one to
speak up again, offering a week smile. "I'm going to miss this, just hanging out
together as a group."

"Well, we will again. You'll come home for breaks, right?" Tyler offered, grinning
up at him and unintentionally making me swoon. That was one of the things I loved
most about him, the way he was always so bright and cheerful. He was like a
constant ball of happiness, especially for me, and he didn't even realize it.

"Yeah, of course." Shane smiled, eyes following the movement as I slipped an arm
around Tyler's waist. I wasn't sure why I felt the need to always be touching him
in public. I didn't think it was something about marking him as mine, it was more-
so just needing him close to feel whole.

"Are you nervous?" He asked, completely unphased by my sudden embrace. He didn't

even acknowledge it, but I didn't mind.

"Excited I think." He laughed, running his hand through his hair. It was growing
longer again now, his fringe sweeping across his face. He'd lost weight too, a lot
of it. "Do you have any plans for after school?"
"Oh, uh, not really yet." Tyler muttered, his eyes darting to the ground. My chest
suddenly felt heavy, seeing how uncomfortable he looked. Maybe it's more important
that we talk about this stuff then I thought.

"That's okay, you'll figure it out eventually." Shane smiled, the gesture oddly
insulting like he was somehow looking down on Tyler with it. I hugged Tyler closer
to my side, hearing his thoughts unintentionally for a change.

I don't want to figure it out eventually, I wanna have it all together now.

***

I decided to drive on the way home, needing something to concentrate on before I

let my thoughts wander too much. That was proving to be a very unfortunate mistake
today each time it happened. They were too serious, constantly drifting off to
worrying over the future. If this is what it's like to be an adult I would
willingly go back to human-hating fetus Troye.

It was only when I pulled into Tyler's driveway that I realized neither of us had
spoken the entire drive, something that wasn't usually the normal for us. I looked
down at my lap as I withdrew the keys, taking a deep breath. Should I try to start
a conversation about things? No, what if it goes wrong? It'd be better to go to bed
awkward than mad, right?

"Well, goodnight." I beamed, looking up at him with an expertly applied fake smile.
He tried to return it, his lips immediately turning down into a frown despite his
control. I didn't plan on calling him out on it until I noticed the tears gathering
in his eyes, my body thrown into action as I hurriedly undid my seatbelt. I slid
over to the middle seat, throwing my arms around him and letting out a relieved
sigh as his head fell against my chest. "What's wrong?"

"We have no idea what we're doing." He whispered, a frown finding my face at his
words. Is he really that upset about it? Even more than I am?

"Hey, it'll work out-"

"I don't know what I want to do with my life." He cut me off, sounding a mix of
lost, sad, and angry, all at once. I settled a hand on his back, rubbing it in sure
comforting circles. I could hear him sniffling quietly against me, my chest paining
at the thought of him hurting this badly.

"Don't cry, you'll figure it out eventually." I consoled, pushing him back so I
could look him in the eyes. He lifted a hand curled into a fist, wiping at his eyes
and whimpering pathetically.

"And until then?" He asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow at me. I bit my lip, unsure
what to say at first. He looked like he was going to start crying again though, so
I hurriedly improvised my reply.

"We'll keep mooching off my parents." He rolled his eyes, giving a snort of
laughter as he wiped the tear tracks off his cheeks.

"Not funny." He muttered, shaking his head as he turned away and opened his door.
Suddenly it didn't feel right just letting him walk away though, the thought of him
crying by himself after I'd left even more unbearable than any tense conversation
we could possibly have. I scooted back over to my side of the car, slipping out my
door and jogging across the lawn to catch up with him. He lifted an eyebrow as I
slowed into step beside him, but he didn't question it as we ascended the steps of
his porch together.

We paused in front of his door, him turning around to lean against it as I stood in
the middle of the area. I bit my lip, trying to decide how to start the
conversation back up. It was pretty clear now that we couldn't just brush over it
without messing things up.

"You like cooking, you said you'd consider a job like that." I offered, giving a
weak smile. He shrugged his shoulders, frowning slightly.

"I guess, but I'd have to start out as a waiter."

"You'd be a cute waiter. You could even work with your mother!" I suggested,
already imagining what it'd be like to have him serve me meals. I could go to eat
there every night he was working and admire how good he looked in an apron, just
like I do at work now.

"She hates it there, they treat her horribly." I frowned, remembering some of the
stories he'd told me about that restaurant and Jackie's coworkers. He was right, I
wouldn't want him working there. There were other restaurants though. I wasn't
quite ready to give up this suggestion, not after seeing how much he enjoyed
himself while cooking.

"Well, there's other places to work. I would drive you somewhere out of town every
day if I had to." I offered, reaching out and taking both of his hands between
mine. I ran my thumb over the smooth skin of his, staring down at how well the
paleness stood out in the moonlight. His reply took a while and when he did speak
up it was so meek it was hard to hear, but I listened as intently as I could.

"And what if we break up? This could be just another one of those highschool
relationships that never last and we're so focused on us as a pair that we aren't
really looking at us as individuals." I tilted my head to the side, staring at him
in such shock I couldn't even find the will to wipe it off my features. Was he
still worried about us breaking up? I thought this was just about us starting a
living together as a pair, not in as separates. We are a pair. I may not be ready
to get down on one knee yet, but I'm never letting him go. Even if he leaves me,
I'll never get over him.

"That's because we are a pair." I said quietly, my words sounding nervous and
unsure, almost like I expected him to object to them. Why was he talking like this?
I thought he expected us to stay together forever too.

"We might not be forever though." He said quietly, my heart racing in my chest.
Maybe he's just worried and second-guessing everything, he can't actually believe
that we'd break-up.

"Are you going to leave me?" I asked, knowing it was a vague question to ask. It's
possible he might in the future, even if he can't see it happening now. I, however,
know that I'll never leave him. I'll never meet anyone I care about like I do him,
even after all that he's done to help me open up. He's the only one for me.

"No, but things can change." He muttered, tears starting to gather in his eyes
again as he melted further back against the door. I stepped closer, pressing the
length of my body to his. It wasn't a sexual gesture, more just getting as close to
him as physically possible. I settled a hand over his heart then, my eyes
fluttering shut as I concentrated on hearing his thoughts.

We have no idea what we're doing, what if we mess it up? What if things don't work
out between us? Not that I'd leave him, and not that I think he'd leave me, but
what if? It could happen, if we don't get things together. What if he goes off to
college and leaves me here just like Shane? I don't want to be alone. But what if
I'm just being naive? Maybe this is just a stupid highschool relationship and it
just feels special to me because I don't know anything else. What if we grow out of
each other? I don't want to, I really don't want to.

I pulled my hand away, eyes fluttering open to meet with his wide and nervous ones.
He was probably unsure of what I'd heard and how I'd react to it, just like he
always was when I read his mind. I didn't blame him, after being around my
grandmother I realized just how tough it must be to constantly risk having your
deepest thoughts heard. I almost felt bad for him, but he didn't seem to mind too
much.

"Tyler, I don't care how complicated things get, nothing will ever tear me away
from you." I said, my tone completely serious as I reached up, cupping his face
with both of my hands. He looked away though, tearing out of my embrace as tears
started to prick at his eyes again.

"You don't know that." He accused, his hands balled into fists at his side. I shook
my head, chuckling under my breath.

"Trust me, I do."

"How?" He asked, looking up at me with wide eyes, curiosity written across his
features. I took a deep breath, taking a moment to decide how to word this. I
didn't want to come across as too clingy and show just how much I really relied on
him, but I had to assure him some how.

"I wasn't whole before I met you and after seeing what it's like, to really be
complete, I'd never go back to the other. I would fight anything and everything to
stay by your side, as long as you'll have me." He opened his mouth as if to reply,
snapping it tightly back shut and furrowing his brows in a confused expression. It
was quick to change again though, shifting between an ecstatic smile and shaky
frown, like he was bombarded by too many emotions at once to react. I chuckled,
reaching up to distractedly run my thumb over his bottom lip, pulling it to the
side slightly. I took a deep breath, deciding to continue speaking in order to
make-up for his lack of reply. "That's why I asked if you planned on leaving me,
because that's the only way you ever have to worry about me going."

"What would you do if I did? Break-up with you?" I blinked, not expecting this
question at all. Despite actually hearing his thoughts and hearing him say it a
million times, suddenly I found myself feeling a bit unsure. What would I do if he
broke up with me? I'd be heartbroken, I'd probably give up trying to meet other
people at all. I think it'd be worse than Lily, even if it was a gentle break-up
where he was as nice to me as possible. In fact, maybe that'd be worse, it'd just
remind me what a great guy I was losing. That I was losing the guy, the man of my
dreams, the one I wanted to marry.

I couldn't react badly though, not to his face anyway, because I'd have to respect
his decision. If he truly thought he'd be better off without me, isn't that what I
should want? That's the tough thing about love, trying to figure out who's
happiness means more, theirs or your own.

"Respect your decision because I want what makes you happiest." I sighed out, the
words paining me even to say. I'd be ruined without him, but it'd be okay if it was
what I had to do for him.

He seemed somewhat surprised by my reply, creasing his brows together and nodding
his head slowly, as if taking time to process the response. He seemingly came to a
conclusion a few seconds later, a stupid smile finding his lips as his eyes
flickered back up to mine.

"You make me happiest." He whispered, my heart thudding insistently in my chest at

his words. Of course I should have known he'd reply with something like this, but
with what a big deal he was making over it I couldn't help but second-guess. He
cleared his throat, my eyes widening as I realized he still had more to say. "I
think it'll always be you, because I can't picture any other alternative and I
don't want to either."

"If that's the case, then maybe we should start thinking about the future more." I
said quietly, trying not to show just how ecstatic his words made me. I was glad to
know we were on the same page, to hear his voice say those words. It didn't feel
real, that this could be my life and be this perfect. I wasn't going to question it
though, I just wanted to make the most of it. Hell, if anybody deserves it it's me,
after all the shit I've gone through.

Tyler didn't seem to catch the direction I was going, sighing loudly and
dramatically as he slumped away from me back against the door. He stared down at
the space between us as he spoke again, his voice lacking any and all enthusiasm.

"Yeah, I guess we should start thinking about serious jobs and colleges and all
that junk." I chuckled, shaking my head and leaning in to peck his cheek, pulling
back just enough to rest my forehead against his.

"I was talking about moving in together." I explained, grinning as realization

dawned across his features. He looked dazed, eyes wide and jaw falling open so his
mouth hung agape. I furrowed my brows, unsure how to take the reaction. Was that
positive or negative? I guess I could ask, even if it's awkward. "Do you want to?"

"Well, duh!" He practically shouted, my eyes going wide as I cast a warning glance
toward the door. His mother was home, I didn't really want her walking out right
now. However, he didn't seem nearly as concerned, bouncing forward and throwing his
arms around my neck. He clambered up my body with a bit of unease, wrapping his
legs around my waist and sending me slightly off balance. I caught myself against
the door though, silently praying nobody opened it from the other side.

"Did you like the idea that much?"

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to ask." He whispered,
nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck. I blushed, knowing just how long I'd
been putting it off in fear of getting turned down. That seems really stupid to
consider now, huh?

"So, let's start scouting out apartments tomorrow. We don't have to find anything
immediately, but just look around." I explained, watching the way his eyes lit up
more and more with every word I spoke. I grinned at him, eager to continue when he
was looking at me like that, like he couldn't get enough. I held up my hand,
listing off key factors. "Pet friendly, good neighborhood so my car doesn't get
stolen, and fairly cheap considering we haven't figured out the financial situation
completely-"

"I have some saved up from my paychecks!" He offered, grabbing my hand where it was
held in the air between us. I grinned, winding my fingers between his and sighing
contently before gently easing him back down off of me to the ground.

"I know my family will insist on helping us get set up with furniture and shit." I
added, already imagining how hectic those shopping trips were going to be. Mom was
totally going to make us buy ugly things for our apartment that we'd never glance
at otherwise, but I won't be able to complain because she'll be the one paying.

"This is really happening." Tyler blurted, my eyes blinking before focusing on him
again, feeling giddy just from seeing how excited he was. "It just makes it seem so
much more serious, you know?"

"Are you implying it wasn't serious before?" I teased, watching his eyes go wide
like he thought he might have genuinely offended me.

"Well, it was, but like, this is almost a promise that we expect it to last." He
explained, stopping and starting repeatedly throughout the explanation. He sighed
after he'd finished, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know, that sounded dumb
after all you just said."

"What more reassurance do you want? You're the only one for me ever, Ty." I
explained, moving closer to him and leaning against the door with a hand placed
above his head. He nodded, blushing as he started to play with the hem of his shirt
and avoid eye contact. "I'd propose now but I figure I'd better buy a decent ring
first and get an actual job."

"Stop it." He muttered, feeling my own cheeks heat up as the blush spread across
his.

"Why?" I laughed, leaning close enough that my breath washed over his ear as I
spoke added to it. "Does the marriage talk freak you out?"

"No, it gets me unreasonably excited for something I still have to wait for." He
scoffed, my heart seemingly stopping for a few seconds over the unexpected
reaction. I didn't think he actually liked the talk of getting married, I thought
it made him nervous and uncomfortable after how shy he was that night at the
campfire. Knowing that he was okay with it, even into it, made me see it in a
completely different light too.

Proposing suddenly wasn't some far-off thing I wanted to do in the distance,

knowing he wanted it too. I almost wanted to right now, but I knew that'd be
stupid. I wanted it to be special, seeing as I only planned on doing it once in my
life. I was about to move the conversation along to something else when my eyes
fell on the school ring on my finger, my body moving faster than my mind as I slid
it off.

"Here." I blurted, watching his confused expression as I lifted his hand and slid
it onto the finger his was absent from. I took a deep breath, noticing just how
shocked he looked. He probably thinks I'm actually proposing, I'd better clear
things up quickly. "It's not a proposal! But it's kind of like a promise that there
will be a proposal... eventually." He nodded his head, holding the hand out in
front of him and admiring the way it looked like his class ring didn't look exactly
the same with his name engraved.

"Engaged to be engaged." He said suddenly, making me look back to him. I studied

his features, taking in how oblivious to everything else he seemed right now. He
was radiating excitement, the emotion contagious the longer I looked at him. I
could only imagine what it'd be like when I finally proposed for real.

"Exactly." I confirmed, watching him blink and come back to Earth at the sound of
my voice. He jumped forward, hugging me tightly before backing out of the embrace.

"I'll be right back." He ordered, making a hand gesture that told me to stay put.
He scrambled into the house then, clearly trying to stay quiet as he tiptoed inside
and further into the house. I listened to him, not moving from the spot.
He didn't take long, returning less than a minute later with a huge grin on his
face. He grabbed my hand, slipping his ring onto my hand. He'd only worn it once
before while I was with him, the day he got it, but it still felt important that
he'd give it to me. "Here."

"I can't wait to fall asleep together every single night." I whispered suddenly
just as he finished putting it on, watching him react. He tucked his lips back,
trying and failing to fight a smile. I was so caught up in waiting for it to break
and that grin I loved so much to break out, I didn't notice the tears building in
his eyes until one dripped down, sending me into a panic. "Why are you crying? Did
I do something wrong?"

"I'm just happy." He laughed, reaching up to wipe his cheek off with his sleeve. My
mouth hung in an 'o' shape, snapping back shut in embarrassment a few seconds
later. He just laughed, the sound spluttered slightly as he coughed. "Do you want
to stay over? Mom's home so we can't do anything, but-"

"Yes, do you really think that'd affect my decision?" I cut him off, wanting him to
realize that I'd stay over no matter the situation. As long as it meant being
closer to him, that's all that mattered.

"Stop being so perfect." He accused, reaching out to shove me away gently. I

bounced back quickly though, pinning him against the door as I careened my neck to
press our lips together quickly.

"Impossible." I whispered against his, watching the answering roll of his eyes.

"Are we even trying to keep from being those sappy boyfriends everyone hates now?"
I vaguely recalled trying to fight how strongly we felt for each other before, but
now it was pointless to even attempt. Besides, I didn't really have a problem with
showing it off, especially not to him. I wanted him to know just how much he
mattered to me.

"No, we're not just boyfriends, we're engaged to be engaged, we're allowed to be
sappy." He replied, hands lifting to wind around the back of my neck, gripping it
tightly. He pulled me back down, our lips meeting at a slower more sensual pace
now. I took his lead, kissing him slow and gentle, yet still somehow passionate
despite the pace. I pulled away before he could deepen it and add tongue though,
knowing we'd get a chance for that later. Right now there was just something I had
to say so badly it felt like it was burning on the tip of my tongue. "I love you."

"I love you too."

A/n: Here is some mushy a la gushy fresh off the stove for you my lovely bones.
THAT MOVIE WAS SO SCARY I LITERALLY DIDNT LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR A MONTH AFTER
WATCHING IT OMG I DO NOT RECOMMEND. whyyyyyyyy its 4am im having flashbacks im
terrified hold me im gonnna cry. Anyway, I'm tired, so, imma make this short. LOOK
AN EDIT BY @KATERINASIVAN ON TWITTER WHAT A SURPRISE ITS BEAUTIFUL OKAY BYE IM
DONE NIGHTNIGHT TWO CHAPTERS LEFT I MEAN WHAT WHO SAID THAT NOT ME SURELY NOT SORRY
DONT THROW ROTTEN TOMATOES

Chapter Seventy-Eight
*Troye's POV*

*Timeskip to June*
"I'm gonna miss you guys!" Zoe whimpered, her arms draped around my shoulders
tightening their grip considerably. I wasn't even sure she could get any closer to
me at this point but she managed to find a way, snuggling her face into my chest
and continuing to sniffle pitifully. "You promise to invite me over to your new
apartment?"

"Once we actually get it set up, yeah. All we have right now is a bed." I
explained, a familiar bubbly grin finding my face at the mention of our apartment.
We'd only signed the papers and made things official a little under a week ago so
it all still felt so new. We had furniture bought and our own things, but we'd been
so busy with all of the graduation preparations this week, we hadn't managed to
transport any of it over. That was our plan for tomorrow though, on our first
official day as high school graduates.

"That's all you need though." Zoe chirped finally, her response taking a few
seconds and allowing my thoughts to wander like that. I didn't backtrack as quickly
as Tyler did, seeing as I was still sinking out of the other thoughts. But, judging
by how wide Tyler's eyes went and the way he shoved her, she was definitely teasing
us again.

"Zoe!" He chastised, a smile finding my face as it finally clicked what she was
getting at. It wasn't nearly as dirty a pun as Tyler and I made with each other, it
was just different when other people talked about our sex life, even subtly.

"I really thought after finally banging you guys would be less fun to tease, but
you still get so flustered." She sighed out, kicking at the rocks by her feet.
Tyler gave a loud indignified huff, stepping further back to cuddle into my side in
a show of defeated embarrassment. I, however, wasn't going to just accept her
teasing.

"How do you know we've done anything further than kissing?" I challenged, narrowing
my eyes at her. She gave me an incredulous face before clutching her chest and
bursting out laughing, doubling over and continuing until I worried her legs would
give out and she'd fall to the ground. I pouted, grumbling under my breath. "It's
not that obvious."

"It's kinda that obvious." She spluttered out, making my cheeks darken nearly as
bad as Tyler's. I didn't realize people could tell, aside from my overbearing
family. It shouldn't be embarrassing, we've been dating for nearly six months now
officially, but it still is. I suppose I could tease her back and pretend to know
what's going on between her and Alfie, even if I don't, but that just seemed like
so much work.

"Whatever." I snapped dismissively, throwing an arm around Tyler's shoulders.

Despite the awkward atmosphere he seemed more than happy to snuggle into the
embrace, even standing on his tippy-toes for a second to peck a kiss to my cheek.
He missed a bit, ending up pressing his lips to the corner of my jaw, but I didn't
complain.

Zoe rolled her eyes at our show of affection, muttering something under her breath
that sounded suspiciously like the words 'married couple'. I was tempted to call
her out on it, mostly to have an excuse to brag about the whole 'engaged to be
engaged' thing again. I realized it wasn't the same as actually being engaged and
probably wasn't brag-worthy, but I also knew how much it annoyed her and how
flustered Tyler got each time I brought it up. However, before I got the chance to
act on the temptations, an unfamiliar voice was calling out from the crowd of
people loud enough to turn everyone's heads.
"Zoe! Come over here and take a picture with your brother!" I blinked, looking to
Zoe with confusion written across my features. She'd never mentioned a little
brother before. Then again, she didn't really talk about her family much at all.

"You have a brother?" Tyler asked, tilting his head to the side and staring at her
nearly as curiously as I felt. She shrugged her shoulders, not looking very
impressed as she glared in the direction of the voice. Her mother still wasn't
distinguishable through the walls of people, but she seemed to have a general idea
of where she might be.

"He's a year younger than me and goes to some fancy boarding school. He only comes
home for big events." She explained, the description managing to catch my interest
even further. I wonder what he's like. How come she went to public school while he
went there? Was he has loveable and overly bubbly as Zoe?

"Can we meet him?" I asked without thinking, blushing as her expression changed
like I'd just asked something utterly ludicrous. She shrugged her shoulders
afterward though, seeming pretty indifferent on the matter.

"You'll regret it." She muttered, turning on her heel and gesturing for us to
follow. I swung my leg out, intending to eagerly follow after her, when another
voice rang out from behind us.

"Troye! Tyler!" I froze, sighing softly in annoyance over my mother. She sounded
emotional and excited, the reason I'd hoped to avoid her until it wore off. She
tended to take things too dramatically, so an actually dramatic moment like my
graduation was probably going to be insane. However, it was too late now,
considering I couldn't just duck away from her, so I turned around to face her
instead.

She continued to barrel forward, ending up throwing her arms around my torso and
squeezing the living daylights out of me. I groaned loudly, trying to puff my chest
out in an effort to get her off of me. Of course it didn't work, only making Tyler
and Zoe giggle further as they leaned on each other, momentarily ignoring the calls
of Zoe's parents.

It wasn't until I heard a quiet sniffle that I realized just how serious of trouble
I was in. Is she really going to take it that far? Crying? She's going to drench my
shirt if I don't try and stop her soon. I planned to speak up and discourage her
emotional state when she beat me to it, mumbling into my shirt, purposely loud
enough for Tyler to hear. "I got the most beautiful footage of when you walked off
the stage and hugged, you can just see the love in your eyes."

"Mom. Our friend is right here." I muttered, blushing as she drew away and started
to blink away the tears gathering in her eyes. She turned to Zoe then, narrowing
her eyes in an almost hostile glare.

"Yeah, and I'm shocked she's not crying too." She snapped, sounding a bit too harsh
to be comfortable. I laughed it off though, playfully punching her shoulder before
slinging my arm around them.

"You're hopeless." I laughed, giving Zoe an apologetic smile only when I knew she
wasn't watching. Instead her focus had turned to Tyler, my eyes widening as she
leapt forward out of my grip and grabbed his hand.

"Come on, let's go get some posed pictures!" She squealed excitedly, likely knowing
Tyler was too kindhearted to protest. He did look back over his shoulder at me as
she dragged him away, the glint in his eye more demanding than anything he could
have said. If I don't go with him and make sure my mother stays in line he is not
going to be happy with me.

"I guess we'll meet him some other time." I muttered, giving Zoe another awkward
smile.

"That's fine, have fun taking your romantic photos with your husband." She laughed,
the sentence sounding genuinely sweet until she reached the teasing last word. I
groaned, turning and bounding after her before they got lost in the crowd.

By the time I reached them she already had him in some weird pose hugging a tree as
she snapped photos, a smirk finding my face as I studied the awkward shaky smile on
his face. I decided enough torture was enough, sighing as I cleared my throat and
watched both of them turn to face me. They both looked extremely relieved, likely
for opposite reasons.

"Finally! Okay, go stand over there and hug him under the tree. We'll start out
tame." I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to see what happened after we surpassed the
'tame' poses, but I decided to cross that bridge once we came to it. I walked
across the neatly trimmed grass, not expecting it when Tyler practically pounced
into my arms, snuggling into my chest. I blushed, knowing it'd be caught on camera
but too caught up in the moment to really dwell on the consequences.

"Why the smile?" I whispered, hoping she wouldn't yell at me for breaking pose. His
eyes flickered up to meet with mine, the blue barely visible at this angle through
his thick lashes. That didn't matter though, I'd much rather he stayed clinging to
me like this instead.

"I keep remembering at random intervals that we're moving in together tomorrow and
it's all I can do to keep from bursting out into song every time." I felt giddy
after hearing his explanation, resisting the strongest urge to just lean down and
kiss him senseless. While I didn't care about what the people from our school
thought about our sexuality, I still wasn't sure if I was ready to make out with
anyone in the middle of a crowd of people this big. And I knew I wouldn't be able
to stop at just a chaste cute kiss, so I was left with no kiss at all, instead just
staring down at him and relishing in the way his fingers felt through my shirt as
they clutched at handfuls of fabric on my back.

I lost track of time as I continued to act out every pose my mother threw at us,
just going along with it and wondering in the back of my mind when it'd finally be
over. It wasn't until my father's voice spoke up directly beside us that I jumped
backward and actually took the time to study our surroundings. The crowd had
seriously thinned out, to the point you could distinguish each individual family
still here rather than just one huge crowd. My father spoke again then, but this
time I actually went out of my way to listen.

"Laurelle, honey, I think that's enough pictures." He laughed, stepping away from
us and into the line of the camera when she still insisted on ignoring him. That
was definitely a bad mood, her eyes shooting daggers as they flickered up from the
screen of the camera.

"Enough pictures?! Don't you want to remember this day forever? It's such an
important milestone of their lives and-"

"Don't you want to tell them about their graduating present?" He cut her off,
everyone's eyes going wide in reaction. They hadn't mentioned a graduating present
before now. I just assumed they would help us buy furniture and call it even.
Please tell me they didn't get us something stupid and are expecting us to buy all
our own furniture, because then we might be living with just a bed for longer than
I thought.
Whatever it was, my mother seemed very excited to share, dropping her camera and
letting it hand loosely from the strap around her neck. She bounced over to where
Shaun stood then, hugging him tightly.

"You're right! Where did Jackie go?" I didn't wait to hear his response, stepping
forward between them and giving each of them a harsh glare.

"It's just stuff for our apartment, right? That's what we need most." I subtly
reminded them, praying they hadn't already bought something stupid. I loved them,
but they weren't always very smart with their money. They seemed appalled by my
question though, which gave me a bit of hope as they both dismissively shook their
head in unison.

"Nah, that stuff is just because we love you. We had to get you something big for
graduating." I quirked my eyebrows again now, not even expecting them to get the
furniture and something else. I was almost concerned. What else could be considered
big?

"I'm worried." I said honestly, looking back and forth between us. Matching
suspicious smiles found their faces as they turned to face Tyler. My heart started
to race then, mind jumping to conclusions and mouth speaking before I'd even
thought it through. "Please tell me it's not a ring, you can't propose to him for
me." Tyler let out a quiet squeak next to me, eyes going comically wide when I
turned to address the noise. I decided to let him off without question, instead
turning back to my parents with an expectant expression for their answer.

"No! We'll leave that to you." My mother insisted, her voice wavering and far from
believable. I groaned, lifting a hand to run it through my hair.

"Please tell me you didn't." I said quietly, knowing Tyler would hear anyway. He
was standing right beside me, and likely pretty invested in the conversation. She
opened her mouth to speak up but my father clamped a hand over it, answering for
himself instead.

"We didn't. She wanted to though, she even had one picked out, but I refused to
help pay for it." I shot her a cold glare, watching the way she cowered into his
side with a guilty expression. She was quick to recover though, batting her
eyelashes a moment later with a surprisingly smooth smile.

"Will you at least take me with you when you do go ring shopping?" She asked,
completely disregarding Tyler standing next to me. I glanced in his direction
without turning my head, beaming inside when I noticed his usual nervous stance.
His feet were turned in and his hands distractedly playing with the hem of his
shirt as he stared downward. I can't wait for the day I finally do propose, to see
his face.

But should I agree to let my mother help? It'd be nice to have a second opinion,
but who's to say she'd even take it seriously. What if she just chose the ring she
liked best? Ugh, it'd break her heart if I said no though.

"Maybe. Now stop embarrassing Tyler, he looks like he's about to faint." I answered
gruffly, not missing Tyler's thankful sigh as he squirmed further into my side. She
nodded her head, albeit a bit sullenly like I actually had rejected her.

"Fine. Shaun go find Jackie and the other nuisances." She sighed out, pouting as
she walked over to lean against the same tree from our photoshoot earlier. I
ignored her dramatic exit, instead turning to Tyler and taking his hands in mine.
He grinned up at me, lifting a curious eyebrow to ask for the meaning of the show
of affection. I just shook my head though, knowing there wasn't really one in
particular.

My father returned a few minutes later with Jackie and all of my siblings in tow,
stomping proudly ahead of them until he reached our side. My mother was quick to
jump out of her pout then, bounding over to stand by the group of us before
suddenly urging a piece of paper into my hands. I cursed quietly, managing to get a
paper cut with her impatient methods. She seemed oblivious.

"We got you this. Jackie helped." She insisted, shoving it forward again when I
didn't immediately take it from her. This time I snatched it before she got the
chance to cut me, glaring as I flipped it over in my hands.

"An envelope?" I questioned, wondering what could possibly be inside.

"Open it, smartass." She snapped, completely misunderstanding my curiosity.

"Okay, okay, sheesh." I muttered, ripping it open carelessly. I pulled the piece of
paper out, furrowing my brows as I scanned it. Tyler stood higher on the tips of
his feet, resting his chin on my shoulder and reading it with me. My jaw unhinged
as it started to sink in just what the fancy scrawl on the paper meant, my heart
racing as my head snapped back upward, staring at my parents in disbelief.

"Well?" My mother urged, grinning wildly and making urgent hand gestures like she
simply couldn't wait to hear some sort of reaction. Jackie stood off behind them a
few steps, but her expression was identical to theirs, just a little bit more
subtle.

"This is a deed. Did you buy us a fucking house?" I asked, realizing Tyler hadn't
figured that out before I said it by the sharp intake of breath beside me. My
mother laughed aloud, shaking her head and waving her hands in dismissal.

"Oh no, you have an apartment. We got you a restaurant."

"An entire restaurant?" Tyler spluttered next to me, blunt nails digging into my
arm with how roughly he was suddenly clinging onto it.

"No, it's a portion of the deed, we still own half of it. I figured the whole would
be a bit much. Plus we probably know a bit more about running it than you do, but
if you catch on quick maybe we'll give you the rest for your next birthday." She
explained casually, like she hadn't just gifted us part-ownership of a fucking
restaurant. As crazy as it was and as much as I wanted to hit her for being so
over-the-top, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy with it. Tyler would have a job
he actually enjoyed and we'd have something to fall back on if we ever really
needed money, we could just sell our share back.

"I don't know what to say." I said honestly, kicking at the dirt by my feet.

"Tyler and Jackie can work there, you can too if you want." She suggested, my heart
racing even further as I realized that was a possibility too. We could give Jackie
a job where she wasn't treated badly and overworked. The more I thought about it
the more I fell in love with the idea, thinking about every possibility and option.
I wonder if it's close to our apartment, surely it is.

"Where's it at?"

"It's a little seafood one, by a beach." She explained casually, grin growing wider
for only a second before she forced it back smaller. I was confused by her actions,
unsure why she was suddenly holding back, but I didn't dwell on it.
A seafood restaurant by the beach, there was one of those by our apartment but I
didn't think it was for sale- Oh. She means that seafood restaurant. The one Tyler
and I first went to, the one he noticed was for sale. I never told her about that,
that was such a weird coincidence. Then again, I hadn't told her about Tyler
wanting to work in the food industry either, had I?

"I never told you about this." I accused, eyes narrowing into a glare as I studied
her. Everyone else seemed oblivious to why this mattered, staring at me in
confusion.

"About what?" She laughed, shaking her head like I was sprouting nonsense. It
didn't make sense, I hadn't told anyone these things. The only person that could
have possibly known is my grandmother, but why would she tell my mother? It didn't
make sense. Something wasn't adding up.

"Our first day together being at this restaurant, or Tyler wanting to work in the
food industry." I accused, watching her face pale slightly. It regained it's color
just as fast though, her shoulders shrugging noncommittally as she sighed loudly.

"Your grandmother told me about it. She said you mentioned the place being for sale
to her. You did, didn't you?" She asked, staring at me with an unfamiliar tint to
her smile. Sure, this was the only believable reason she could have said, but it
still didn't seem believable.

I continued to stare at her, my mind wandering as I tried to figure out what to

believe and what to debate further. My grandmother said she'd been trying to figure
out for years if my mother could read minds and had no results, it wouldn't make
sense if she could. But how else would she know? "Troye, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I didn't realize she told you." I lied through my teeth, deciding to
brush over it. She smiled widely, turning to my father and hugging him happily. I
couldn't shake the nagging curiosity though, knowing I'd continue to wonder
forever. At the same time, if she's managed to hide it this long, maybe she just
really doesn't want people to know. It just doesn't make sense, why didn't she
comfort me if she knew what I was going through?

Maybe my grandmother actually did tell her, maybe I'm reading too much into it.
This is an important moment, I should celebrate it and stop thinking so much.
"Thank-you, Mom and Dad and Jackie. It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome!" They shouted in unison, a few seconds of pure silence following
as they all slowly turned their focus to the man standing next to me. I hadn't even
looked at him since reading the deed, deciding I'd better see why he caught their
attention this time. I wasn't expecting to see him so pale he could be mistaken for
a ghost.

"Tyler! Are you okay?"

"They gave us half of a fucking restaurant." He spoke slowly, like he was still
trying to figure out how to say the words. I started to smile then, realizing there
was nothing seriously wrong. He was just shocked.

"He's a little in shock, he'll be fine. He's not used to the rich parent life." I
laughed, waving my hand to dismiss their concerns. I did step between him and the
crowd though, blocking his reactions from their line of sight as I leaned down to
comfort him. "Tyler, babe, aren't you excited? We don't have to worry about finding
you a job. My parents will probably even let you cook right away rather than
waiting tables."
"Your parents are crazy." He whispered, finally loosening his death grip on my arm.
It was so tight it had gone numb, which is why I hadn't been so concerned until
realizing just now.

"Ty, that's not nice to say to people that are expecting a thank-you." I growled
through my teeth, glaring at him. He blushed, nodding his head and peeking out from
around my shoulder.

"Th-Thank-you guys." He stuttered out, my heart clenching at how adorably nervous

he sounded right now.

"You're welcome! Anything for a member of the family!" My mother beamed, stepping
forward and completely disregarding the way I'd put space between them. She just
stepped around me, pulling him in for a quick hug. I made sure to listen carefully
though, catching it when she started to whisper in his ear. "Just for future
reference though, are you into normal gold or white gold for-"

"Mom. I'm buying the ring." I insisted, my voice coming out unintentionally gruff
and territorial as I stepped between them again. She sighed, rolling her eyes and
holding her hands up in surrender as she stepped back.

"Fine." She didn't sound very happy about it, but she did seem serious this time. I
nodded my head, looking back to Tyler and finding his complexion a complete
contrast to before. I started to laugh, lifting a hand to brush my fingertips
lightly over his flushed cheek.

"Look at him, you've turned him into a human tomato." I said quietly, leaning
forward to brush his lips to mine. He was still relatively unresponsive, mind
likely running crazy with thoughts of owning businesses and marriage. It definitely
seemed like a pretty picture-perfect future where we stood now. I couldn't wait to
start it with him.

I turned to look back to my parents once we separated, turning quickly and pausing
when my eyes fell on someone else entirely. They widened as I concentrated on the
form. Caspar was walking away, hands tucked in his pockets and eyes trained firmly
on the ground. He looked so sad, unlike everyone else here celebrating the end of
their high school careers. I knew I shouldn't after all he's done, but I couldn't
help but worry. Is he okay? I had to know for sure. "Excuse me, I'll be right
back."

"Okay?" Their confirmation sounded more like a question, but I was determined and
didn't have the time to stick around and explain my actions. Instead I jogged after
the retreating frame, gasping for air when I finally caught up with him. I was
still a few steps behind, and we'd just walked around a corner out of everyone
else's sight, but he still refused to acknowledge my presence. I decided the only
way to get him to would be to actually speak up and give him no choice. I took a
deep breath, unprepared for how he may react to me reaching out.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, freezing in my tracks at the same time as him before
I got any closer. He turned around slowly, eyes dark and burning with annoyance. He
stood there speechless for a few seconds, eyes raking over me and narrowed into the
most hostile glare I'd ever seen.

"Why?" He asked finally, arching a single eyebrow.

"Because you look upset." I explained, knowing I was stating the obvious but doing
it anyway for his sake. I didn't dare call him out on how stupid the question
actually was, knowing that'd eliminate the very small chance I had already of him
talking to me openly.

"Like you care, weirdo." He spat, starting to turn back around. I panicked,
desperate to say something that would keep him from leaving. He was obviously
upset, the hurt clear in his features.

"I appreciate it, you know. How you left us alone after the dance." I practically
shouted, grinning inwardly when he turned back around like I'd hoped.

"It's not because I care." He explained, shuffling in the spot awkwardly. I nodded
my head, giving him a genuine smile when I looked back up.

"I know, but I do." I said, watching his features soften slightly. I took a deep
breath, trying my hardest to zone in and concentrate on his thoughts. I still
wasn't standing very close to him, but I was very determined. The seconds of
silence turned into a minute before he cleared his throat, staring at me curiously
as he started to back away. The whole silently staring at him thing probably was
pretty creepy in hindsight.

"I've gotta go, my father's expecting me home soon." He explained, continuing to

stare at me for a few more seconds before shaking his head and turning around. He
started further down the alleyway between the two buildings, but I didn't let him
get far before I jogged forward and grabbed his wrist. "What the hell? Get off me!"
Before I even took the time to read his thoughts something else caught my eye, the
dark purple littering his arm.

"Are those bruises?" I asked, watching him shake his hand and squeeze his eyes
shut.

"Yeah, from sports-related stuff, you wouldn't understand." He muttered, sounding

even more hostile as he attempted to rip his arm from my grip. I closed my eyes,
completely ignoring his struggle as I started to focus all of my attention on
reading his mind. Come on, it has to work this time, it's important.

What's this kid's problem? I knew he was weird, but what is he trying to pull? Does
he have some kind of creepy crush on me? I thought he was banging Tyler.

I winced, making a face at the disgusting thoughts before trying to dig deeper. My
grandma said I could read thoughts even if he wasn't thinking them if I just
learned how to control it better. I could sift through what I didn't want to hear
individual thoughts and memories, just like she had with Lily.

I wonder when the new episode of- No.

I'm thinking about having lasagna for supper- No.

Why didn't he show up? He promised me he was going to stay sober today and come to
my graduation. What kind of father is he? Now Troye's seeing the bruises, what do I
tell him? What if he doesn't believe they're from sports?

"I'm sorry." I gasped when he finally tore his arm from my grip, my eyes full of
sympathy as I looked at his bruised arm in a whole new light. I couldn't believe
it. Caspar was so tough, I didn't think he'd take shit from anyone, let alone his
father. How long has it been going on? Why didn't he tell anyone?

"About what!? Can't you just leave me alone! What's your problem? Do you have some
creepy stalker crush on me?" He shouted, shoving me backward harshly. I landed on
my butt but I quickly scrambled back to my feet, gulping nervously as I took notice
of just how angry he looked with me.
"No, I just can't stand to see someone who's hurting walk back to the person that
hurt them." I spat, the words coming out almost angry sounding with how nervous I
was. He shook his head, face bent up in a mixture of confusion and anger.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, hands balling into fists at his sides.

"Those bruises aren't from sports, are they?" I asked, not expecting the sudden
slew of images that flew threw my mind as my words sparked stronger thoughts inside
of him. They were all injuries, ones that made my stomach flip in disgust at the
thought of someone inflicting them on him, someone he was meant to rely on. I
sighed as the final one left my mind, a prominent scar on his shoulder. "Neither is
the scar on your shoulder."

"You can't even see my shoulder. Stop making up lies." He spat, sinking backward
until he was pressed up entirely against the wall of the building. I took a step
forward, ducking when he suddenly kicked a rock up at me. I cursed when it hit the
edge of my elbow, clutching it and whimpering quietly. I was beginning to debate if
coming alone was such a great idea after all when the sound of approaching
footsteps had relief washing over me.

"What's going on? Troye, are you okay?" I smiled despite myself at all the concern
clear in Tyler's voice, melting back against his chest when he protectively hugged
me from behind. The embrace was short-lived however, considering we immediately
separated when Caspar started to make gagging noises at the show of affection.

"Great, look who's joined the party. Can I go now?" He asked, rolling his eyes and
stepping away from the wall. Tyler walked around to stand beside me, puffing his
chest up and biting his lip harshly.

"Yeah, be my guest, get out of here r-"

"Tyler, no." I whispered, before he could dismiss Caspar without my permission. He

turned to me in confusion, my mind struggling to find words to explain things to
him without alerting Caspar of too much. "He needs our help."

"What?" Tyler asked, tilting his head to the side and continuing to stare at me in
confusion. I sighed loudly, followed by Caspar's disgruntled groan.

"No, I don't! I don't need anyone's help!" He shouted, crossing his arms tightly
over his chest. I shook my head, turning to Tyler and trying to keep from seeing
Caspar's reaction. I didn't want to see his face when I said this next thing.

"His father's abusing him." I said, grabbing Tyler's hands and squeezing them
tightly. I was very thankful he was here now, considering I had no idea what I'd do
if he wasn't. How was I supposed to deal with this?

Tyler didn't seem nearly as shocked or heartbroken as I'd expected. He looked

almost angry as he turned back to Caspar, glaring at him.

"You told me he stopped." He spat, my eyes going wide. He knew? Why didn't he tell
anyone? Why didn't he tell me?

"You knew?" I whispered, looking back and forth between the two of them. Caspar
looked mortified now, like he wanted to sink back into the wall and disappear from
our view forever. I doubted it was an easy thing to talk about on his own will,
much less to be confronted this way.

"Well, yeah, but I didn't think it was serious. He was just a bit pushy with him
when I went over as a kid. When I asked about it Caspar said it stopped and then
he... Then he stopped having me over." Tyler muttered, staring down at the ground
as regret started to cloud his features like things were just now making sense to
him. Of course he stopped having him over after that, he didn't want him
questioning any further. Shit, now I feel even worse.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about, stop acting like you know
everything-"

"I read your mind, I do know everything." I cut off, my heart racing as the
confession rang in my own ears. I had to tell him though. If I didn't give him
something of mine to hold onto he'd never let me talk with him about his secrets.
Tyer squeezed my hand even tighter, to the point it was almost painful, but I
didn't mind. In fact, I liked it, the constant tension keeping me grounded instead
of letting me fly away into freak out land.

Caspar didn't seem to realize just how big of a conquest this was for me, giving me
a weird look before laughing and shaking his head.

"Liar." He accused, my eyes snapping shut as I concentrated on proving myself. He

had to believe me.

"You're thinking about the Harries twins now, wondering if they were the ones that
told me about it because they're the only ones who know." I opened my eyes, meeting
his confused and slightly terrified gaze. He shrunk back further, shaking his head
as he slumped against the brick wall. I decided to try again, his resolve visibly
cracking each time I made a statement too uncanny to be a lie. "You're thinking
about your mother, where she is now after leaving your father."

"No, I'm not." He growled, beginning to sound angry with me. I shook my head,
taking a deep breath as I closed my eyes for the third and hopefully final time. He
had to believe me after this. He had to let me help him.

"You're thinking about how weird I am and how you wished you'd taken the back exit
so I never saw you walking away." I opened my eyes again, studying his reaction
closely as Tyler clung closer to me. He opened his mouth to speak before snapping
his jaw back shut, shaking his head furiously as tears started to build in his
eyes. I couldn't tell what emotion he was feeling, traces of all them flickering
across his features. I stepped forward, away from Tyler and closer to him,
stretching a hand outward. "I know, Caspar, and I want to help you. I won't tell
anyone about you if you don't tell anyone about me. I can help you through this."

"No." He muttered, his voice barely recognizable with how small and meek it
sounded. He reached a hand up to angrily wipe the tears from his cheeks, staring at
me in confused disbelief. It changed then, his expression darkening as he turned
and started to back away again. He waited until he was a good ten steps from me
before replying. "I never asked for your help and I don't need it!" He took off
sprinting as soon as he'd finished replying, a soft sigh leaving my lips as he
turned the corner out of sight. Tyler walked up behind me to press a chaste
comforting kiss to the back of my neck, wrapping his arms around my stomach from
behind and squeezing.

"What do we do?"

"There's nothing we can do. If he doesn't want our help, we can't force it on him."
I explained, debating with myself if this really was the right choice. It probably
wasn't. The logical thing would be to get him help whether he wanted it or not, I
just knew how shattered I would have been if someone told the world about my
problems and forced me to face them when I was younger. I would have been
heartbroken and angry, possibly hurting even badly than when I'd been dealing with
them on my own.

"Can't we tell someone?" I shook my head, turning around to hug him tightly to my
chest. It was times like these I was even more thankful for Tyler than usual.
Something about having him near just made all the dark fade away, like he was my
own personal beacon of light. No matter how bad things got I could always rely on
him to be there.

"We could. It'd only make him bitter though. Imagine the self-hatred he'd feel if
he thought it was his fault his father was thrown behind bars."

"We can't just leave him." He whispered, genuine concern showing in his voice
despite all that Caspar had done. I sighed, running a hand over his back and
kissing the top of his head distractedly.

"We'll keep an eye out for him for now. If things get any worse we will definitely
get help."

A/n: ONE CHAPTER LEFT AFTER THIS BUT IT'S KINDA THE EPILOGUE BUT IM JUST GONNA CALL
IT A NORMAL CHAPTER IDK DIDKDIDKDIDK IDK IM SO EXCITED WHEN SHOULD I POST IT
ANYTIME IS GOOD WITH ME MANS DO YOU WANT IT RIGHT NOW?????!?!?

Chapter Seventy-Nine
*Tyler's POV*

*Timeskip to six months later*

"Here you are, enjoy your meal." I beamed, setting the plates down in front of each
customer surrounding the small table. I noticed they'd stolen chairs from the table
beside them to accommodate every member of their party, making a mental note to
make sure they put them back afterward.

"Thanks." The mother said, giving me an apologetic smile when a rogue drop of
spaghetti sauce from the toddler's plate nearly hit me. Man, that kid was chowing
down. You'd think it hadn't seen food for months at the rate it was eating. Then
again, who am I to talk? With that in mind, I kept my staring to a minimum, giving
them a quick farewell before heading back toward the kitchen.

I was still stopped three times on the way back, but I couldn't bring myself to
mind. Everyone was nice and I enjoyed making their dinner experience better in one
way or another, knowing how miserable I felt when it took ages for my waiter to
come back by my table. Of course, I wasn't actually their waiter, I spent most of
my time behind the counter in the kitchen cooking, but I figured it didn't hurt to
cover the back of our waiters and waitresses. Even if the reason their backs even
needed covering at all was due solely to laziness.

I paused again just before walking into the kitchen, drawing in a shaky breath as I
studied the familiar posters. They were strung up everywhere, they had been for a
few months now. Nobody really talked about it anymore, but it didn't stop my breath
from catching every time I saw Caspar's name scrawled across those missing posters.
I just hoped he was okay.

Troye and I had went to his house right after it happened to snoop around a bit. He
read his father's mind, finding out for sure that he wasn't the reason he was
missing. It really just seemed like he'd been abducted by someone else entirely, or
that he'd ran away. I hoped it was the latter.

I pushed through the doors carelessly, immediately going for the hand washing
station and rinsing them clean. I slipped a new pair of gloves on after turning off
the tap, taking a deep breath before walking back over to the stove. My kitchen
help was here, in the form of a very familiar woman peering at the soup curiously
like she had no idea what to do next.

"Mom? Is everything under control?" I laughed, pausing beside her to lean my weight
onto one hip, waiting impatiently for her response. My time was limited and I
really would have liked to be out of here by now, but I couldn't leave her here
looking so unsure.

"It tastes weird." She observed simply, giving a guilty expression like she somehow
blamed herself for whatever the mishap had been to ruin my soup. Whatever it was,
it was probably fixable. If it wasn't, it was just soup after all.

I grabbed a new spoon and quickly scooped some into my mouth, not even needing a
moment to process what the food was lacking. I knew instantly.

"Needs salt." I said simply, rushing to grab the box of salt off the opposite
counter. I walked back to the stove with it in hand, dashing some onto my palm
before dropping it innto the pot. I watched the top of the water fizzle just
slightly over the additive, hurrying to grab yet another spoon for her to taste it
again. I felt bad for whoever was on dish duty tonight. Actually, I always felt bad
for the person on dish duty, considering it was never my job. "Better?" I asked
her, not even trying to hide my curiosity as I watched her facial reactions to the
spoon I'd just barely shoved past her lips. She nodded, swallowing harshly before
flashing me a wide smile.

"When did you get so good at this! The Mellet's knew what they were doing when they
hired you!" She beamed, wrapping me up into a hug. I blushed, knowing one of our
co-workers could walk in and see our embrace at any second. That wasn't quite
enough to get me to back out of it though, instead enjoying being able to rest in
her warm arms. In some ways, I really missed living with her. In other ways, I was
very thankful Troye and I were on our own.

"Do you think you'd be able to handle the current crowd on your own? I was supposed
to be off fifteen minutes ago." I explained, taking a quick second to wipe down the
counter. It wasn't particularly dirty, but no one else was particularly strict
about making sure it stayed that way.

She looked at me like I'd just spurted utter nonsense, making me worry for a moment
if she actually was capable of looking after things for the next few hours until
closing time. She'd only called me in to help her out with rush hour, but if she
really needed me still I couldn't refuse to stay. However, that didn't seem to be
the case. She didn't look nervous of me leaving, only confused by the suggestion
altogether, like she'd forgotten I wasn't even supposed to be working today at all.
It was my day off.

"Oh, shit! You can go, honey, Troye's probably wondering where you're at." She
beamed, patting me on the back. I didn't miss the way her eyes lit up when they
mentioned Troye, I never did. She was still as happy with him as she had been that
first day I brought him home and he gave her flowers. Again though, who am I to
talk? I'm just as infatuated as ever too, even if things are a bit rocky right now.

"I don't know, he wasn't exactly happy with me when I left." I mumbled, shrugging
off my apron and folding it up. This part of the day always reminded me of working
at Bruce's, a small tang of sadness finding me as I remembered my first job. It
wasn't like we'd left him completely understaffed though, considering both Sage and
Tyde had been ecstatic at the idea of working there. I wasn't sure the two of them
would be the best mix to have working at the same time, but they seemed to split up
their hours quite differently than Troye and I had.

"Trouble in paradise?" Mom asked, bringing me back to current time again. I nodded,
running my hand through my hair. I think I might have mentioned the situation to
her earlier, but she hadn't really offered any advice, only sympathy. That wasn't
what I was after. I just wanted to know how to make it better, not how to cope with
how miserable it was right now.

"I promised him date night and then you called me last minute about working." I
explained again, watching her eyes narrow as she likely recalled the story from
earlier. She nodded her head, showing her understanding and lack of words to reply
with all in one gesture.

"Sorry." She said weakly, my chest constricting uncomfortable at the guilty tone
she used. It's not like it's her fault she needed help, it's not like I could blame
her for dragging me away from Troye. I didn't want to make any more people upset
than absolutely necessary.

"It's fine. You're still coming over for supper on Saturday, right?" I asked,
dreading just the idea of the upcoming get-together. It was Troye's wise idea to
invite both of our families to the same dinner in our tiny apartment, including
Steele and Amy. Not that I really minded any of them, I loved them all, but in
small moderate doses where I had lots of space to retreat and hide. They'd all been
to our apartment by now, aside from Steele and Amy, but never all at the same time.
I wasn't sure our poor living space would be able to handle that, but I guess we're
going to find out.

"Right." She confirmed, smiling widely at me like she could sense just how nervous
I was. I grinned at her, leaning in for another quick hug. I backed off, giving her
a knowing smile and deciding to make the moment less sappy with a bit of teasing.

"Don't forget again, suppers alone with the Mellet's are still uncomfortable." We
would never let her live down forgetting the last meal, especially not when she
always reacted to hilariously when we reminded her. She pulled a face of annoyance,
shoving me gently.

"I won't, that was a one time thing!"

"Bye, Mom." I laughed softly, flashing her one last wide smile before turning and
striding out of the room. Someone immediately raised their hand to get my
attention, letting it sink back down against the table when they realized I no
longer wore my apron or name tag. I turned the corner, pausing when I saw a
familiar face sitting in one of the many stools surrounding the counter.

"Hey, Bruce!"

***

The conversation with Bruce carried on for a lot longer than I'd expected, meaning
I was left in even more of a rush to get back to Troye's side. I was insanely late
getting home now. I probably could have worked the whole shift and still be home
before now. I was just hoping Troye would understand. Surely he'd be happy to get
the inside scoop on how good his siblings are at their new job. And he'd likely be
happy to see me too, even if he was too stubborn and spiteful to admit it.

That's why I had such a skip in my step as I approached the entrance to our
building, holding the flower bouquet I'd bought on the way home closely to my
chest. It was cheesy, but I figured it'd help me get back on his good side. Whether
he admits it or not, he really is quite the hopeless romantic.

I pouted when I saw the sign still adorning the doors of the elevator, sighing at
the fact I'd be taking the stairs yet again. It wasn't so bad with just these in my
arms, but on days I buy groceries I'm really growing tired of carrying them so far.

I let out a heavy breath as I stepped off the final stair, relieved to finally be
on our floor. I rushed toward the end of the hall, bouncing eagerly as I pondered
over what Troye might be doing right now. It was a bit past supper time, but he may
have kept the table set waiting for me to get home. Then again, he could be
studying. He'd been doing that a lot lately, completely immersing himself in the
idea of becoming a cop. As much as the risky job choice worried me, I supported him
too. The world could benefit from a man like him in any position of power.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't notice something as small as the

doorknob ahead of me turning, not even when it swung open. The only thing I did
notice was when a man stepped out directly into my path, but by then it was too
late to stop the accident from occurring. I crashed into him awkwardly, falling to
my knees while somehow managing to coddle the flowers to my chest and protect them.

I breathed heavily, knowing already that I'd scuffed my knee up reasonably. I got
to my feet slowly, testing out how bad the pain levels were before putting my full
weight on the leg. I looked up finally then, offering a smile to the disheveled
looking person looming over me. God, he was really tall. He didn't exactly look
welcoming either, leaning against the door frame he'd just stepped out of and
staring down at me. It wasn't really an intrigued stare as a studying one, like he
was judging me blatantly and unabashedly.

"I am so sorry about that! I really should pay more attention to where I'm going
o-"

"Yes, you really should." He cut me off, his tone far from sarcastic. I stared up
at him incredulously, my mouth surely hanging slightly agape over his blunt
response. Somebody really doesn't care about the way he treats others, huh?

"Sorry. Are you new here? I haven't seen you around." I offered, trying to mend the
gap he'd put between us. I wasn't here to make enemies, that was the exact opposite
of what I wanted. Even if the guy seems like a bit of a dick, I don't have any
really negative feelings toward him.

His brown eyes blinked intuitively, his head shaking slowly. He seemed almost
uncomfortable talking to me, making a fleeting worry shoot through me that he might
be homophobic. Surely he's noticed Troye and I and knows we're together if he's
been here for any amount of time, we're hardly discreet about it. We're not exactly
quiet either, another mental note made to be more considerate of this poor guy. He
was our neighbor right beside us, the thin walls probably doing a pretty poor job
of muffling any noise coming from our apartment. He doesn't deserve that.

"I moved in about a year ago." He replied finally, reminding me I'd been letting my
mind drift a bit too far again. I nodded my head, shoving a hand toward him and
pouting slightly when he flinched away like it was covered in the plague.

"I'm Tyler, by the way." I explained, searching his eyes curiously and trying to
place the emotion found in them. It wasn't really disgust as much as total
disinterest.

"Cool." He offered, flattening his body further against the door in what was
probably supposed to be a subtle attempt to get away from my hand. I sighed,
withdrawing it and shoving it into the pockets of my worn jeans.

"And you are?" He made a face, like he wasn't particularly fond of disclosing that
information. Then again, maybe he worried I'd assume we were friends or something
just because we knew each other's names. Trust me, that wasn't going to happen. The
only time I could see myself willingly seeking him out is in the case of a serious
emergency.

"Dan." He answered finally, still sounding slightly hesitant toward the confession.
I nodded my head, deciding it definitely suited him.

"Nice to-" I never got the chance to finish my response, watching as he pushed his
door open behind him and slipped back into the apartment he'd walked out of, not
even gracing me with eye contact as he bluntly ran away from me. I quirked an
eyebrow, staring at his shut door in shock. "...meet you?"

I started to turn away, noticing a small slip of paper on the floor and picking it
up. It had a number on it and a name, but that was it. 'Phil', huh? I wonder who
that is. I don't really feel like knocking right now and asking though, I'll just
give it back later when I've not just had a door slammed in my face.

After that I was quick to move on and just head straight for our apartment,
deciding that from then on I would be making no outward attempts at befriending the
residents of our building. I was seriously beginning to think we were the most
normal people living here, which was really saying something.

I didn't bother knocking when I reached our doormat, instead just opening the door
with my key and letting myself in. I doubted there was anything I could walk in on
that'd be too uncomfortable with Troye, and the knock would only drive the stupid
dog crazy.

"Jagga! Not again!" Speak of the devil, the stupid dog seems to be wreaking havoc
yet again. I grinned despite myself, setting the flowers down before shrugging my
sweater off and letting it fall by my ankles. I kicked my shoes off too, taking a
step forward before realizing my mistake and forcing myself to pick up all of the
outdoor wear and put it where it all went. Troye had gotten after me one too many
times for me to make that mistake again. Well, for me to make that mistake and get
away with it.

I grabbed the flowers again, holding them tightly as I tried to figure out where
Troye's distressed complaint had come from. I found him in the kitchen eventually,
smiling fondly as I watched him continuously spray Jagga with the disciplinary
water bottle. She had taken refuge under the table, pressed as far back against the
wall as possible to avoid his wrath.

"What's she into this time?" I chuckled, watching the way he jumped unreasonably
high. Then again, he had no idea I was home when he was so distracted in all this,
he probably hadn't been expecting it at all.

"She ate the entire butter dish." He answered in a grumble, not even looking at me
as he fell into a chair at the table and buried his face in his hands.

"That's concerning, last I checked that was glass." I said quietly, hoping the bad
joke might make him laugh. It didn't though, only earning me a scoff and a quiet
angry stomp of his foot.

"I meant the butter in it, not the actual dish, smartass." He said coldly, my lips
pulling up into a smile. Despite the fact I'd been obviously joking, it was quite
cute watching him take my suggestion seriously and get so worked up over it.

I stepped behind him, letting my hands fall on his shoulders and pick up a steady
massaging rhythm. He hummed appreciatively, shifting under my touch and opening up
more with his body language, even if he insisted on keeping his eyes from mine. It
was frustrating, but to be expected. He was pretty stubborn when he was angry.

"Come on, she's not that bad." I said softly, not wanting to stress him even
further. He shook his head into his palms, seemingly very passionate on this
decision.

"She's horrible. You were the one that wanted a dog, not me." He'd pulled that card
so many times, constantly trying to get me to do all the work and using it to guilt
me into being obedient.

"I wanted a dog, not a seal." I corrected him, giggling slightly as I leaned over
him and hugged him back against my chest. He was rigid and distanced, but it still
felt nice having him close.

"She was going to be put down." I nodded my head into his back. I'd heard this
story many times before, whenever I questioned his dog-choosing skills. As much
trouble as she was, I was pretty glad we'd gone with her. Maybe she'd calm down a
bit when she was older, but right now you did get the occasional snuggly mood from
her when she acted like the best dog in the world. Being that she was my first dog
ever, I didn't really have anything better to compare her to.

I broke away from the embrace, leaving him bent over the table as I fell onto my
butt in the middle of the floor, patting my thighs eagerly.

"Jagga! Come here!" It was about a second later that she charged out from under the
table, knocking me into a completely laying position when she pounced on my chest.
"Oof!"

"Of course she comes to you. She was hiding from me." Troye scoffed, my eyes
flickering away from the mess of fur on top of me to look at him. He'd sat up
finally, turned in his seat to look over his shoulder, his expression a weird mix
of cold and loving as he watched me get mauled by the dog.

"Because you're mean." I said, laughing when she went to lick a stripe up my cheek.
I shoved her away with a bit of struggle, managing to get back into a sitting
position before she was coming back for her next attack. She threw herself across
my lap, looking up expectantly for belly rubs. I absentmindedly let my hand settle
on her fur, not able to resist petting her even now.

"No, because I scold her and don't let her get away with eating us out of house and
home." He growled, sounding slightly snappier after my accusation. I sighed,
looking down at her with a lopsided smile. She looked like a nut right now, her
eyes wide and bulging as she squirmed around.

"You love her." I chuckled, attempting to push her off so our conversation could
continue uninterrupted.

"That doesn't mean I can't be mad at her." I bit my lip, realizing exactly what he
was getting at with the way he said it. This isn't just about the dog, is it? I
really pushed her off now, scolding her under my breath and firmly telling her no
when she attempted to climb back over me. I got to my feet then, trying not to feel
bad about her disappointed eyes.

"Are you still mad at me?" I asked tentatively, moving to quietly sit in the seat
across from him. He sighed, shrugging his shoulders and refusing to meet my gaze
again.

"You promised, Ty." He muttered, my chest tightening uncomfortably at the pain I

heard in his voice. He was right, I'd promised I wouldn't cancel this time. I had
to get it into my head that he is eons more important than my job. Even if the
reason I'm working so much is in hopes of buying him a real ring- Nope. Not
thinking about that. He's getting better and better and mindreading and I'd really
rather have the element of surprise on my side when I pull that.

"I'm free tomorrow." I offered, batting my eyelashes at him and gently kicking his
foot under the table. He sighed, nodding his head dismissively in the way he told
me he'd accept it, but that still didn't mean he liked it. I decided to try
something different, shifting my chair to his side of the table and settling my
hand on his thigh. "And the rest of tonight."

"And you're going to make it up to me?" He asked quietly, eyes alight with mischief
now when they met with mine. Part of me was concerned what to expect when offering
him anything he wanted, seeing as he'd done a pretty good job proving just how
kinky he could be in the bedroom, but I was also curious. I doubted he'd do
anything I really didn't want him to, and he also seemed to know what I actually
would be into.

"Any way you want me to." I confirmed, watching the way his eyes darkened
noticeably. He brought his bottom lip back between his teeth agonizingly slow,
purposely drawing out the movement to sexualize it. It worked, already feeling my
length stirring beneath my pants.

He settled his hand on my thigh now, wasting no time to drift it up and stop right
where I wanted his touch. Except he didn't apply any pressure, smiling wryly as he
waited for me to make the first move and buck my hips up. I could have pretended to
have too much pride for that, but it wasn't true. I grinded upward into his palm,
letting my head fall back and a quite moan slip past my lips. He scoffed next to
me, leaning over to peck his lips to my shoulder.

"What's that?" I quirked my eyebrows, lifting my head to see what he was talking
about. I grabbed the slip of white sticking out from my pocket, realizing
immediately afterward what it was.

"Our neighbor dropped it." I said, handing the paper to him. He nodded his head,
reading it quickly before tossing it on the table. I just hoped he didn't mistake
it as me getting someone's number, because that was the furthest from the truth
there was.

"You should probably give it back, it might be important." He said quietly.

"He's weird." I complained, still not ecstatic about the idea of seeing him again
after being so rejected earlier. Troye pulled a face, glaring at me. I blushed,
realizing exactly what he was getting at. I'd been trying to be more careful about
calling people weird, especially with Troye's past. I didn't know their situation.
Still, I doubted there was any chance of our neighbor being a mindreader too. I
think he's just an asshole. Still, asshole or not, he probably needs this paper.
"Sorry, you're right, I'll go give it back." I sighed, getting to my feet. I made
it about a step before he was grabbing my wrist, pulling me backward.

"I meant later, right now I think you're supposed to be making things up to me." I
grinned, eagerly nodding and completely abandoning the idea of leaving. Instead I
moved forward, spreading my legs slightly so I could settle down straddling his
lap, facing him.
"Am I?" I purred, lifting my hands to push his unstyled hair back and out of his
eyes. He nodded, the bright familiar blue shining behind his eyelashes. "Are the
clothes off our bed?"

"No. Let's just do it here." He replied, leaning forward to attach his lips to my
neck as his hands started to wander from their spot on my back. I gasped,
saturating in the feeling of his touch as he flicked his tongue harshly over the
sensitive skin. After getting a more serious job I'd been being more strict about
the hickeys he gave me, not very fond of taking the time to put make-up over them
every day before work. But I figured tonight could be an exception, considering I
had promised to make it up to him any way he wanted.

"In the kitchen?" I replied curiously, remembering what he'd last said when he gave
me a second's break from his kissing. He nodded, nuzzling his head into the crook
of my neck as his hands skimmed even lower and gripped at my butt.

"It's the only room we haven't yet." He reminded me, my cheeks flushing red as I
remembered our past experiences in the new apartment. From the living room coffee
table to against the dryer, we weren't exactly shy in our adventures. However, this
room did have the biggest window, and he didn't seem to mind continuing without
closing the curtains.

"Okay." I breathed out quietly, deciding to just go along with it. It made it
strangely hotter, the slight rush of adrenaline knowing we weren't that hidden from
other's eyes. God, his kinkiness must be rubbing off on me.

He didn't give me long to think about my decision after making it, immediately
grabbing the back of my neck and crashing my mouth to his. We kissed ferociously as
his hands went to work at the buttons of my shirt, clumsily undoing them and
cursing against my lips each time he messed up. We were both quite into the changes
I'd made to my style, aside from the fact he didn't have that much experience
fumbling his way through buttons to get the button-ups off.

Eventually I grew tired of waiting, just pulling away to do it myself. He looked

like he was about ready to rip it open and I really wasn't going to allow that with
my new shirt. I undid the remaining buttons with ease, immediately sliding it from
my shoulders and moving forward to kiss him again. He wound his fingers through my
hair, our lips meeting open-mouthed. We kissed as I undid his pants, heart racing
eagerly at the thought of having him inside me again.

I was the one to break the kiss off, standing up and gesturing for him to do the
same. He shed both his pants and his shirt in seconds, ripping them off his body.
He didn't stop at just that though, dipping two fingers under the waistband of his
briefs and starting to slide them off too. He didn't even get them down far enough
to fully uncover his erection before we were interrupted, both of us groaning in
unison at the sound of someone knocking at the door.

"Fuck." I cursed, digging my nails into my palms angrily. He just laughed though,
clapping me on the butt and steering me in the direction of the door.

"Go get it."

"Why me?" I complained, whining as I stared at him pathetically. He just shook his
head, patting my back again.

"You have more clothes on." I couldn't argue with that, though I still wasn't very
happy about having to be the one to answer the door. I didn't even bother putting
my shirt back on, instead just walking out of the room like I was. I noticed the
abandoned flower bouquet on the table in the doorway, cursing myself for forgetting
them there. It was Troye's fault really, for being so strict on the whole 'picking
up your coat and shoes' thing.

I couldn't really afford to gather them up and put them in water right now though,
sighing softly as I went to open the door. I just hoped it wasn't Zoe, because I
knew from experience she'd let herself in and barge right in looking for Troye. He
wasn't exactly in the condition to be hosting guests.

"Hello?" I greeted quietly, giving a curious rake of my eyes over the man's body.
He looked exactly the same as earlier, albeit a little bit more obvious with how
unhappy he was to be talking to me. That made sense, he didn't have to pretend to
like me now that he'd slammed a door in my face.

"Hi, you don't happen to have a-"

"Oh! Are you looking for that number you dropped?" He nodded his head, blushing
slightly as he nervously started to fiddle with his hands. I excused myself,
rushing into the kitchen to grab the slip. I gasped when I walked in on Troye
again, legs spread wide as he leaned back in his chair. His eyes were closed,
making me wonder if he noticed my presence at all as he continued to run his closed
fist over his length. I decided I'd better not stay to find out, not if I didn't
want to leave Dan waiting until we were finished. I grabbed the paper off the table
and hurriedly walked back, offering a wide smile as I handed it over. "You dropped
this-"

"I know I did." He said gruffly, cutting me off as he snatched the note. I gave him
a bit of a glare, unable to help myself with how rude he was being. He didn't seem
phased though, just giving me a weak wobbly smile before stepping out of the
doorway. "Thank-you."

"Yeah, sure. See you around." I said casually, dismissing him with a wave of my
hand. He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders as he turned.

"Probably not, I don't leave the house much, but I appreciate the sentiment." I
wasn't sure whether to feel dejected or sorry for him at the sudden confession,
just waving awkwardly as he stepped away and moved back to his apartment.

I closed the door, immediately turning and rushing to grab the flowers. I held them
tightly as I hurried back into the room, grinning cheerily as I stepped back into
the kitchen. I made a point to be louder this time, grateful when I found Troye's
eyes open as I walked back in.

"Neighbor?" He laughed, tilting his head to the side as he noticed the way I was
holding both my hands behind my back. I nodded, stepping forward and settling back
on his lap. I sat back further, not wanting to rub up against his oversensitized
length. Not right now anyway, I'd do that in a few seconds. Right now I just wanted
the cheesy romantic moment. Even if I was half naked and he was completely nude.

"Mmhmm. Look what I bought you." I cooed, grinning widely in self-appreciation as I

withdrew them from behind my back, holding them out in the small space between our
chests. His eyes went wide, followed by a stupid smile spreading across his lips as
he slowly took them from my hand. He careened his neck lower rather than lifting
the flowers, sniffing them and letting his eyes fall shut in appreciation of the
scent.

"They're amazing, thank-you." He beamed, letting his eyes flutter back open. They
immediately met with mine, whether it was on purpose or not I didn't know. I could
tell it wasn't on purpose when his gaze lingered though, both of us momentarily
lost in the other's eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too."

A/n: This is it then, the end of an era. As you know, I am the queen of rambly
author's notes and if you were expecting anything but here, you were sorely wrong.
Wow, I don't even know what to say. I have been so stressed out recently trying to
finish this in time for the contest and to be able to actually say it's done,
completely done, is really surreal. Writing Freak is all I've done for so long it
feels weird not having that responsibility looming in the back of my mind. Part of
me is sad, understandably. The response I've received from this fanfic is unlike
anything I could have ever imagined or expected. If you read my end-of-story
author's note for It's Complicated, I think I said that was more than I ever
expected and it really was. This is just, woah, there aren't even words. Thank-you
soso much for reading all of this and growing with me and the characters, it's been
a ride. It's probably super cheesy to pull this card, but this experience has
genuinely changed my life. I've gained so much confidence in myself and my dream of
becoming an author and it's all thanks to you guys. I know it wasn't your
intention, to you it was just reading a fic in your spare time, but I cannot
express how eternally grateful I am for every single read, vote, comment, message.
I know I don't take the time to reply to every single one, but I do read them all
and they all affect me some way or another.

This is really it, the end of the road. Well, the end of this road, I'm branching
off onto new routes (aka new stories). As of right now, I don't think I'm going to
announce them, or I'll get ahead of myself and neglect my current stories, but
there will definitely be more. More smutty fics, more fluffy fics, possibly an
angsty fic? (That's my really lame attempt at catching your attention so you'll
follow me) I don't expect all of my readers from this fic to move on to my others,
but you know, it wouldn't hurt you to try them out when they start. More reading
material, yanno? So yeah, follow me on here and twitter (Also @MelancholyMango)
and all that good stuff because I'm still growing and writing and I don't think
I'll be stopping any time soon. I love you guys soososo much and just, thank-you.
Whether you wrote a song, made a fan-art, left one comment on one chapter, you made
a difference and it means the world to me. (also, I'm too nervous to post it on
here in fear of getting in trouble but @KaterinaSivan also made a final Freak edit
that's a liiiiiiittle bit smutty and a lotttttt amazing so go hunt her down. She
makes amazing edits and will continue to even now that Freak is over)